Chapter Two point One

Headlights appeared on the gravel road behind us. My brother and I were headed towards the Appaloosa ranch. The night was quiet and still.  It was about 2 am. “Austin get down!” I hissed at him in an angry whisper.  We needed to not be seen.  He rolled his eyes at me.  We crouched down behind the tall grass in the ditch by the culvert and waited for the moment. The croaking chorus of the frogs in the creek again filled the night and we continued down the lane.

The trees hid our exodus.  A massive parallel of cottonwoods on each side of the lane stretching towards the ranch.  The moonlight shone it’s white glow between the shadowns of the sleeping giants.  We crept from one to the next, more out of a guilty concious than of crime committed.  But we had the intention to commit a crime.  I wanted out of this place, out of this life.  I had to get away.  I had a plan.  We would take the old jetta from the Rancher.  The one that sat alone in the tall grass that no one ever used.  We’ll just borrow it. I told myself. No one is using it anyways. They probably won’t even notice that it’s gone.  

“How long do you think it will take them to notice we aren’t there?” Austin asked.

“Well they passed out so fucking drunk I think they might sleep in.  At that point they’ll wonder where we are but it will probably be a few hours before they figure it out.” I said, tucking my loosly hanging hair behind my ears.

 I worried about the youngsters, only 4, 6 and 11 that we had to leave at home.  Shit.  You’re supposed to protect them. What are they going to do without you?  I don’t know…I don’t know.  I just can’t be there anymore.  I’m not their mother.  Maybe Mom and Dad will think twice about having raging daily drunk-fests if Austin and I arent there to take care of the kids and clean up afterwards.  This never would have happened if they hadn’t opened a fucking liquor store beside the house and started drinking every day.  They don’t even have real friends.  Just people who come over to sit and drink and talk shit about the other neighbors.

We reached the last tree, the one with the oval scar that puckered around the edges where one of it’s limbs had been severed decades before.  We hid behind it and searched about with our eyes, straining our ears.  Nothing.  We crouched and crossed the open space to the Jetta in the moonlight.  One of the horses whickered nervously, smelling our approach on the air.  ”It’s okay.” I whispered.  ”Quit now, it’s just us, go back to sleep…we’re just going to borrow this car and leave you be.”  I set my backpack down and looked through the window.  The keys were still there, above the visor. I opened the door.

There was no light, no sound. The darkness of the night compounded with the black color of the car and I couldn’t see. “Hey, can you get the flashlight?” I asked my brother.

“Yeah, here.” He said, turning it on.  We placed our stuff in the back seat and sat down in the front.  I smiled at him as I plucked the key from the visor and inserted it into the ignition.  Freedom here we come!  I turned the key.  Nothing happened.  No sound, no spark, no rollover…nothing.

“Fuck!” I swore, trying again.  Still nothing.

“The battery must be dead.” Austin said.  Shit.  I thought. Where the hell are we going to get a boost?  I don’t even know how to USE jumper cables.  Not that we could get anyone to boost the Jetta in the middle of the night so that we could steal it.    I closed my eyes and pushed my head back into the seat, taking a deep breath. I opened my eyes and I saw it. The truck.  It was the hay-hauler.  The one they only used once or twice a week to take bales out to the pasture.  It has to have a battery.  All batteries are the same aren’t they?  I thought.

“Austin!  Let’s get the battery out of the truck!” I exclaimed.  His brown eyes brightened and he smiled his toothy grin. We got out of the car and dashed across the yard, throwing caution to the wind.  The truck, like the car, was unlocked and had it’s keys in the visor.

“Why don’t we just take the truck?” Austin asked.  

“Because there is more gas in the car.” I persuaded.  We didn’t have very much money.  About $25 between us from saving up our baby sitting money, and the coins we took from the dresser in the master bedroom.  It wasn’t much, but it was enough for a tank of gas.  Maybe we’d get a few hundred miles away. Then we’d have to figure something else out.  I popped the latch on the truck and Justin opened the hood.  He took out the battery and carried it over to the car.  I watched as he deftly removed the old battery and put in the bigger one.  The moment he connected the cables the light came on in the car and the dinger started going off! The sound of the dinging was like a trumpet in my ears - certainly announcing our presence.  I lept into the car and removed the keys.  The din stopped.  I sighed with relief.

“Get in!” I whispered excitedly.  ”Close the door. Gently! Let’s get out of here!”

Please God. I prayed and turned the ignition.