Meanwhile, Lucy and Jay were flopping like rag dolls, hanging on just above the muck.
The truck eventually came to a stop, and they clung like spider monkeys, eyes closed, breathing hard.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Chapter 66
Sneller had also spotted Lucy as she fled from the port-o-potty. He followed her to the Monster truck, then back to the stage, then lost her when she was taken away by his new singing enemy.
Downtrodden, he stopped at a food cart for some lemonade and deep fried chili fries.
Sip after sip he looked, side to side from underneath his umbrella table, for signs of Lucy. He was very good at following her, even though he was prohibited by law. He had some sort of special geo-location device for her.
Polishing off his chili fries, tossed them in the trash and then used his dingy Texas Rangers t-shirt to wipe off his dripping beard. Dust from his shirt went up his nose, triggering a sneeze. This sneeze triggered a series of sneezes, following by a hacking cough.
He took a huge sip of his lemonade to try to calm his hacking throat, not realizing there were actual lemon seeds at the bottom.
One came up through the straw and lodged itself firmly in his throat.
His eyes widened. His nostrils flared. His hands went to pound his chest. When that didn't work, he began to clutch his throat. He abandoned the lemonade cup and staggered away from the table, in search of another human.
He naturally, when thinking about or following Lucy, steered clear of other human contact. And so, when he sat down to eat, he'd chosen a table in an empty alley, around the corner from any foot traffic.
He was beginning to lose consciousness.
He stumbled as far as he could, thoughts of Lucy flashing through his brain, his eyes seeing blurs and blinking black screens.
This was it.
He had no more air.
He tumbled forward.
He fell squarely on his gut.
The impact of the fall performed a Heimlich-esque manuever, popping the lemonade seed out of his throat. He watched it skipping along the asphalt in front of his face, cheek resting heavily on the ground.
He watched it until it stopped, and he would have closed his eyes then to take a post-catastrophe cat-nap, but he saw two shadows flit across the empty area beyond the seed.
He blinked.
He focused hard, trying to see.
IT WAS LUCY.
AND THE COWBOY.
Downtrodden, he stopped at a food cart for some lemonade and deep fried chili fries.
Sip after sip he looked, side to side from underneath his umbrella table, for signs of Lucy. He was very good at following her, even though he was prohibited by law. He had some sort of special geo-location device for her.
Polishing off his chili fries, tossed them in the trash and then used his dingy Texas Rangers t-shirt to wipe off his dripping beard. Dust from his shirt went up his nose, triggering a sneeze. This sneeze triggered a series of sneezes, following by a hacking cough.
He took a huge sip of his lemonade to try to calm his hacking throat, not realizing there were actual lemon seeds at the bottom.
One came up through the straw and lodged itself firmly in his throat.
His eyes widened. His nostrils flared. His hands went to pound his chest. When that didn't work, he began to clutch his throat. He abandoned the lemonade cup and staggered away from the table, in search of another human.
He naturally, when thinking about or following Lucy, steered clear of other human contact. And so, when he sat down to eat, he'd chosen a table in an empty alley, around the corner from any foot traffic.
He was beginning to lose consciousness.
He stumbled as far as he could, thoughts of Lucy flashing through his brain, his eyes seeing blurs and blinking black screens.
This was it.
He had no more air.
He tumbled forward.
He fell squarely on his gut.
The impact of the fall performed a Heimlich-esque manuever, popping the lemonade seed out of his throat. He watched it skipping along the asphalt in front of his face, cheek resting heavily on the ground.
He watched it until it stopped, and he would have closed his eyes then to take a post-catastrophe cat-nap, but he saw two shadows flit across the empty area beyond the seed.
He blinked.
He focused hard, trying to see.
IT WAS LUCY.
AND THE COWBOY.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Chapter 65
Carlos had lost sight of Lucy when the truck holding her hostage bounced out of view behind a firetruck.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Chapter 64
Meanwhile, Lucy's nephew was waking up in a most unfamiliar place.
This boy loved everything electrical: fans, motors, gears, outlets.
As he came to, he looked around... and he was quite happy with what he saw.
This boy loved everything electrical: fans, motors, gears, outlets.
As he came to, he looked around... and he was quite happy with what he saw.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Chapter 63
Jay and Lucy climbed as far skyward as they possibly could, hanging on for dear life as the pigs roared and the farmers slammed the trailer doors ominously closed.
The darkness closed in around them, punctuated by pig squeals and streaming pockets of light poking through the ventilation holes.
An engine roared to life.
Lucy and Jay's eyes, growing used to the semi-darkness, locked onto each other, and broke into smiles.
The world roared around them.
Their hearts rattled.
Their eyes found quiet.
The darkness closed in around them, punctuated by pig squeals and streaming pockets of light poking through the ventilation holes.
An engine roared to life.
Lucy and Jay's eyes, growing used to the semi-darkness, locked onto each other, and broke into smiles.
The world roared around them.
Their hearts rattled.
Their eyes found quiet.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Chapter 62
Smiles were shortlived.
A sound akin to a heehaw disturbed the almost-lovebirds. Suddenly they were shaking.
Earthquake?
No.
That sound.
Jay and Lucy lifted their heads off the hay to look down past their toes towards the source of the noise. The noise was rapidly coming towards them.
Their eyes widened.
The biggest pigs the pair had ever seen proceeded to continue their sprint into the opened trailer toward them with an echoing cacophony of squeals, oinks, and screams.
Jay and Lucy picked themselves up rapidly, climbing up the trailer walls backwards, together, like very frightened spiders.
A sound akin to a heehaw disturbed the almost-lovebirds. Suddenly they were shaking.
Earthquake?
No.
That sound.
Jay and Lucy lifted their heads off the hay to look down past their toes towards the source of the noise. The noise was rapidly coming towards them.
Their eyes widened.
The biggest pigs the pair had ever seen proceeded to continue their sprint into the opened trailer toward them with an echoing cacophony of squeals, oinks, and screams.
Jay and Lucy picked themselves up rapidly, climbing up the trailer walls backwards, together, like very frightened spiders.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Chapter 61
On the other side of the world, Lucy and Jay ditched a giant monster truck, abandoned and keyless.
They ducked behind a shed, racing for cover, finally choosing a parked, covered trailer full of hay.
Falling breathless into the sweet smelling pile, Jay and Lucy fell quiet, suddenly listening hard beneath the silence.
After a few moments clarity, and discovering no audio evidence that they'd been followed, Jay and Lucy each inhaled a breath, turning their heads in the hay to face each other.
They breathed the longest breaths.
Their wide eyes softened. Their cheeks smiled.
Their souls smiled.
They ducked behind a shed, racing for cover, finally choosing a parked, covered trailer full of hay.
Falling breathless into the sweet smelling pile, Jay and Lucy fell quiet, suddenly listening hard beneath the silence.
After a few moments clarity, and discovering no audio evidence that they'd been followed, Jay and Lucy each inhaled a breath, turning their heads in the hay to face each other.
They breathed the longest breaths.
Their wide eyes softened. Their cheeks smiled.
Their souls smiled.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Chapter 60
Meanwhile, in their wake, a stunned management team stood, jaws open, watching the exhaust and scream trail float behind a rapidly minimizing monster truck.
The crowd, first baffled, then broke into cheers.
This was a planned stunt, they thought, by the most handsome and charming white boy ever.
He could drive MY truck, they thought.
Their roars eclipsed the entire fair.
The crowd, first baffled, then broke into cheers.
This was a planned stunt, they thought, by the most handsome and charming white boy ever.
He could drive MY truck, they thought.
Their roars eclipsed the entire fair.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Chapter 59
Lucy and Jay bounced and bounded down ramps and across alleys, around fences, into tents, trying to escape.
The further they got from those who wanted them, the more they wanted each other.
The further they got from those who wanted them, the more they wanted each other.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Chapter 58
As the bodyguards opened the doors to jump out on the platform and surveil the encroaching estrogen, Lucy's nose flickered.
She tried.
She tried so hard.
And eventually she failed, in that terribly way that happens so often when you try extraordinarily hard to prevent something from happening, and then the very thing you were trying to prevent happens with the excessive combined force of the thing and your misdirected efforts.
BLASHEW!!!!
The end of her sneeze kept going so long you could hum a verse of happy birthday from mouth open (eyes closed, eyebrows up) to the choo.
This was the kind of sneeze that would disrupt an entire church service, and then ripple in echoes of laughter around the room.
Lucy and her sister would have laughed hysterically.
But Lucy opened her eyes post sneeze to see a body guard's face mere inches from her own. He had not yet shut the door.
His face shone and dripped in a most unusual way.
Just when Lucy realized it was actually her snot sliding down his forehead and nostrils, the bodyguard realized who had sneezed on him, and that she was hiding underneath Jay's seat, clutching his left shoe.
The bodyguard's face changed like a wind chime.
Jay, just in time, gunned the engine and sped forward down the exit ramp, leaving his bodyguards on their bums, eating his dust.
She tried.
She tried so hard.
And eventually she failed, in that terribly way that happens so often when you try extraordinarily hard to prevent something from happening, and then the very thing you were trying to prevent happens with the excessive combined force of the thing and your misdirected efforts.
BLASHEW!!!!
The end of her sneeze kept going so long you could hum a verse of happy birthday from mouth open (eyes closed, eyebrows up) to the choo.
This was the kind of sneeze that would disrupt an entire church service, and then ripple in echoes of laughter around the room.
Lucy and her sister would have laughed hysterically.
But Lucy opened her eyes post sneeze to see a body guard's face mere inches from her own. He had not yet shut the door.
His face shone and dripped in a most unusual way.
Just when Lucy realized it was actually her snot sliding down his forehead and nostrils, the bodyguard realized who had sneezed on him, and that she was hiding underneath Jay's seat, clutching his left shoe.
The bodyguard's face changed like a wind chime.
Jay, just in time, gunned the engine and sped forward down the exit ramp, leaving his bodyguards on their bums, eating his dust.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Chapter 57
A swarm of fan girls had grown antsy waiting for Jay to slow-poke it on over to the Chevy Main Stage, and were throwing beer bottles into the air, pulling each other's hair, and fighting for proximity.
As Jay arrived at the designated parking spot, his two bodyguards leapt onto the platform, jumped to the sideboards, opened the doors mid-flight, and launched themselves protectively into Jay's monster truck.
Lucy, hearing a door thump before opening, rolled herself forwards underneath the front seat in the nick of time. Jay felt her head brush against his boots, glanced in the rear view mirror, and sighed with relief.
"We're taking it up," the bodyguards said, buckling their seatbelts.
"Up?!" Jay careened his neck forward to look at the giant display of Chevrolets hoisted at various and incredible heights above ground on a platform behind the stage.
He swallowed.
"That way," the bodyguards said, pointed precariously to the right, and dramatically up.
Jay felt Lucy's hands wrap around his left ankle, and he tucked it closer to her as she closed her eyes.
He secured his seatbelt, tipped his brow to the orange-vested safety worker flagging him up a just-lowered entry ramp, and put it back in drive.
Lucy's face, absurdly close to the bottom of Jay's boot, suddenly flexed.
Oh no.
Her nose twitched.
Please God.
Don't let me sneeze...
As Jay arrived at the designated parking spot, his two bodyguards leapt onto the platform, jumped to the sideboards, opened the doors mid-flight, and launched themselves protectively into Jay's monster truck.
Lucy, hearing a door thump before opening, rolled herself forwards underneath the front seat in the nick of time. Jay felt her head brush against his boots, glanced in the rear view mirror, and sighed with relief.
"We're taking it up," the bodyguards said, buckling their seatbelts.
"Up?!" Jay careened his neck forward to look at the giant display of Chevrolets hoisted at various and incredible heights above ground on a platform behind the stage.
He swallowed.
"That way," the bodyguards said, pointed precariously to the right, and dramatically up.
Jay felt Lucy's hands wrap around his left ankle, and he tucked it closer to her as she closed her eyes.
He secured his seatbelt, tipped his brow to the orange-vested safety worker flagging him up a just-lowered entry ramp, and put it back in drive.
Lucy's face, absurdly close to the bottom of Jay's boot, suddenly flexed.
Oh no.
Her nose twitched.
Please God.
Don't let me sneeze...
Monday, September 22, 2014
Chapter 56
With the blind, narrow-minded, and big-mouthed cowardice common to most terrorists, the three sordid Mexicans crawled out of their gassy pickle-shaped tomb to retrieve the camera bag.
After Lucy bolted, they spotted the camera bag's stroller being abandoned by a spit-up covered mother.
No one was watching.
They made their move.
After Lucy bolted, they spotted the camera bag's stroller being abandoned by a spit-up covered mother.
No one was watching.
They made their move.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Chapter 55
"Your parents told you that?" Jay managed to say, both hands on the wheel, one eye in the rear view mirror.
"No!" Lucy exclaimed, shocked. "They would never threaten me."
She described the two men to Jay, who grew increasingly irate.
By the time he parked the truck in front of the Chevy Main Stage, his blood reached two hundred and twelve degrees.
"No!" Lucy exclaimed, shocked. "They would never threaten me."
She described the two men to Jay, who grew increasingly irate.
By the time he parked the truck in front of the Chevy Main Stage, his blood reached two hundred and twelve degrees.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Chapter 54
As the engine hum began to sound like a friendly rhythm, Lucy gathered courage to speak.
"They told me to stay away from you," she whispered.
"What?!" Jay shouted, letting go of the wheel to spin round and give her his full attention.
An exterior shriek reminded him he could kill someone... so he whipped back around to face forward, yanking the wheel to steer the truck off its collision course with a cotton candy cart.
Both white knuckle hands on the wheel, he let his voice go to her, eyes straight ahead.
"They said what?" he said, low, almost a growl.
Pause.
"They told me to stay away from you," she fought a wet frog in the back of her throat, rumbling and threatening to sob. "Or else."
His white knuckles turned red.
"They told me to stay away from you," she whispered.
"What?!" Jay shouted, letting go of the wheel to spin round and give her his full attention.
An exterior shriek reminded him he could kill someone... so he whipped back around to face forward, yanking the wheel to steer the truck off its collision course with a cotton candy cart.
Both white knuckle hands on the wheel, he let his voice go to her, eyes straight ahead.
"They said what?" he said, low, almost a growl.
Pause.
"They told me to stay away from you," she fought a wet frog in the back of her throat, rumbling and threatening to sob. "Or else."
His white knuckles turned red.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Chapter 53
Paralyzed by fear, Lucy lay in the back of the pickup truck.
Egged on by the crowd and his manager's evil eyes, Jay began to drive at two and a half miles per hour toward his intended destination.
It took everything he had not to veer off course, gun it, and take this fledgling love far far away from all this madness.
Egged on by the crowd and his manager's evil eyes, Jay began to drive at two and a half miles per hour toward his intended destination.
It took everything he had not to veer off course, gun it, and take this fledgling love far far away from all this madness.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Chapter 52
Across the park, three fake Mexicans were in a pickle.
On strict instructions from their boss, they were to apprehend Lucy's camera, specifically its memory card, and destroy it.
They'd sweatily traversed the entire park before discovering members of Lucy's family in the greenhouse.
To monitor the exit and remain unseen, they clamored, one after another, into a large papier mache three dimensional pickle billboard directly in front of the greenhouse.
They poked minute holes through the eye-level pickle bumps and waited for their opportunity to snatch.
Unfortunately, with the ant-like activity inside the greenhouse, they could barely keep up with Lucy's whereabouts and which of the two identical strollers housed Lucy's camera bag.
After thirty minutes, the pickle began to overheat.
The three fake Mexicans began to breathe heavier.
The three fake Mexicans' stomachs began to rumble.
The three fake Mexicans had to make a decision about whether to ruin the pickle or abandon their posts for a bathroom stall.
Stupid Tex-Mex.
On strict instructions from their boss, they were to apprehend Lucy's camera, specifically its memory card, and destroy it.
They'd sweatily traversed the entire park before discovering members of Lucy's family in the greenhouse.
To monitor the exit and remain unseen, they clamored, one after another, into a large papier mache three dimensional pickle billboard directly in front of the greenhouse.
They poked minute holes through the eye-level pickle bumps and waited for their opportunity to snatch.
Unfortunately, with the ant-like activity inside the greenhouse, they could barely keep up with Lucy's whereabouts and which of the two identical strollers housed Lucy's camera bag.
After thirty minutes, the pickle began to overheat.
The three fake Mexicans began to breathe heavier.
The three fake Mexicans' stomachs began to rumble.
The three fake Mexicans had to make a decision about whether to ruin the pickle or abandon their posts for a bathroom stall.
Stupid Tex-Mex.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Chapter 51
Every time it rains outside her family's house, a familiar frog begins a peculiar trek.
Back and forth from one end of Lucy's street to the other, this frog hops, making a beeline down the exact center of the street.
He hops high, and he keeps going, back and forth, back and forth, until the rain that began has met its end, and then he disappears.
Lucy, laying in the back floor of a monster truck, felt her tears going back and forth, back and forth from her throat to her eyes.
She closed both, trying to keep it hopping back and forth, not spilling over. She clenched her fists, trying to figure out why that frog hopped.
Was he completely overjoyed? Was he frightened?
Was he waiting for his world to drown?
She opened her eyes, and saw Jay.
Back and forth from one end of Lucy's street to the other, this frog hops, making a beeline down the exact center of the street.
He hops high, and he keeps going, back and forth, back and forth, until the rain that began has met its end, and then he disappears.
Lucy, laying in the back floor of a monster truck, felt her tears going back and forth, back and forth from her throat to her eyes.
She closed both, trying to keep it hopping back and forth, not spilling over. She clenched her fists, trying to figure out why that frog hopped.
Was he completely overjoyed? Was he frightened?
Was he waiting for his world to drown?
She opened her eyes, and saw Jay.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Chapter 50
Lucy, still slightly asleep, was jolted awake as she ricocheted forward, then slammed into the seat back.
Jay whipped around to see what bird he'd flown.
It was his bird.
His alarm turned to joy turned to concern.
He put his monster in park, unbuckled his seatbelt, and began to jump over the seat back to rescue her.
Shaken to life from dream, she initially saw his face peek over in one of those glowing white orb lights of a dream.
She smiled.
As her brain woke up, her smile turned into dismay, and then into fear.
She put her hand up, motioning Jay to stop. He paused, poised to leap.
As the tears began to escape from her eyes, Jay's heart convulsed. He wanted to suction every sadness she had ever felt out of her heart.
He wanted to save her.
Jay whipped around to see what bird he'd flown.
It was his bird.
His alarm turned to joy turned to concern.
He put his monster in park, unbuckled his seatbelt, and began to jump over the seat back to rescue her.
Shaken to life from dream, she initially saw his face peek over in one of those glowing white orb lights of a dream.
She smiled.
As her brain woke up, her smile turned into dismay, and then into fear.
She put her hand up, motioning Jay to stop. He paused, poised to leap.
As the tears began to escape from her eyes, Jay's heart convulsed. He wanted to suction every sadness she had ever felt out of her heart.
He wanted to save her.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Chapter 49
Lucy started watching the rainbows inside her eyelids. Her stomach began to growl.
She squeezed her legs tighter to her chest, thinking about how her grandmother used to eat onions like apples.
Onion Rings would be awesome right about now. She smiled, seeing Onion Rings inside her eyelids now. With ketchup.
After a few minutes, the endorphins of imaginary eating began to kick in. The adrenaline fate left her nervous system ready for a crash.
She hugged her knees, smiled, and fell asleep.
Approximately nine minutes later Jay climbed into the cab, paused to wave at thirty television crews below, and buckled himself into the driver's seat.
He closed his eyes.
Sigh.
Grasping a hand-sized key with white knuckles, Jay said a prayer and almost strained a muscle trying to start the engine. It came to life with a lurch, a grind, a squeal, and a splat, the latter two being Lucy, bluntly awoken from her nap and thrown into the floorboard behind Jay's seat.
He slammed on the brakes.
She squeezed her legs tighter to her chest, thinking about how her grandmother used to eat onions like apples.
Onion Rings would be awesome right about now. She smiled, seeing Onion Rings inside her eyelids now. With ketchup.
After a few minutes, the endorphins of imaginary eating began to kick in. The adrenaline fate left her nervous system ready for a crash.
She hugged her knees, smiled, and fell asleep.
Approximately nine minutes later Jay climbed into the cab, paused to wave at thirty television crews below, and buckled himself into the driver's seat.
He closed his eyes.
Sigh.
Grasping a hand-sized key with white knuckles, Jay said a prayer and almost strained a muscle trying to start the engine. It came to life with a lurch, a grind, a squeal, and a splat, the latter two being Lucy, bluntly awoken from her nap and thrown into the floorboard behind Jay's seat.
He slammed on the brakes.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Chapter 48
Lucy read thirty seven messages of love and gratitude and apology and condescension and nagging and regret from her mother upside down.
Whether it was her topsy turvy position, stuck upside down through a monster truck's sunroof, or the barrage of emoticons beeping into her brain via her eyes, Lucy suddenly felt flush with blood to her head.
She precariously tipped her feet upward, trying to dislodge herself from gravity with gravity.
If only she had the keys, she could turn on the engine, stretch for the control panel, and open the sunroof a little more so she could squeak through.
But the crowd like mice at the far end of the earth began to move from that busy corner of the truck pavilion toward hers, and Lucy worried.
No one was above her, but still: what if they saw her underwear?
She'd better squeeze.
Sucking in her insides until she felt inside out, Lucy closed her eyes and pushed.
Plop.
Landing in the backseat, she flipped her hair out of her face, hugged her phone, and curled up into the fetal position, eyes closed, to ponder her next move.
Where do you go when everyone wants you and nobody knows you?
Downtruck, Jay was thinking the same.
Whether it was her topsy turvy position, stuck upside down through a monster truck's sunroof, or the barrage of emoticons beeping into her brain via her eyes, Lucy suddenly felt flush with blood to her head.
She precariously tipped her feet upward, trying to dislodge herself from gravity with gravity.
If only she had the keys, she could turn on the engine, stretch for the control panel, and open the sunroof a little more so she could squeak through.
But the crowd like mice at the far end of the earth began to move from that busy corner of the truck pavilion toward hers, and Lucy worried.
No one was above her, but still: what if they saw her underwear?
She'd better squeeze.
Sucking in her insides until she felt inside out, Lucy closed her eyes and pushed.
Plop.
Landing in the backseat, she flipped her hair out of her face, hugged her phone, and curled up into the fetal position, eyes closed, to ponder her next move.
Where do you go when everyone wants you and nobody knows you?
Downtruck, Jay was thinking the same.
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