Read Crossing Bedlam Online

Authors: Charles E. Yallowitz

Crossing Bedlam (37 page)

BOOK: Crossing Bedlam
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“I’m not wiping my nose on your arm,” the blonde states as she removes the pea coat and holds it out. She moves her hands to the bullet hole and sticks her thumb through the frayed opening. “Funny that you mention me making a reputation for myself. It was always mom who had that while I tagged along. Now I’m on my own and . . . it’s time to let go. Don’t go anywhere because there’s something I need to get.”

“I’ll just be here singing a really annoying song based on what you said.”

“Please don’t.”

“Hey, I don’t make the rules when it comes to these things.”

“Just hum it, so you don’t ruin the moment.”

“Sure thing, kid.”

Folding the pea coat, Cassidy gives it a kiss and gently places it next to the basin. She fixes her shirt as she heads back to the jeep, her arms still inside the top by the time she reaches the vehicle. The young woman finishes getting dressed before disappearing into the backseat and randomly throwing old clothes out the door. After several minutes, Cassidy returns wearing a denim jacket that is frayed around the cuffs. The rope that would normally tighten the cloth hood is missing, but she cannot remember ever putting that part up anyway. Holding the old jacket open, she shows Lloyd the twin holsters that have been sewn into the underside. One has her favorite handgun while the other has a firearm that she has not used since the day her mother was murdered. The empty weapon still has a little blood on the grip from when she beat her mom’s killer to death, an act she realizes would make her companion proud.

“Your old self has been in that jeep the whole time, huh?” Lloyd asks, chuckling at the way the young woman spins around. He notices how her hands continue to move toward the guns and her eyes are watching his every move. “Don’t worry. Be pretty stupid for me to kill my best friend. This maniac has grown quite fond of you, kid. That and I don’t really know what I’m going to do in this place.”

“You could do anything,” Cassidy mentions while adjusting her sleeves. She reaches for her guns a few times, searching for the perfect position in case she has to draw them quickly. “This new world must be a playground for a serial killer. Nothing stopping you from doing what you love. At least no police and you can easily run away without warrants following you across the borders. I mean, I don’t always like the country being in chaos and sometime wish for my old life, but I’m surprised you feel lost.”

“Because the place is in chaos,” the man replies as he picks some dried seaweed out of his hair. He hops off his perch and playfully swings himself around a nearby pole, the paint coming off against his palms. “Before the collapse, I was a monster among men. That made me stand out, so causing mayhem gave me some purpose and personal satisfaction. Now everyone seems to be as crazy as I am and . . . well, I’m not special here. Not as a random killer anyway. What’s the point of being a monster when you’re surrounded by them? It’s so boring and it makes me feel like I’m just going along with the crowd. Sticking with you means I’ll always have a purpose and life will remain interesting. That and . . . I can’t really imagine going on any adventures without you as my partner. Meant totally as family and business. Having flashbacks to Wyoming all of a sudden. Just need to think happy Illinois thoughts. Anyway, I guess we have to figure out what to do to keep ourselves occupied.”

“You want another adventure?”

“Don’t you?”

Cassidy grins without hesitation and draws her empty handgun to spin it a few times. “I guess we can survive and have fun at the same time. All we have to figure out is where we go next. There are a lot of places you’ve yet to see. Not to mention all of the loose ends and deals we left behind.”

“There’s cannibal hunting.”

“We do have to visit Katie again.”

“Probably should get some revenge on that warden.”

“Need to make amends with the Trade Barons back east.”

“Be nice to see Tyler and Rose again.”

“Or we can do something entirely new.”

Lloyd puts an arm around Cassidy’s shoulders, which she slips out of and walks backwards until they reach the jeep. She stubbornly stands in front of the driver’s side door, forcing him to get into the passenger seat. The young woman spends a few extra minutes staring at the pea coat and ash-dusted replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. Part of her wants to leave the locket behind as well, but she tucks it into one of her breast pockets instead. Satisfied and ready to get back on the road, Cassidy hops into the dark blue jeep and starts the engine, the CD player coming on to play a rock song about resting at the end of a long journey.

“This has been a very odd origin story,” Lloyd says, interrupting his friend’s somber thoughts. He leans away from the scowl he receives, but still reaches out to playfully poke her on the nose. “Well I think it’s odd. So many weird people and adventures along the way. Kind of hard to keep track of everything at times, especially this jeep because it kept breaking. Usually when you were driving, but that’s probably just a coincidence. Now we’re heading off into the unknown while the audience decides if they love, hate, or couldn’t care less about us. The fate of our return is in the hands of-”

“Oh, just shut the fuck up, Lloyd.”

BOOK: Crossing Bedlam
8.27Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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