The early morning heat was starting to become a real hindrance. It was so hot. I checked the clock. It was only eight.
We had been driving for a little while now, about two hours had gone by after robbing the second diner. I was leaning against the window trying to fight the sleep was was overtaking me. I felt like I could sleep better now that my hands were no longer tied up. I don't know why he never taped them again but I think he knew I wouldn't try anything anymore. I had been worn down, no more fight left in me.
He glanced over at me again. He had been doing so very often, I had gotten used to it.
I felt my lids grow heavier. Eventually shutting closed as I unwillingly drifted off to sleep.
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"Mariaaa," Someone sang softly, gently jostling me around. "Mariaaaaa, wake up," The voice sang again
My eyes fluttered open, it was dark. I looked over to meet his eyes. He smiled, "Its time to get up, we need to clean ourselves up," He said. I looked around. A dusty unpaved lot is where he parked our car. On one end was a little building with fairy lights decorating the outside. On the other end was a gas station. At the gas station there was another small building right beside it. The ground around it had been paved, water seemed to soak it, it was coming from inside the building. Flowing from the door.
"C'mon," He said opening his door. I followed him and stepped outside. He carried a bag with him. It wasn't like the little plastic bags we had been using and collecting. It was a large plastic bag with a department store logo across it. Did we stop somewhere?
I followed him and we began walking to the smaller building beside the gas station. I started to notice the abundant amount of trucks around us. It was truck stop. There were men sitting on the pavement curb outside the smaller building with towels around their waists, shirtless and smoking cigarettes. As we got closer I read the sign.
Locker room
10$ for 10 minutes of water
I understood. I was in dire need of a shower. But I wasn't comfortable with this. Was it completely open? I didn't want to shower in front of others. Especially what seemed to be a crowd of only men. I got more nervous as we got closer.
Others stopped to see us as we approached the entrance. A whistle made itself known. "Hey, sweetheart!" Someone screamed. I ignored it and tried to keep up with Will. Walking into the building I was blind sided by naked men. I immediately kept my head down. Kept as close to Will as possible. We walked through the Locker room and made it to the back end stalls were the showers were. He opened one of the stalls and gestured me in. I did as I was told. I was so scared, he said he wouldn't do anything like that to me, right?
Right. Because he closed the stall door after I entered giving me complete privacy. "Here," He said reaching over and handing me a bar of soap and loofah, which still had the tag on. "This too," He said reaching over and handing me some clothes wrapped up in another plastic bag. I hung them on a hook.
"And Maria?" He said. "Yes?" I squeaked. "I'll be right-here, outside your stall I mean, so-its okay," He said. "O-Okay," I replied. I slipped out of my dirty clothes, put my white sneakers to the side. I reached and tried turning the water on but it didn't go. A feeder right beside it glowed green asking for money. "Will?-Yeah?" He replied so quickly it cut le off. "I need-ten, the shower needs ten dollars," I said. "Yeah yeah, fuck-forgot," He said pulling out a ten and reaching over to hand it to me.
After I fed the machine the water started flowing. The hot water felt excellent on my skin. On my sore muscles that had been tense from stress. I lathered up and washed my self, scrubbing as much dirt off my body as I could. I rinsed out my hair, I didn't have the proper products to wash it but it needed to be rung out. I used up the water until my ten minutes were over. When I turned around I saw a small white towel hanging on the door. I dried myself off and opened the bag of clothes.
A red flannel. I should have guessed. I slipped in on and button it down then ripped the tag off. I reached into the bag and pulled out what seemed to be women's underwear. If you could call it that. A slinky maroon lacy thong a size way to small. I scoffed. I didn't really have much of a choice. It was uncomfortable the way it dug into my skin, barely covered anything in the front. I sighed.
Next were jean cutoff shorts. Of course. Too short, the pockets were hanging out the bottom. Slipping back on my sneakers and packing up the dirty clothes I opened the stall. He turned around as he heard the door open. He really was guarding me, standing right in front on my stall.
He smiled as he gave me a once over. He gestured for me to follow him outside, same routine keeping my head down. As we stepped outside we were greeted again with men loitering outside the locker room. "Wait here," He said. Turning around he spoke, "Hey!" He said getting their attention. He lifted his shirt and exposed his gun to them. My eyes almost bugged out of my head.
They silenced looking between us and then nodding their heads in agreement, and just like that nobody said anything to me after.
Will disappeared into the locker room. I caught a few of their eyes staring. Looking around I peered over to the building with the fairy lights. What was it?!was it a restaurant? I saw people going in and out, both men and women. Motorcycles were parked in front of it and people were standing around them smoking cigarettes also. My curly hair was starting to frizz up with the warm hair so I tied it up again.
I waited patiently where Will had left me. "Your boyfriend give you those?" A voice chimed in. One of the guys who was smoking outside the locker room spoke up. He was leaning against the wall, a younger guy. Around my age. He pointed to my wrists when I gave him a confused look. My bruised wrists.
"Uh-um no, he's not-he didn't do this, it was an accident," I said. "An accident? It looks like you were tied up. Did you accidentally tie yourself up?" He asked. I stayed silent hoping Will would come out soon. "Its just funny because I heard on the radio yesterday about a robbery that involved a hostage," He said. "A young girl taken by some idiot, apparently the police caught up to them in a motel but they got away. Know anything about that?" He said.
I continued to ignore him. "Poor girl's probably going through hell right now. Walkin' around scared shitless, a look of fear in her eyes. If I saw her I'd probably be able to tell right away, bruised wrists lookin' like a deer caught in headlights," He said taking a long drag.
He got off the wall and turned to me. "Just nod if you need help," He said. I stayed still for a moment.
before I put a bullet in your head.
I froze in fear. Should I? Yes! Nod your head, snap out of it!
Just before I could lift my chin Will walked out. The guy leaned back on the wall and pretended nothing happened. Will looked between us furrowing his eyebrows. His hair was wet. He looked cleaned up.
He was wearing a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants.
"Is he bothering you?" He asked. I shook my head no. Will stared at me. "What did you say to her?" He said whipping his head towards the guy. "Nothing man! Just wondering about her wrists," He said loudly garnering the attention of others, eyes flicking to my wrists. Will stalked up to the guy, he was taller. He got close to him looking down on him menacingly. "Its none of your fucking business about her wrists, wanna know where she got them so bad?She got them last night when she begged me to tie her to the bed and fuck her raw. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Will asked. They stood face to face until Will made his way back to me. Placing a hand on my lower back he moved us away from the locker room.
We got back to the car and Will put the bag of dirty clothes and shower supplies in the back.
"What did you tell him?" He said angrily. "Nothing! I swear he just kept asking me questions! I didn't say anything!" I said. He looked over at me.
"You better not fucking lie to me," He said. I nodded on the verge of tears. "Lets go," He said leaving the car once more. I followed him out and across the lot to the building with the fairy lights.
It was a bar
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