Flambeaux & Staug Ch. 06

Even the most populous cities can seem repetitive when all the streets are empty, namely when you're driving around the outskirts of such a city for a prolonged amount of time.

Matt began to notice how the road seemed to repeat itself before Nick did, but he didn't want to mention anything. Nick had become more and more excitable as time wore on, and he could understand why despite the fact that he was a jaded suburbian police officer. Matt had been on the force for a while, and he'd seen things most had not. Children forced from their drug addicted parents, murderers not willing to give up without a fight, bank robbers who'd rather drive until until their gas was depleted before surrender. However, he'd never been trained for this sort of situation. And honestly, who would forsee it? Regardless of Matt's growing dread, it was Nick who discovered their next obstacle.

Nick looked drearily out the rearview mirror to discover something rather unpleasant that aroused his naturally extreme caution once more.

"Um, Matt?"

Matt sighed, as though intensely bothered by any input interrupting his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Well, take a look behind us."

Matt felt his heart sink as he stopped the car to look closely in the rearview mirror. He saw a trail of dark liquid following them on the concrete. He gritted his teeth and slapped his forehead. "Fuck!"

Nick's already gloomy expression darkened at this, as he bleakly turned forward. Everything set in for him right there.

"We're not finding another way out, are we?"

Matt buried his face in his hands and shook his head. When his face arose, it bore a furious look. "I can't find another way out," he muttered. "I've never known of a town with one way in and one way out. A town totally surrounded by mountains. A town that I'd scarcely even fucking heard of."

Nick rubbed his forehead and sang Louie Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" in his head. "This is unreal," he said under his breath. Matt abruptly stopped the car. "There's not any point in driving around now, I guess," he sneered, punching the steering wheel. They briefly looked into each other's visages, seeking any hope. Niether found any.

"I guess we'll have to climb out of here," Nick sighed. Matt nodded, looking forward to a mountain. They had reached a part of town on the opposite end of the entrance, or at least what seemed like it. Matt stifled a chuckle. "I don't even know where that leads," he said. "And it's pretty much all the hope we've got."

Nick scratched his head and got out of the car, leaning against the draining automobile. "They've thought of everything," he mumbled. Matt got out and slammed the door. "What do you mean 'they'?" he barked. "I know you're keeping something from me, and I've got to know it, because otherwise, you and I are dead."

An appalled look covered Nick's face. "I already told you all I know," he yelled back. "How the hell do I know that you've got nothing to do with what's going on? You just appeared on the street out of nowhere. I don't know that you're not hiding anything from me."

"So you expect me to believe you literally woke up into this and wondered about until I found you."

"And I'm supposed to think that you just happened to find me."

Matt pushed his hair out of his face. "You know what," he started resignedly, "you're right. And I'm right. We've no idea how the other came into this sordid equation. All we know is that we need each other to get out alive. Can we agree on that?"

Nick let out a silent yet tormented groan. He knew that he depended on Matt as he did him. The only way they would get out would be if they could just trust the other. "Yeah," Nick replied. "We're not getting out of here thinking like that. Let's just leave any way we can and deal with it later."

Matt nodded and the two walked forward to the mountain. There was a slim pathway that they noticed the closer they got that they suspected would get them out of Aftersun; just to what they had no idea. "That hiking trail," Nick said. "It's got to lead to a neighboring city."

Nick took the lead as they approched the path and walked up it. The path went in a spiral around the mountain with assorted trees and bushed on the side. This mountain was just like all the others surrounding the town, barren and dark. The rain was beginning to subside once again as they continued up the path. Niether man spoke; there really wasn't much to say, now that both of their distrust was now out in the open. As they walked, Matt pulled out a cigarette and tossed the empty pack down to the street.

"So, Matt began, "have you got any family?"

Nick shook his head. "I'm Twenty four," he answered. "At this time in my life I'm not too concerned with starting a family. Just drinking and having fun, you know? Why, what about you?"

Matt smiled at this. "I've got a wife," he said. "Nothing more, though. She and I are content enough to not really bother for kids. We both make good money, we're not aspiring for much more at the moment, so why push it?"

They started at a turn in the path. As the turn developed onto the other side, the bright lights of the next city over became visible, shining into their eyes. The lights represented a sort of panacea, a knowledge that the end of their nightmare was near. Both Nick and Matt felt relief come over them as they saw them, twinkling off in the distance as though their sole purpose was to reassure them. As the path continued upwards, Matt allowed himself a grin. He slapped Nick on the back heartily, feeling somewhat happy for the first time since he'd arrived in Aftersun. "We're going to be alright," he told Nick. "We're going to be alright."

Nick laughed lightly. "Say, what time is it now?"

Matt laughed back and raised his wrist. "It's 10:25."

Nick smiled as Matt continued. "There's salvation right there," he smiled, pointing to the lights. "We've got until 10:30, my ass!"

Nick and Matt laughed pleasantly together as they continued up the path. It was 10:25.