all god's orphans

Wes piloted the RV through what seemed like the darkest dark he had ever seen. Out there, in the middle of the plains with not a single city anywhere throwing up a glow against the sky, there was only black. He felt like he was driving along the bottom of the deepest ocean. Millie sat beside him in the passenger seat, her head against the window, lost in her own thoughts. Sarah lay quietly in the back, stretched out on the small sofa. Millie had suggested that she might sleep better in the actual bed, but even though it was mere feet away, the short corridor made it feel longer to her and she preferred to be as close as possible to Millie.

The highway signs they passed meant nothing to them. They showed the names of towns they had never heard of and gave numbers higher than they would have liked.

“I think I remember seeing a road along 80 that will take us straight down to I-70 and we can keep going west from there.” Wes said trying to break the stillness.

“What road?” Millie asked.

“I’m not sure.” Wes admitted. “Maybe 183? Do you have the map?” Millie looked around herself.

“No.” She replied. “The last time I saw it was in the door pocket next to you. Isn’t it there?” Wes glanced down and the RV drifted over the rumble strips. “Careful.” Millie chided.

“No.” Wes answered, righting the vehicle. “Not there.” Millie could have sworn that’s where it was. She looked in the console and under her seat. “That’s strange.” She said.

“No big deal.” Wes said. “The next truck stop we pass you can just hop out and grab one.” Millie looked out into the blackness.

“Can’t it wait until morning?” She asked.

“I don’t want to miss the turn.”

“Can’t you get out and grab it.” Wes hesitated.

“Sure.” He finally said. “You scared?”

“It’s pitch black outside.” Millie observed.

“Ok.” Wes smiled. “I’ll get it.”

After two more hours, they still had not passed a truck stop, or anything close to it for that matter, and it was nearly one in the morning. Wes pulled the RV off the highway and onto the surface road. He couldn’t tell if he was in the middle of nowhere or twenty feet from civilization it was so dark.

“We’re stopping here?” Millie was taken somewhat aback. “What about the truck stop.”

“I have no idea how far ahead it is without the map.” Wes said. “Better to just sleep and find it tomorrow.” Millie considered this and conceded. Wes climbed into the back section and grabbed some pillows from a pile at the table. “I’ll sleep out here.” He said to Millie. “You can have the back bedroom.”

“Thanks.” Millie said and moved to the couch where Sarah lay sleeping. She gently shook her by the shoulder.

“C’mon.” Wes said. “Don’t wake her up. Let her sleep.”

“This couch isn’t good for her.” Millie replied. “Sarah. Wake up.” As Sarah began to stir, something caught Millie’s eye. It was tucked between the driver’s seat and the couch, hidden by the curtain. “Look what I found.” She said, holding it up.

“How did that get there?” Wes asked.

“It must have fallen.” She said. “Come on, Sarah. Time for bed.” Sarah got up and followed her like a zombie towards the back.

“Good night.” Wes said and settled in. He listened to the silence outside for a while. It was something he was still not accustomed to. Before all of this, there was always something to show you that you weren’t alone. The noise of traffic made by other people going about their day, or the lights of a house in the middle of nowhere made it seem like the world could go on without you. Here, there was nothing to indicate that. He could go outside right now and fire a gun into the air and nobody would hear it. He wondered what the people who used to live in this part of the country did for fun before the world ended. Probably a lot of meth, he decided and let himself float away to sleep.