We begin again, allow me if you will, to take you on a journey to may resemble your own. This town though, nestled between mountains found in the pacific northwest is not real, you won't find it on any maps, no stories or picture books of its prestined landscape and charm. For the sake of this story, it's an amalgamation of all small friendly town that define america before the all consuming of the expansion of the Information age. A springfield, except that it's not, its Kollok, for reason that one day you may discover, i am your tour guide, your unreliable narrator, the chauffeur on this digital highway. You readers are my passengers, so please, buckle up and enjoy.
The year is 1991, because it is. because that is where this collective moment takes place, the last era of isolation from information, the place is Kollok, Washington, residing in the famous stone valley. A place majestically nestled between mountains with an elevation of thirty-five hundred feet, that sees no annual snowfall and very little precipitation outside the daily thick fog that envelops the sunrise. We open, on a young women, perched on pristine apartment overlooking the valley. she sits, wait, no she's rising, stands and walks across the spotless tiled floor. Her bare feet squeaking on impact, with near a particles of dust between her skin and laminate. She stops at the floor-to-ceiling window facing north she sees herself, she raises her hand, she too raises her hand. She looks at herself longingly, there's a brief pause, a brief sadness waits the both of them. the young woman raises her hand and begins to sign language, with the array of letters R, A, C, H, E, L. The other woman nods and then turns to address us, we know that it is time for us to leave this is not her story, not today, its rachel's. Bursting out of the front door of a modest green house of white picket fence, is Rachel Jewell. A young asian woman of seventeen. She's been out from school since last monday, supposedly for being extremely ill, her face lights up at the sight of her friend Skye Hawkins, seventeen year old junior, waiting patiently at the curb and her red 1988 jeep wrangler. It's monday March 4th, Rachel buckles up.
Rachel: "Hey NINE uh- I'm sorry I don't know why i said that"
Skye: "It's okay" she laughs awkwardly
Rachel: "Right off the bat I'm so so sorry, i didn't call you over the weekend, I just wanted to rest."she sighs, looking through the window contemplating.
Skye: "Are you okay, like this is very unlike you, you've been sick I guess, I asked your brother"
Rachel: "uh- I feel better a-and no i didn't call Marcus either"she smiles at her, seeming to look fine although the tenseness and nervousness she radiating doesn't goes pass miss hawkins eyes.
Skye: "I didn't asked about him. I'm just glad you're better, I've missed you, it's been like lonely without you, schools not the same when you're not around."
Rachel: "I missed you too, it's- I was- lonely, bored, tired of dealing with my brother"she says unconvincingly as though trying to hide something
Skye: "He's the worst"
Rachel: "Yeah, hey, do you think before we head to school you can make a stop for me?"
Skye: "uh- yeah-"
Rachel: "It's just ever since I lost my car I just- do you mind?"she speaks clearly, obviously trying to change the previous subject.
Skye: "Where?" asking curiously, starting to get interested on the matter.
Rachel: "You know that housing complex, just next to the police station?"
Skye: "Yeah?"
Rachel: "I gotta pick something up"
Skye: "Okay. Wow you're being very mysterious."
Rachel: "i just-"
Skye: "Hey, you don't need to say anything, I like a good adventure."saying with a sly grin
Rachel: "Okay, lets go"she laughs sighing contemptly knowing that she and Skye are still as bonded as ever
Skye: "All right let's go!"
Skye and Rachel make their way towards the south side of town, crossing the Reilly River working their way towards the police station, Rachel starts to get a little nervous she's pre-prepared a couple hundred dollar bills in her hand much to Skye's surprise. She begins to wonder why is her best friend carrying a ridiculous amount of money to the place they are going towards so she asks, shocked Rachel starts to stutter, she doesn't know what to say, she noticed they reached their destination so she says to Skye to not worry and then leaves the jeep. She moves directly towards an old run-down house, with an old beaten up couch on the front porch, she nervously knocks at the front door looking back to Skye, trying to assure her that everything is okay. An older man opened the door, he nervously looking around the neighborhood trying to look for anyone suspicious, spotting Skye's jeep and her inside of it, sky noticed that she was spotted which frightens her so she ducks down trying to not be seen. The older man questions Rachel of who she is and what she is doing here, she says that she is with her and they could just continue what they are doing in the first place, buying drugs. They begin the transaction and Skye wondering what is Rachel doing, so she takes a peek but what she sees is only rachel pocketing something and paying the old man the hundred dollar bills she was holding earlier. Rachel quickly heads back to Skye's jeep getting in and quickly buckling her seatbelt up and breathing heavily while doing so.
Rachel: "Alright lets go."
Skye: "Hey, what was that? Was it drugs?"
Rachel: "Yes, but d-don't be mad I'm not- I wouldn't do this if I thought there was any way if you can come back on this and get you in trouble-" she stutters nervously looking for any reaction from skye, but as she looks she sees Skye grinning from what she heard.
Skye: "No I'm an accomplice now, this is great, when are we doing the drugs?" blabbing excitedly, any chance to be a rebel, she would grab every chance she could get.
The two while talking Skye starts the jeep and makes their way towards the high school further up north side of town
Rachel: "You know I've been smoking weed for a while now"
Skye: "Is that weed? and why didn't you tell me?" saying offended that why she couldn't have trusted her with that information knowing that she herself is a rebel.
Rachel: "There's a lot and okay I have something else i want to tell you too."
Skye: "Oh god, you're not pregnant are you I can't take that" frantically saying knowing that Rachel and Marcus have been getting serious these past few months.
Rachel: "Okay just back it up a little bit. I kind of need the weed to relax, because i think, i'm gonna ask Marcus if he wants to do it tonight"saying quietly and acting nervous
Skye: "Oh, its your first time, that's uh- a big deal, i totally get it! that's- wait, woah, so you guys are getting pretty serious."thinking contemplated and concerned for her friend
Rachel: "Yeah, I figured somehow now or never."
Skye: "I mean, what do you now or never, you have plenty of time, are you sure you feel like- he's not pressuring you is he?" trying to understand and make sense of the situation, she starts on getting confused and freaking out about the information she's being given.
Rachel: "No! no, if anything I'm pressuring him. I keep hinting at it, he doesn't seem to pick up on it" saying annoyed
Skye: "Oh, well he's kind of a nerd, maybe you have to like state in a videogame way or something i don't know."
Rachel: "How do you say something in a videogame way?"asking confused looking at her
Skye: " H-how? I-I wouldn't know."she looks away scratches her nose, trying to hide her reaction.
Rachel: "Um okay then."staring awkwardly at her friend.
Skye: "anyways, uh- wow- okay, well yeah it's only if you need all the weed for yourself, you just- that's on you um-"she speaks nervously trying to think if she screwed up that conversation.
Rachel: "I mean, maybe tonight when i get up for it- well okay, I'll call you after."
Skye: "Yeah that'd be great"
Rachel: "Smoke whatever's left"
Skye: "I mean, sure yeah, I just want to spend time with you, I feel like it I'd never get to see you, we just started hanging out again and, i don't want to do anything to mess that up, i just- like i said, i support what you do and if you want to have sex with Marcus great, you want to smoke with me later, that's cool too but, I just miss you Rachel."
Rachel: "Yeah- oh- you know, I'll miss you too."she looks away trying to hide that she shed a tear, while Skye was acting confused wondering why she said it like as if she is leaving forever.
While they were making their way to kollok high rounding the curve towards the assisted-living center suddenly walked a man in the middle of the road wearing a long black raincoat, a black backpack on back, he doesn't turn to look at skye's jeep as she pulls her ebrake to do a little tokyo drift to swerve past the man and as she goes past him, she pulls her sunglasses off in slow-mo and look at him with a disgusted face. although she thinks she's gonna make a successful drift, trying to act cool for her friend, but the two wheels of her jeep come up off the ground, the hub blows off of the tire as the back right side of the jeep skids down the side of the road sparks flying out in all directions, a small flame erupts on the side of the road, from the friction from the impact of this tire exploding.
Rachel: "What the fuck was that, what the hell is wrong with you!"
Skye: "You know what i think i just had too much sugar this morning for breakfast, and i saw i thought i saw that in a movie once so i thought it might be cool"speaking frantically seeing that she have almost caused their deaths.
Rachel: "Oh shit, oh shit your car is- there's a fire um-"
Skye: "Rachel, I know that, can you just leave, just leave the car i got this under control."
Rachel: "I just bought two hundred dollars worth of weed, I don't even- it's like a lot."
Skye: "Oh my gosh, my car is basically like a giant joint. my goodness" laughing while coming out of the jeep wrangler
Rachel: "Why are you- what- okay you really weird me out sometimes."
Skye: "You can just go now please"
as Rachel leaves the jeep and sighs and look down at her feet, she looks up at the carnage of the event then see there is no man behind Skye, seeing her reaction, she looks over her shoulder then seen also the man is gone she looks back then looks at rachel confirms that he was in fact there before they got into the crash.
Skye: "What the hell?" she looks around wondering where has the man could have gone to.
Rachel: "okay... so they won't believe there was someone walking down the road- you know what im just gonna walk to school, we're really close, I'm so sorry."
Skye: "mm-hmm no its fine i can fix this i got a spare tire, it's totally cool, but my car is on fire, I'm just gonna call my dad, don't even worry about it, get to class, uh- it was stupid of me anyways."
Rachel: "I mean it was almost really cool."
Skye: "It was almost pretty cool, it's the thought that counts, you know sometimes i do stuff- yeah uh- don't tell anyone, wait a minute cause I got this like reputation to keep."
Rachel: "Yeah sure its what you thought and i'm sure this is the only road to school and all the busses are about to come by."
Skye: "Yeah... you're right, okay cool cool cool then i want to get in my car-"
Rachel: "What if we lie?"grinning to skye conniving a plan for ways to have skye look cool for the other students of Kollok High
Skye: "What if- what if we say i got on an accident or something crazy."
Rachel: "Well you got on an accident that's what actually happened-"
Skye: "But like an intentional one, wait no..."
Rachel: "Yeah uh no"
Skye: "Oh god, wait tell me what are you thinking?"
Rachel: "Okay, a dear crossed the road?"
Skye: "Yes! I love the dear idea."
Rachel: "it makes- you know, obviously makes you the hero in this situation, because you didn't want to kill a deer. We put our lives at risk to swerve to miss the deer."
Skye: "Yes! you know how much i love deers!"
Rachel: "Exactly i mean-"
Skye: "Wait quick Rachel punch me, I want to get a bloody nose."
Rachel: "Wait why?"
Skye: "Just do it! I just want a bloody nose Rachel just give me a little of blood. Come on just be cool about this"
Rachel: "We gotta make it look real" pulling back her hand as far as she can, she swings the punch at Skye as the fist collides to the front of her face, but with the adrenaline of what happened earlier it's as though she feels nothing as she spits blood on the ground feeling a slight numbness on her nose as she takes her hand to her face to readjust and put her nose back into position, smiling with blood between her teeth.
Skye: "This Is Awesome!"
Rachel: "uh- you got this?"
Skye: "Wait i'm gonna put some dirt on my face too just in case, to make it look like- i don't know, dirt flu or something."
Rachel: "I think the blood is enough, its pretty believable as it is."
Skye: "okay okay you know what you're right."
In this moment the police arrive, they heard the crash a bit of a miles away, checking to see if the situation is alright the policeman pulls over to Skye and Rachel beginning to question them what happened and if they are okay.
Policeman: "What happened? is anyone okay?"
Skye: "uh- hello officer uh- a deer, came out of nowhere and i swerved to not hit it, and i busted my face on my steering wheel so sorry, my cars on fire, can you help us?"
Policeman: "Wow uh- okay do you need an ambulance?"
Skye: "Nah i'm too cool for that, um no i mean i'm fine, sorry"
Policeman: "okay um do you-"
Skye: "Yeah i just need help with my car up and going, so i could get back to school."
Policeman: "Sure we'll help you get that spare put on real quick, wait let me grab the fire extinguisher first, and we'll take care of this out."
Skye: "Sweet, that's a good idea.''
Policeman: "Hey, are you sure you're okay ,you're bleeding a lot."
Skye: "Yeah, I'm okay it's just a flesh wound."
Policeman: "Yeah you hit you're face on the steering wheel."
Skye: "Yeah, i mean the deer was right there, like jumped across and i was like i gotta-"
Policeman: "You gotta watch out for them, we tell you all the time, you got to be careful out here."
Skye: "Yeah you know when i was driving i heard you guys, the voice in my head was like watch out for the deer, but it's too late though so you know, do what you can."
Policeman: "I really appreciate you, hearing our voice in your head as you're thinking about what the right thing to do is."
Skye: "Always officer."
Policeman: "Right, now unfortunately I'm not allowed to give you a ride in the police car, unless there's some sort of law that's being broken, so yeah we can call your dad, no problem, we'll take care of this for you, I know you all got to get to school and we'll start here real quick, so just go ahead and take a walk up the road, don't worry about it skye."
Skye: "Sweet, that would be awesome, thank you so much."
Policeman: "No problem." He goes to his police car to call up her father.
Rachel: "Oh my god, I feel like i didn't even have to punch you in the face."
Skye: "I love that you punched me in the face! Do I got blood on my shirt?"
Rachel: "A LOT!"gesturing to the blood running from the bloody nose she has caused that spreaded to Skye's shirt.
Skye: "Oh my god it's gonna be epic. I can't wait till we get to school, this is gonna be so sick!"
As rachel laughed they continued walking their way towards the school as the buses go by, kids leaning out the side staring in awe after seeing the vehicle, the small fire, the police and now these two young women one of which heavily covered in blood making their way towards Kolok High. The students started looking at each other wondering what happened and starting rumours why Skye Hawkins got the blood on her.
Skye: "I think people are looking, right? you see people looking?"Rachel looking at the distance distracted with her thoughts thinking of her predicament.
Skye: "Rachel!"
Rachel: "Yeah what? oh- yeah they're definitely looking."
Skye: "Yeah, alright stick to the story okay, just let it get bigger, don't deny anything just let it be-"
Rachel: "Oh shit! I just remembered. I was gonna have you give me a ride after school."
Skye: "My dad will probably drop the jeep off in the parking lot when it's fixed."
Rachel: "Okay, well if the tire's fixed and everything's cool do you think you could give me a ride after class and then work after I see I can score some tacos from Marcus before putting in a six-hour shift and then scoring again."
Skye: "Heck yeah! double score!"
Rachel: "But like pick me up at the Bakers house I gotta tutor the coma boy again."
Skye: "Ughh again?"
Rachel: "It's two to three times a week, I-It's no big deal, just pick me up at five, if everything is cool, i don't want to be a bother."
Skye: "No you're never a bother just see if you can score me some extra too, that would be rad."
Rachel: "Yeah i don't think they would care."
Skye: "Okay great cool cool."