I was getting tired. I figured I’d walk another hour.
After half an hour, the road did something funny. I swept my headlamp from side to side, but the night gobbled its puny effort. I could see little beyond my feet. Still, as far as I could tell, the road split around an island of land. I stepped off the road, anxious not to tumble into a pond or something. The land appeared lawn-like, as far as Southern Arizona had lawns. I advanced cautiously, but the path remained clear. After picking my way several hundred yards, my headlamp caught a picnic table. I wilted in relief. It must be some kind of camping or roadside facility. I would stay here. Maybe, come daylight, I’d discover a toilet. Happy thought.
The ground was clear beyond the picnic table. After kicking a few rocks out of the way, I pitched my tent, moving carefully so as not to jostle Oliver. I hung Oliver’s hideaway from a hook on the tent ceiling so I didn’t roll on him in my sleep and draped a shirt over it for warmth. He was making a contented grinding sound, meaning he was about to fall asleep. I pulled off my Converses, wincing at the shin splints setting in from my impromptu sprint, and undid my braids, combing my fingers through my long hair. I debated shucking my jeans in favor of more comfortable sweats but decided against it. I planned to get up early and it was cold as ass. The temperature haddropped significantly when the sun set. I alternated between worrying about Oliver, who was, in fact, snug as a bug in his little birdie glove, and my conviction that my own glands were swelling by the second with the onset of an aggressive sore throat. I would double my Emergen-C intake tomorrow.
I slid tiredly into my sleeping bag, zipping it up to my chin.
“Tomorrow will be a better day, pal,” I murmured to my sleeping bird, before I dropped off myself.
Chapter Five
Ruby in the Rough
I was being abducted by aliens. Bright lights were flooding the tent in a swirl of colors. Some red, some blue, but most of all a penetrating white light I’d seen even with my eyes closed. Eyes cracked open now, the entire tent was illuminated. My sluggish brain struggled to understand. I’d been in the forest in the middle of nowhere. Hadn’t I?
A car door slammed. Wait a minute. There was nothing supernatural about that, unless the aliens drove a truck. I heard booted footsteps crunching toward my tent accompanied by another beam of bobbing light. Fully awake now, alarm dissipated my confusion. Oh God. I was going to be murdered by some isolation-deranged cowboy, cut into small pieces and fed to pigs to destroy the evidence. My family would be tormented the rest of their lives, wondering. I canvassed the tent for potential weapons, but the most lethal thing I had was yesterday’s sweaty T-shirt, and I was still wearing it. I debatedwhether I could run and protect Oliver at the same time. No, too risky. I’d have to fight…
“Knock, knock,” drawled a pleasant, twangy voice. “Care to come on out here, lil’ camper?”
I breathed shallowly, not making a sound. Maybe he’d decide no one was here.
“I can see ya in there.” The voice sounded amused.
I remained immobile, frozen with indecision and the irrational hope that maybe this would all stop happening, that I’d wake up, that the lights would go away, when…
“Howdy pardner!” My bird introduced himself.
There was a disembodied chuckle. “Howdy back atcha, nature lover. Whadda ya say ya come on out here and make our acquaintance proper like?”
Resigned, I unzipped my bag and crawled out of the safety of my tent. I stood, pushing my hair out of my eyes, blinking at the light shining on my face
“Wall now, ya are a young thing, ain’t cha?” the amused speaker pronounced. “And prettier than ya sound.”
Was this some weird kind of hillbilly courtship?
“Road trip, don’t forget the bird!” Oliver chirped, anxious at being left alone. This is why people get dogs, I thought. The
After half an hour, the road did something funny. I swept my headlamp from side to side, but the night gobbled its puny effort. I could see little beyond my feet. Still, as far as I could tell, the road split around an island of land. I stepped off the road, anxious not to tumble into a pond or something. The land appeared lawn-like, as far as Southern Arizona had lawns. I advanced cautiously, but the path remained clear. After picking my way several hundred yards, my headlamp caught a picnic table. I wilted in relief. It must be some kind of camping or roadside facility. I would stay here. Maybe, come daylight, I’d discover a toilet. Happy thought.
The ground was clear beyond the picnic table. After kicking a few rocks out of the way, I pitched my tent, moving carefully so as not to jostle Oliver. I hung Oliver’s hideaway from a hook on the tent ceiling so I didn’t roll on him in my sleep and draped a shirt over it for warmth. He was making a contented grinding sound, meaning he was about to fall asleep. I pulled off my Converses, wincing at the shin splints setting in from my impromptu sprint, and undid my braids, combing my fingers through my long hair. I debated shucking my jeans in favor of more comfortable sweats but decided against it. I planned to get up early and it was cold as ass. The temperature haddropped significantly when the sun set. I alternated between worrying about Oliver, who was, in fact, snug as a bug in his little birdie glove, and my conviction that my own glands were swelling by the second with the onset of an aggressive sore throat. I would double my Emergen-C intake tomorrow.
I slid tiredly into my sleeping bag, zipping it up to my chin.
“Tomorrow will be a better day, pal,” I murmured to my sleeping bird, before I dropped off myself.
Chapter Five
Ruby in the Rough
I was being abducted by aliens. Bright lights were flooding the tent in a swirl of colors. Some red, some blue, but most of all a penetrating white light I’d seen even with my eyes closed. Eyes cracked open now, the entire tent was illuminated. My sluggish brain struggled to understand. I’d been in the forest in the middle of nowhere. Hadn’t I?
A car door slammed. Wait a minute. There was nothing supernatural about that, unless the aliens drove a truck. I heard booted footsteps crunching toward my tent accompanied by another beam of bobbing light. Fully awake now, alarm dissipated my confusion. Oh God. I was going to be murdered by some isolation-deranged cowboy, cut into small pieces and fed to pigs to destroy the evidence. My family would be tormented the rest of their lives, wondering. I canvassed the tent for potential weapons, but the most lethal thing I had was yesterday’s sweaty T-shirt, and I was still wearing it. I debatedwhether I could run and protect Oliver at the same time. No, too risky. I’d have to fight…
“Knock, knock,” drawled a pleasant, twangy voice. “Care to come on out here, lil’ camper?”
I breathed shallowly, not making a sound. Maybe he’d decide no one was here.
“I can see ya in there.” The voice sounded amused.
I remained immobile, frozen with indecision and the irrational hope that maybe this would all stop happening, that I’d wake up, that the lights would go away, when…
“Howdy pardner!” My bird introduced himself.
There was a disembodied chuckle. “Howdy back atcha, nature lover. Whadda ya say ya come on out here and make our acquaintance proper like?”
Resigned, I unzipped my bag and crawled out of the safety of my tent. I stood, pushing my hair out of my eyes, blinking at the light shining on my face
“Wall now, ya are a young thing, ain’t cha?” the amused speaker pronounced. “And prettier than ya sound.”
Was this some weird kind of hillbilly courtship?
“Road trip, don’t forget the bird!” Oliver chirped, anxious at being left alone. This is why people get dogs, I thought. The
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