Read Online Tail of the Devil by Danielle DeVor - Free Book Online
Authors: Danielle DeVor
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tapped the old man on the shoulder. The old man groaned in his sleep and farted. Mathias had to suppress a giggle. He shook the man. The man jerked awake and tried to scramble away.
“Mister, it’s okay. I just need some help.” Mathias said, hoping that he could calm the man down.
“Boy what you doin’ out here this late?” The old man asked while scratching his crotch.
“Mister, I gotta get out of here... If you buy me a bus ticket to New York City, I’ll give you twenty dollars.” Mathias figured that the guy looked like he could use it.
The man looked at Mathias for a minute. “You got that hungry look in your eye, kid. I’ll get you ya ticket. Don’t haveta give me no money neither. What’s your name?”
Mathias smiled. “Mathias Drvar. You sure about the money?”
“I’m sure, where you goin’ you gonna need it.”
Mathias nodded and handed the man a hundred dollars. The old man looked at the money for a moment, almost as if he was thinking about taking the money for himself, but thought better of it. They waited for hours. Anytime a car drove by, the old man hid Mathias behind his grimy coat.
Finally, very early in the morning, a car pulled into the parking lot. A man stepped out of his old yellow Subaru and unlocked the door to the station. He was a wiry man wearing a grey uniform that consisted of a muted grey cotton shirt, a darker grey tie, and a pair of charcoal grey pants. He stepped in and locked the door behind him. After what seemed forever, the man inside the station opened the door and flipped the sign to “Open.” The old man patted Mathias on the head and walked into the bus station.
Mathias watched through the window. The bus station was old and cruddy. The walls were peppered with torn advertisements from various years. The chairs were the old neon plastic chairs on rails that had been popular during the nineteen sixties and seventies. The desk was covered in laminate that was peeling in places. He felt for the man as the sales person wrinkled his nose at the sight of him. The sales person checked the man’s ID and held it by the very edge as if not to touch it. A few minutes later, the old man was walking outside to him. He handed Mathias the bus ticket and some change. He couldn’t help but smile as the old man patted his hands after he handed him his things.
“Now, first bus outta here ain’t til 6:45. You hop on that bus, then change in Cleveland. After that, you’ll be going where you wanta go.”
Mathias’ eyes widened and he began to sweat. “What am I going to do until I can leave?”
“You gonna sit here with me. I’ll make sure you get on that damn bus.”
“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Mathias asked.
“Nah, you need it more’n me. I can take care of me’self. Take care kid. Where you goin’, it ain’t easy.”
Before he knew it, he was on the bus and leaving town. He wrapped his arms around his knees and leaned back into the bus seat.
It felt good to be free.
* * * * *
In Cleveland, he grabbed a candy bar from a machine and ate. It wasn’t the best breakfast in the world, but it was something. The bus station was a lot more modern than the one he’d been in at Wheeling. He sat and waited. He kept to himself. It was hard not to be nervous, but at least he was out of West Virginia, and he had a few hours on them.
When he arrived in New York, hours later, even though he was tired and hungry, he couldn’t help but be in awe of the city that stretched before him. It was early evening. Amidst all the flashing lights and souvenir sellers, there was a certain charm about the city. It felt dirty, and smelled kind of funny—like a combination of dirt, metal, and meat, but somehow, it all made it seem more real. The skyscrapers seemed to encase the city inside its own protective cover. And to think, he was really here, Broadway, the Rockettes, he was in a place that most of his family only dreamed about. He looked around, saw the
“Mister, it’s okay. I just need some help.” Mathias said, hoping that he could calm the man down.
“Boy what you doin’ out here this late?” The old man asked while scratching his crotch.
“Mister, I gotta get out of here... If you buy me a bus ticket to New York City, I’ll give you twenty dollars.” Mathias figured that the guy looked like he could use it.
The man looked at Mathias for a minute. “You got that hungry look in your eye, kid. I’ll get you ya ticket. Don’t haveta give me no money neither. What’s your name?”
Mathias smiled. “Mathias Drvar. You sure about the money?”
“I’m sure, where you goin’ you gonna need it.”
Mathias nodded and handed the man a hundred dollars. The old man looked at the money for a moment, almost as if he was thinking about taking the money for himself, but thought better of it. They waited for hours. Anytime a car drove by, the old man hid Mathias behind his grimy coat.
Finally, very early in the morning, a car pulled into the parking lot. A man stepped out of his old yellow Subaru and unlocked the door to the station. He was a wiry man wearing a grey uniform that consisted of a muted grey cotton shirt, a darker grey tie, and a pair of charcoal grey pants. He stepped in and locked the door behind him. After what seemed forever, the man inside the station opened the door and flipped the sign to “Open.” The old man patted Mathias on the head and walked into the bus station.
Mathias watched through the window. The bus station was old and cruddy. The walls were peppered with torn advertisements from various years. The chairs were the old neon plastic chairs on rails that had been popular during the nineteen sixties and seventies. The desk was covered in laminate that was peeling in places. He felt for the man as the sales person wrinkled his nose at the sight of him. The sales person checked the man’s ID and held it by the very edge as if not to touch it. A few minutes later, the old man was walking outside to him. He handed Mathias the bus ticket and some change. He couldn’t help but smile as the old man patted his hands after he handed him his things.
“Now, first bus outta here ain’t til 6:45. You hop on that bus, then change in Cleveland. After that, you’ll be going where you wanta go.”
Mathias’ eyes widened and he began to sweat. “What am I going to do until I can leave?”
“You gonna sit here with me. I’ll make sure you get on that damn bus.”
“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Mathias asked.
“Nah, you need it more’n me. I can take care of me’self. Take care kid. Where you goin’, it ain’t easy.”
Before he knew it, he was on the bus and leaving town. He wrapped his arms around his knees and leaned back into the bus seat.
It felt good to be free.
* * * * *
In Cleveland, he grabbed a candy bar from a machine and ate. It wasn’t the best breakfast in the world, but it was something. The bus station was a lot more modern than the one he’d been in at Wheeling. He sat and waited. He kept to himself. It was hard not to be nervous, but at least he was out of West Virginia, and he had a few hours on them.
When he arrived in New York, hours later, even though he was tired and hungry, he couldn’t help but be in awe of the city that stretched before him. It was early evening. Amidst all the flashing lights and souvenir sellers, there was a certain charm about the city. It felt dirty, and smelled kind of funny—like a combination of dirt, metal, and meat, but somehow, it all made it seem more real. The skyscrapers seemed to encase the city inside its own protective cover. And to think, he was really here, Broadway, the Rockettes, he was in a place that most of his family only dreamed about. He looked around, saw the
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