Bitch: Puncture (book 2)

I awoke to the sound of truck brakes and a wet tongue across my face.

Blossom?!?

I opened my eyes.

Apoc looked down at my quizzically. He stood over me with his brow furrowed over those blue eyes seeming to be lit from within.

I started.

Apoc looked away. The truck cab door slammed. I heard boots crunch on asphalt. The river of cars sounded close, so I knew we were next to the interstate. I only saw sky and trees around us, so probably not in a city. I got a pine trees and fir and somewhere a whiff of patchouli. The pre-dawn light glimmered with the promise of dawn moments away.

I glanced over the side of the pickup.

We were at a rest stop. Several trucks parked in our row. And further back closer to the facilities there were several cars and minivans. Little puddles of green LED light on the ground along the paths to the bathrooms and drinking fountains. My eye went immediately to a heavily hand painted short bus. It was purple, well that was more the base coat really, and then covered in hand painted words, symbols, and pictures. Crudely drawn peace symbols in a riot of colors took up the whole side. “Save Mother Earth.” “No guns, no war.” “Protect nature.” “We’re all one.” was the biggest letters.

Nature was calling anyway. I hopped gingerly out the back and made the precarious trek down the ramps to the ground. I looked back up and Apoc looked at me from the truck bed. I jerked my head towards the trees.

His head disappeared.

You’re kidding me. I realized with a shock, ‘He’s afraid of heights?!?’

I glanced around. Quiet. I chanced a bark.

His head popped back up.

I jerked my head again and then trotted towards the trees beyond the bus. I turned and looked back. He’d hooked his head over the tailgate and was watching me. I jerked my head again. He looked down, and went to the side of the pickup bed, then to the other side and then back.

Just then the restroom door banged. And Apoc’s head was silhouetted perfectly in the pre-dawn light.

“Hey! Get off there!” The trucker was instantly angry. Apoc glanced at him and ducked back inside the pickup truck bed.

“Hey! You mangy mutt. I don’t know how you got on there but I don’t allow stowaways!”

The trucker opened his cab door and rummaged around loudly.