This Long Journey : Full Story

Chapter 3

We had been driving for three hours when I finally thought to ask, "Where exactly are we going Danny?"

He started laughing. "Oh Jesus Stiles we're both idiots," he took a breath and turned into a drive thru, "we're going to a cabin my Grandad owned in Michigan. He left it to my parents when he died. We have a couple stops to make along the way though the first of which is a lake house for us to rest in."

I nodded and went back to sitting quietly while he ordered us cheeseburgers and curly fries.

"Thank you Danny," I said when he handed me my food and drink. He beamed then shoved a fry in his mouth.

We drove for another 17 hours stopping every few hours for a restroom break and to get snacks. Danny and I switched seats halfway through the drive so he could get some rest. Two hours before we arrived at our destination I tried to wake Danny up for our usual break. "Hey wake up," I said while shaking his shoulder.

He groaned and pushed my hand away. "Five more minutes please."

The corner of my mouth twitched up and I turned off the car. "Okay I'll go get the snacks and you can sleep." He mumbled happily while I got out of the car.

The first thing I did was locate the bathroom because after three hours and two energy drinks my bladder was full. I relieved myself then washed my hands before exiting the restroom.

After that I went to get us both some drinks. I was about to open the glass door so I could get to the drinks but I froze. I thought I could see Allison standing behind me. I turned quickly but there was no one there. I started counting my fingers but there were only ten. I sighed and grabbed two bottles of water, two Dr. Peppers, and two white Monsters.

Next I went to get some food. I picked up a bag of Funyuns, two packs of Sweet Tarts Ropes, a thing of Gummy Bears, and some beef jerky. I paid for everything before making my way back to the car.

"You got to wake up now Danny," I said while shaking his shoulder again. He grumbled but opened his eyes. "Do you need to use the bathroom?" I asked.

He shook his head no and yawned. "Did you get drinks?" He asked while reaching for the bags.

I nodded and said, "Of course I did. Will you hand me one of the Monsters and the bag of Gummy Bears please?"

He gave them to me then opened a Dr. Pepper and took a drink. I put a few of the Gummy Bears into the Monster then ate a few more while starting the car and reversing out of the parking spot. "So we're about two hours away from the lake house according to Google Maps."

He looked out the windows and nodded with a breathtaking smile. "Yeah," he grabbed the Funyuns, "we're almost there. Me and my parents would stop here whenever we went to the Cabin for vacation. We'd spend hours playing in the water after they got some rest." I grinned and took a drink of my Monster while he ate.

We made the rest of the trip in silence only really speaking to ask for another drink or snack to eat. The sun was just starting to rise when I pulled into the driveway. We climbed out and stood next to the car to watch it. Once the sun was all the way up we grabbed our bags and made our way inside. Danny showed me around quickly then made his way to one of the rooms so he could shower and change into some fresh clothes.

While he was doing that I made my way to the lake. It was just starting to freeze over around the edges. The grass was covered in frost and crunched under my feet with each step I took. The morning air had a deep chill that I hadn't noticed earlier; my breaths came out in white puffs in front of me. I pulled my jacket tighter around me. It was serene and I felt lighter the longer I stood there.