"Personally, I like to think of it as a more spiritual thing, where the souls can go from one body to another throughout time. Like they're reincarnated as new ones, y'know." Dreamer explained.
"Dreamer, they don't have organs, they don't have hearts, it's physically impossible." Pussycat argued.
"I just said it's a spiritual thing!"
"But how do the functions work by themselves? With no nerves or muscles, they'd have to rely on humans to do everything for them."
"Alright, I admit, it's a weird theory, but it's still very possible."
"How do you know?" Pitbull asked.
"'Cause I've seen it."
"Bullshit." Pussycat hissed.
"Remember Stonewall?"
"Your remote-control Charger?"
"It's not remote control, he's a living car!"
"Sure."
"Pussycat, you saw it yourself. Did you ever see a controller in my hands? No, because Stonewall did it by himself."
"I'll believe it when I see it. Go ahead and make your little car do some fancy tricks or somethin'." Pitbull jeered.
"It don't work that way."
"See, I told ya, it's a fake." Pussycat argued.
"Stonewall!"
Behind the three of them, a mighty engine roared to life. Pitbull and Pussycat jumped to see Dreamer's Charger rolling up to them. The cab was empty, the steering wheel moved by itself.
"What'd I tell you?" Dreamer taunted.
"Alright, alright, shut him off." Pitbull hissed as Stonewall shone his lights in his face.
"It ain't up to me."
Stonewall's engine revved, closing in on Pussycat and Pitbull.
"Dreamer, quit fuckin' around, now." Pussycat said shakily.
"You know I ain't fuckin' around. I told y'all, Stonewall's alive."
"If I said I believed ya would you call him off?"
"I'll try."
Pussycat hesitated. "Alright, I believe you. Stonewall, now, just back off a little, please."
Stonewall's horn honked twice, and he backed away from them.
Pussycat and Pitbull each breathed a sigh of relief. Dreamer stood there, looking smug. She laughed a little.
Pitbull turned to her angrily. "Dammit, Dreamer, it ain't funny."
"It is to me." Dreamer giggled.
Just then, Sodbuster walked up to them. He brushed his hand along Stonewall's hood as he approached.
"Dreamer, are you ready to go?" He asked.
"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Dreamer replied.
"Hey, wait, where's she goin'?" Pussycat asked worriedly.
"Relax, I'm goin' out to look for some food for y'all. I shouldn't be gone long."
"Alone?"
"I'll have Stonewall with me."
"Why don't you take Thunder, he's a lot faster and stronger than that clunker." Pitbull argued.
Stonewall's engine rumbled fiercely.
"Look who believes my theory now." Dreamer teased.
"Okay, your 'theory' is a bit unconventional, but please try not to get yourself killed." Pitbull growled.
"Aww, I didn't know you cared."
"Your grandaddy will have a fit if Smokey so much as rear-ends ya."
Dreamer rolled her eyes. "Pitbull, I'll be fine. Now as much as I appreciate your concern, I've gotta go. We've got some starvin' truckers out here and I ain't about to let 'em waste themselves away."
Pitbull nodded.
Dreamer walked over to Stonewall, opening the passenger side door. The engine started and she climbed in. They sped away in a cloud of dust, disappearing down the road.
Pussycat walked to Dreamer's truck, and climbed inside, switching on the CB. Pitbull wandered away after a while. Pussycat remained inside, waiting for someone to say something. Half an hour passed, and nothing.
Pitbull appeared at the window. "Empty mailbox y'know."
"I just wanna be here in case Dreamer runs into some trouble, she's been gone for a long time." Pussycat argued.
"Pussycat, the nearest town is about an hour away, we're in a fuckin' wasteland. Try to have a little patience, yeah?"
"Yeah, I know, but the highway's gotta just be crawlin' with bears."
"She'll be fine, you'll see."
--------------------
She couldn't recollect how long it'd been since the world went black and she'd gotten all swimmy-headed. Must've been a while, she thought. She pulled herself out of the car through the window, cutting herself on the thousands of shards of glass. She flinched her hand back, pain shooting up her arm.
"Gah, son of a bitch." Dreamer hissed.
She pulled herself up to stand, looking at her flipped Charger. She scowled, kicking Stonewall's fender.
"God damn it!" Dreamer screamed in frustration.
She sank to the ground, leaning up against Stonewall's side. There was a low whine inside the engine. Dreamer patted him.
"I know, I know. You tried your best, buddy, just go, don't wait up for me; I think I've still got a few years." She looked up at the sweltering sun. "Maybe less at this rate."
There was a small clink as the CB mic dropped to the roof of the car. Dreamer felt the life quickly drain from Stonewall as she reached for it.
"Breaker one… nine. Breaker one-nine. This here's… the Dreamer. Ten… thirty-three, I wrecked… on mile-marker thirty-four. Pass message on to the PBC convoy, over." Dreamer called weakly.
Miraculously, another voice broke over the CB. "Hey, ah, this here's the Governor, you still there, Dreamer?"
"Ten-four."
"You say the PBC convoy? Ain't them the ones that lost their leader to the State police in Atlanta yesterday?"
"Affirmative."
"You're with them?"
Dreamer rolled her eyes. "Forty-two."
"Well hot damn, we got a celebrity here, Lucky Penny!"
"Lucky Penny?"
"Hey, you by the wrecked four-wheeler at mile thirty-four?" A new voice asked.
"Yes sir, who we got on that end?"
"Ma'am, this here's the Lucky Penny."
Dreamer looked up to see a copper-colored Peterbilt rolling up, followed by a baby-blue Western Star. She waved her arms, flagging them down. They stopped on the shoulder, and two men climbed down from the trucks.
"Well howdy, miss!" Lucky Penny exclaimed cheerfully, tipping his hat.
Dreamer raised a hand, answering him weakly. "Howdy."
"Lucky, I think she's got a concussion. Just give her some room to breathe before you start sweet-talkin' the poor thing." Governor said smoothly, elbowing his friend.
Dreamer smiled. "I'm fine, y'all."
Lucky Penny held out his hand, and Dreamer took it. He helped her up, holding her steady.
"You suppose your convoy's got room for two more?" Governor asked her.
"Yeah, of course, the more the merrier. Listen, we gotta find them truckers some food first, and a lot of it, too." Dreamer replied.
"Ah, there's a choke 'n' puke just a few miles ahead. How many we talkin'?" Lucky Penny asked.
"Counting me, there's ten of us."
"Alright, scratch the choke 'n' puke. There is one other option." Governor explained.
"Okay, what?"
--------------------
Pussycat and Pitbull both froze as they heard the Dreamer's cry for help. Then, as Lucky Penny and Governor answered, they became increasingly uneasy.
"You think them truckers are bad news?" Pussycat asked.
"I dunno, but I think Dreamer can handle herself if she does run into trouble with these guys." Pitbull explained reassuringly.
"What makes you so sure?"
"If there's one thing you learn from bein' a Marine, it's to never underestimate the potential of your team. If you do, you'll be sure to fail."
"You think them truckers are sided with the bears?"
Pitbull pinched the bridge of his nose. "Pussycat, you ain't got the sense the Good Lord promised a turkey. What kinda trucker would ever side with the bears?"
Pussycat shrugged.
"Exactly, see? There ain't nothin' to worry about, Dreamer's fine."
--------------------
Lucky Penny, Dreamer, and Governor stood in a butcher shop. Governor was at the counter, ordering steer from the attendant.
"I… don't think this's gonna work." Dreamer protested.
"Why not?" Governor asked.
"I think Cooler's a vegetarian, and they're gonna get tired of beef after a while."
"I think they can suck it up for a bit."
Dreamer rolled her eyes.
They walked out to the back of the shop, where a man was busy loading pounds upon pounds of raw steer into the back of Lucky Penny's truck. Dreamer pinched the bridge of her nose.
"See? Fed for days! We in the convoy?" Lucky Penny asked enthusiastically.
"You're gonna have to talk to Sodbuster." Dreamer explained.
"Ah, who?" Governor asked.
"Sodbuster took over when Psycho died. If you wanna be in the convoy, you gotta talk to him."
"Will do."
--------------------
Everyone gawked at the two trucks rolling into their wasteland; two behemoths of diesel and steel throwing up dust, air-brakes yelping.
Dreamer climbed out of the baby-blue Western Star. Across the face of the rig's bug-catcher was the name "Governor".
The other truckers ran up to her, asking a million questions a minute. Suddenly, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, and a tall, thin man walked through them. He approached the newcomers, concern flashing through his eyes.
"You bring two truckloads of food, Dreamer?" Sodbuster asked.
"No, this here's Governor, and over there's Lucky Penny." Dreamer replied.
A stocky Italian man laughed. "Lucky Penny?"
Lucky Penny swung himself out of his rig. "You makin' fun of me, shorty?"
"That's Mister Shorty to you!"
A hippie sniffed the air. "I smell beef. Why do I smell beef?"
"'Cause, that's what's for dinner!" Governor exclaimed.
Cooler nearly fainted. "I'm a vegetarian!"
"Ah, anyway, Sodbuster, Lucky Penny and Governor were wondering if they could join the convoy." Dreamer explained timidly.
Sodbuster shook his head. "We got enough mouths to feed."
"Are you forgetting who brought the food in the first place?" Dreamer gestured to Lucky Penny, who simply waved.
"Dreamer, we don't know if we can trust 'em."
"They saved me. Don't you think we should at least give them a chance?"
Sodbuster pondered this for a minute. "Ugh… fine."
"Does this mean I ain't stuck at the back door anymore?" Hot Grandpa asked.
"Ye-yeah. When we split outta here, we'll keep our same order. Governor, you'll be behind Hot Grandpa. Lucky Penny, you'll be behind Governor." Sodbuster shook his head, turning to Hot Grandpa. "Where'd you even get your handle, anyway?"
Hot Grandpa shrugged. "I pulled it outta my ass."
"Who even approved of this?"
"I don't ask for approval, you're just gonna have to deal with it."
Pitbull stepped in between them. "Ah, speakin' of when we split outta here, when's that gonna happen?"
"I… dunno yet, but I'll let ya know as soon as I figure it out." Sodbuster replied.
"Just hurry it up, I dunno how long we can hold out like this." Cattleman chimed in.
Cattleman gestured to the other truckers running up to the back of Lucky Penny's truck like a pack of ravenous dogs, climbing over each other, panting, and brawling.
Near the spring, Shit and Cooler were working to build a fire. They had a small one going, and it was eating the dry grasses they were piling on it quicker than a fly in a frog's mouth.
Lumberjack walked up to them, dropping some cut pieces of log from his trailer onto the fire. The fire gave a whoosh as it grew two feet in height.
"Whoa! What the shit was that?" Shit asked surprisedly.
"Dead pine." Lumberjack replied.
"Why'd it blow up like that?"
"When a pine dies, its sap dries up, creating a highly flammable resin."
Cooler waved his hands around in the air. "Science, man."
Shit rolled his eyes.
Soon, everyone brought their fair share of beef to the fire for it to be cooked.
Dreamer elbowed Sodbuster. "Looks like we're about to have ourselves one Texas-style dinner."
Sodbuster smiled. "Ten-four."
--------------------
The next day, Pitbull came out to the spring early in the morning. At the edge of the clearing, he noticed that there was a large clump on the side of one of the power-line poles. He drew close slowly, curious as to what it was. Upon recognition, Pitbull ran back to his truck. He threw open the door and began honking his horn. One by one, the truckers climbed out of their trucks. They gathered at the bottom of Pitbull's truck, griping and groaning about being woken up at this hour. Pitbull stopped, seeing all of them there.
Dreamer had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It was purple and pink with a bunch of cartoon donkeys on it, all in different poses. The donkeys were Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, this caused Pitbull to smile a little bit.
"Why the fuck are you waking us up? It's five in the Goddamn morning!" Dreamer growled.
Pitbull nodded to the power-line pole. "Y'all walk to the edge where that pole is, and you tell me what you see on there."
The truckers collectively exchanged glances, then shuffled out there, all huddled together due to the cold. When they arrived at the pole, a series of gasps and murmurs rose from the crowd. Tied to the power-line pole was Psycho's body. Hot Grandpa came up behind Dreamer, covering her eyes with his hands, trying to protect her from the sight. Hanging from Psycho's neck was a cardboard box that read: Dead on Arrival.
"Oh, that ain't right." Shit said dumbfoundedly.
"Ew." Pussycat quavered.
"What… the fuck?" Lumberjack mumbled.
"Who'd do somethin' like this?" Ladies' Man asked angrily.
"I've got a good fuckin' idea, it's that damn Smokey!" Cattleman exclaimed.
Sodbuster stood in front of the crowd in an attempt to cover the sight of the body. "N-now everyone just calm down!"
"I'd take this as a sign we oughta get movin'. They know where we are, it's just a matter of time 'til they come after us." Hot Grandpa chimed in.
"I agree!" Cooler exclaimed.
"Alright, but where do we go? Which way?" Governor asked.
Sodbuster was silent for a moment, thinking deeply. "We keep headin' North, cross into Canada if we have to. Anyone opposed, speak now or split."
No one spoke, no one stepped away.
"Alright, we leave first thing tomorrow."
The rest of the day was spent digging a hole in the ground, six feet long and six feet deep. Without a casket, the truckers cast their former leader into the ground. They marked the grave with a wooden, handmade cross, and hung the cardboard sign on it.
The next morning, the truckers woke to find that Lumberjack and Cattleman had taken off for the hills without much more than a note saying that the pressure had been too much for them. Sodbuster gave their positions to the next in line as the truckers stood, gathered around the grave.
"Cooler, you're now second-in-command. Shit, you'll be taking Cattleman's place, and so forth. We still outnumber Smokey ten to one, nothin's changed." Sodbuster explained.
"I bet we outsmart him too." Cooler snickered.
Ladies' Man raised his hand. "Amen!"
"So Dreamer, you ever gonna tell us about your accident?" Shit asked.
"Let's wait till we get back on the road, I'll tell everyone via CB, maybe then some lone listener can be warned." Dreamer explained.
"Ten-four."
The truckers dispatched to their trucks, and the convoy was soon on the road again.
"Hey Lucky Penny, you keep your eye on our back door!" Hot Grandpa teased.
"Roger that, good buddy." Lucky Penny replied.
Pussycat nudged Dreamer. "I think now would be a good time to tell 'em your story."
Dreamer nodded, picking up her CB mic. "Hey y'all, I got a big bad truck story to tell ya, so listen up."
"I'm listenin'." Pitbull remarked.
"I was listenin' to the truckers talk, tryna find a way to get y'all some food. I overheard a bear and a trucker talkin'. From what I heard, they were on the same side, and the trucker just happened to be in my vicinity. Fucker threw me off the road like a Dixie cup in a twister."
"Truckers sidin' with bears?" Hot Grandpa asked dumbfoundedly.
"Affirmative."
"Holy hell, Pussycat was right." Pitbull gasped.
"Right about what?" Sodbuster asked.
Pussycat took the CB from Dreamer. "I was just speakin' theoretically. I was worried about Dreamer and I was scared that some truckers might've sided with the bears."
"Well shit." Cooler said disappointedly.
"How the hell are we supposed to know who we can and can't trust?" Ladies' Man asked.
"Governor, Lucky Penny, I swear to God, if you're sided with the bears, I'mma come down on your asses so hard your grandkids are gonna feel it!" Shit growled.
"Don't put any of this on us! We wouldn't side with them damn pigs if our lives depended on it." Governor argued.
"Here, here!" Lucky Penny exclaimed.
"Who's side are you on then?" Pussycat asked.
Governor laughed. "The winnin' side! Lucky Penny and me have always been a dynamic duo, two independent loners cruisin' the country. Now, normally we don't pay much attention to convoys, but this time we're willin' to make an exception."
"Amen to that, my friend." Pitbull said, smiling.
--------------------
The truckers continued on, up, up, and up. They passed through cities Chattanooga, Nashville, Evansville; going farther and farther North until they reached Chicago. Upon arrival in Chicago, however, they drove into the slums, stopping there.
The truckers all scrambled out of their cabs to see what was going on. In the middle of the street, a lawman stood, holding a gun to the head of an older African American woman. Pitbull jumped down from his truck and ran towards them.
Smokey pointed his gun at him. "Don't you move another inch, Pitbull."
Pitbull stopped where he was. "You let her go, she ain't a part of this!"
"No? Somehow I know you'd come runnin' back home to mommy." Smokey sneered.
Shit was hanging from the door of his rig; he turned to Dreamer, mouthing the word 'what' to her.
"Pitbull was adopted." Dreamer whispered.
"Ohhh."
"Shut up you two!" Ladies' Man hissed.
"You don't know a damn thing!" Pitbull growled at Smokey.
"Don't I? Explain to me why I've got a gun to her head then." Smokey argued.
"'Cause you're a psycho bitch who don't know how to keep his fucking mouth shut!"
Smokey jammed the muzzle of his gun into the woman's temple. "The whole convoy surrenders or this woman dies!"
Out of nowhere, a gun fired and Smokey toppled to the ground. Pitbull ran to the woman, embracing her in his arms. Smokey picked himself up, holding his shoulder.
A voice sounded off. "You better move, lawman, I got this gun aimed just right to shoot your dick off, but that's too small a target, even for me!"
Smokey growled, before stalking off, disappearing into the shadows. A man a little older than Pitbull dropped down from the fire escape of the nearby apartment building, rifle strapped across his back. He ran to Pitbull and wrapped him up in a hug.
"Hey Ace, good to see ya!" Pitbull exclaimed.
Ace laughed. "I wouldn't miss the chance to save my baby brother's ass from the po-po if the world was on fire!"
"Just like when we were kids."
"I see you brought a party with you." The woman said.
"Ah, right, this's the truck convoy I've been travelin' with. Our leader here's Sodbuster, he's the one with the straight teeth. Cooler's the hippie. Ladies' Man is the one in the fancy-ass Kenworth. Over there's Shit, he drives a manure truck, which is why we call him that."
The woman and Ace laughed.
"That psycho blonde's Pussycat, and the lovely lady's Dreamer."
"Hah, lovely? I spent my days wrestlin' calves in the dirt!"
"Then the three back there are Hot Grandpa, Governor, and Lucky Penny."
"Hot Grandpa?" Ace asked incredulously.
Hot Grandpa tipped his hat. "Oh, you really think so?"
Ace snickered.
"It's nice to meet y'all, I'm Aminta." The woman said.
"Y'all got some funny names."
Aminta stepped in front of Ace. "Speakin' of funny names, y'all know some people named Lumberjack and Cattleman?"
The truckers exchanged glances.
"Ah, yeah, they split two days ago back on the Tennessee-Georgia line, why?" Sodbuster asked.
"We got somethin' to show ya." Aminta replied.
The crowd of truckers followed her through an alley that led to an empty lot. The lot was cordoned off with chain-link fencing, a few light posts lined the sides, all of their lights broken. Graffiti traced the walls, and litter skimmed across the blacktop. The worst part about the lot, however, was what was hanging from the light posts.
Lumberjack and Cattleman's bodies hung from two of the light-posts. They'd been hung there by their necks, strung up with nooses. Around both their necks hung a cardboard sign as well. They said their names and their days of death in small letters at the top. In big letters in the middle of the signs, they read--Dead On Arrival.