Oh her way back to the SUV Skye started to feel better. It was crazy with
each step she took she felt dramatically better. The dizziness subsided
completely as soon as she put her hand on the door handle of the dodge. She
didn't open the door but instead leaned on the frame with her hands above her
head as she stretched her back out. Anna was still watching Gertie over the
hood of the vehicle rubbing Skye's back. “What’s with that old lady?” she
asked, “Is it just me, or is it super creepy that she’s here?” Feeling much
more like herself Skye leaned to the left and looked where Anna's gaze landed.
As soon as their eyes met Gertie waved. She
stifled a shiver. “Yes,” she sighed “it’s very creepy so... let’s get Leigh and
get the hell out of here.” Anna agreed and stepped back as she fished her keys
out of her pocket. “You good?” Skye sighed as she turned to her friend. “Ya I'm
good.” She opened the door and quickly looked back at where Gertie had stood
and she was gone… she had disappeared.
When Skye stepped into the
truck Anna walked around the back on the search for Leigh. Anna found Leigh putting the rest of her toppings on her hot dog. Without
turning around “How’s she feeling?” Leigh asked. Anna shrugged and scanned the
area for the old woman. “She feels better and wants to go home. Are you ready?”
Leigh nodded and grabbed a napkin. Anna looked at the loaded hot dog and the
singular napkin Leigh held in her hand. Immediately she reached out, grabbed a
handful more and shoved them at her. “If you make a mess in her truck she. Will,
kill you.” Leigh cocked her head and thought about it then nodded with a smile.
Skye felt much better and had the engine running as she watched two of
her best friends walking towards her. It had been a less than satisfactory day
looking for collectible items but she did have the statue in the box that she
wanted to find out more about. She glanced in the rear-view mirror at it and as
she looked at the smooth surface of the white box, it appeared like the lid
rose slightly and fell, rose...and fell as if it were breathing. She paused and
shook to clear her head “No.” she said to herself.
Skye jumped as the passenger door opened and Leigh attempted to get in
with no hands as the super sized hot dog took up their use. “Sorry,” Leigh
said, “Can I get a hand here?” Skye looked at the hot dog and back at Leigh's
thin frame and took the hot dog from her hands. Leigh took a napkin out from
underneath her arms where she had stuffed them and quickly wiped her hands off
before she got in. Skye passed the hot dog back to her once she had her seat
belt snugly across her hips.
“Do you feel better?” Leigh asked. Skye mulled it over and nodded, “Yes!
Much better actually... I don’t know what happened.” Leigh looked at her, “Did
you eat this morning or did you only have coffee like every morning?” Skye let
a shy smile escape her. Leigh was always concerned as much about her own health
as she was about Skye’s. Had she eaten? If so, how far was it between meals?
Did you have too much sugar or too much caffeine? All questions Leigh would have spit out
before Skye even had the chance to answer the first one.
“I’m fine Leigh, your right I just needed to eat.” She said calmly and
realized she didn't even know what happened to the hot dog. Skye figured that
all of the stress from the day had just caught up to her and combined with the
lack of food, her body just couldn’t take it anymore. “I think I just need a
hot bath and steak and a glass of wine, then I’ll be fine.” She hoped. Leigh laughed and replied “Am I making you
that steak because, you can’t cook a steak properly to save your life.”
As they bantered back and forth about who could do what better than the
other, Anna pulled up beside them. She motioned for Skye to roll the window
down. Once it was down Anna shouted at them like she was on speaker phone. “Are
we ready to get the hell out of here ladies?” Both nodded in agreement. “I’ll
meet you back at the shop.” She hit the
gas like a pro, spun her tires and took off down the road and back to her city
life.
Skye pulled out in a non aggressive fashion and just as Leigh was about
to take a bite of her extremely large hot dog “Leigh...I will kill you if you
drop any of that in here.” Something was muttered under a mouthful of onions,
cheese and chili that Skye understood ya ya I know When she looked back
at the road, she slammed the brakes on suddenly trying to avoid a something
that she saw in the road. Leigh’s head jerked forward as the vehicle stopped
with the hot dog continuing its movement into her mouth and she choked.
With her mouth covered in chili and cheese, her bun full of onions
Leigh spat the dog out of her mouth and it landed on the dashboard in front of
her. She looked her mouth forming an O and like the cherry on the sundae a big
dollop on the mingled condiments slid down her chin slow motion and the giant
drop fell deep into her cleavage. Skye tried to apologize but couldn’t stop
laughing at the sight it.
“I’m so sorry!” Skye said between gasps of breath.
Leigh took a slow breath while reaching for the stack of napkins. “What
the hell happened?” Skye shrugged, “I saw something in the road! Like a person
or something. I didn’t want to hit them.” Leigh scanned the road. “I don’t see
anyone…”
The laughter trickling away
Skye did her own survey. “I swear I saw
someone…”
After going to the shop and unloading their findings except for the
statue. Skye and Leigh took the dogs for a long stroll. They had been in the
truck for most of the day and thank god it wasn't hot out not that it fazed
either one of them as they slept. After the walk and lots of treats later Skye dropped
off Leigh and pulled quietly into her own driveway. She did not want to open
the garage door and risk waking up the kids if they were sleeping. She didn't
realize how late it had gotten. Cyrus was a night owl so she knew he could
still be up. Having his room facing the back of the house she couldn't see if
the light was on. The dogs were panting
with anticipation of being home and as soon as she opened the truck door them,
they both jumped out and ran full speed for the front door. Skye took the box
out of the back seat and locked the truck. Kona circled around so she could
stop in her favourite corner for a pee. Angel sat patiently at the front door
and waited for Skye to catch up.
She walked to the waiting dog sitting at the door and bent down to
stroke her head. The door wasn’t locked so she knew that at least Cyrus was up
then she reminded herself to give him shit for leaving it unlocked in the first
place. She stepped over the threshold and the weight of the day fell on her
once again as she closed the door quietly and sunk against it with a sigh. She
was home thank god and she could end this day.
