Roadtrip

It's a strange thing sitting behind the wheel for so many miles, especially when driving alone. There were times that the miles had almost raced by, gone too quickly and visions imprinted forever. Other times, it felt as if the car was hardly moving at all while hour after hour of flat farmland stretched on to eternity.

This was the roadtrip of a lifetime. No time-limits, no mentionable schedule to keep, beyond a list of places Shannon Wilson had always dreamt of witnessing first hand. This leg of the journey found her driving north on Arizona state route 64 into a small tourist town called Tusayan. A bit north of the town, if you could call Tusayan a town, as it was more a village than anything else. She would finally, and excitedly behold the glory of the Grand Canyon.

Shannon hadn't had an easy life. She'd never known her father, well not more than hearing her mother curse his name and almost delight in telling Shannon what a miserable excuse for a man he'd been to knock her up and then almost immediately afterward catch multiple felonies and forever be locked away. This left her to raise an unplanned, and possibly unwanted child on her own.

Shannon found her mother dead on the floor of their tiny apartment when she arrived home from school when she was just 11 years old. It was an overdose, but then that didn't surprise anyone, not Shannon, or any of the few members of her family that knew her. An aging Grandmother tried to care for the little girl, but she could just barely care for herself and so Shannon found herself in the foster care system, and remained there until she was old enough to face life on her own.

She didn't consider her life particularly difficult, only that it simply was. Calling it hard didn't solve anything and wishing for better only made things worse. She'd bury herself in travel books and magazines at whatever school she was attending at the moment, never expecting to stay in any given home for very long. She daydreamed of visiting all of those magical places that seemed too incredible to really exist. She had memorized over twenty sites she had promised herself to visit, and the Grand Canyon would be number eleven on that list.

Traveling solo suited her, although it would have been nice to pass the time with someone, a close friend, maybe a man. She had never developed the social skills to do well, in either department. Making friends had been difficult, friends that had actual parents, when she had whatever family the system had assigned, almost always families that had their own children, and Shannon found that she had been thought of, primarily as a means for the foster family to earn extra income, and not because they had ever really cared that she was just a little kid, that desperately wanted to have a family, and to feel safe. On a few occasions, she was sent to foster care where the adults had no children of their own, and they were always worse than the families that had kids.

Her escape had always been the travel magazines, and dreaming of one day...

Men had been equally mysterious, sure there had been several, but any other 22-year old would have far better-developed social skills and keeping a relationship together, after she had given them her body seemed a lost cause. It was easier to just avoid men. Besides, this road-trip was about finally laying her eyes on all of those long-wished-for sites, not for getting laid.

Her head had begun throbbing almost twenty minutes ago, she needed to get off of the road and check into a motel, if any had rooms available. Although she was hungry, she knew the headache would soon overpower her stomach, and the best option at the moment was a dark room, a bed, a cold compress on her forehead and one of her pills.

She pulled off of the main drag and hoped the first place she checked had a room, she needed the dark, and to lay down. It was a nice-enough place, not a chain motel, and the price was right. Closing the door, and locking it behind her, she pulled the heavy drapes and smiled a bit in the near dark the room had become. A quick trip to the bathroom, a wet washcloth, stripped down to her panties and an oversized cotton t-shirt, and swallowing the little white pill prepared her as well as she was able.

It did no good to complain about it, it would only make things worse. Tears escaped under the washcloth covering her eyes while Shannon imagined what the canyon would look like in the morning. In time, the expected fog overtook her senses and she drifted off to sleep.

~

A bit after 6:00am Shannon woke, drank some water to chase the cottonmouth away, and decided on a quick shower and an orgasm would be how she'd start the day. She stepped into the shower, taking the purple dildo she traveled with along. After washing her body, and taking her time while playing with her nipples, which had stiffened as they always did, almost in anticipation of her coming release. The hot water had loosened muscles that had strained while she suffered yesterday. She felt almost reborn, and that was definitely cause to celebrate. The fleshy material of the dildo rubbed back and forth along her clitoris, as it stuck against the back wall of the shower, and played hide and seek as she moved her hips, feeling the pleasure slowly radiating through her core. She bent forward a bit, and let her fingers adjust the angle so that the dildo parted her labia, and slowly entered her, taking a bit at a time, prolonging the inevitable. Soon, her toy was as deeply inside of her body as the almost awkward positioning allowed, and as she rocked back and forth, her fingers rubbed against her clitoris. Soft sighs escaped her lips and strangely, although it was always like this, she didn't fantasize that a man was inside her. It was, after all, just a toy, but a toy was enough, and soon after, her orgasm caused her to gasp more loudly now, and her legs shook until it had passed.

She stayed coupled like that, for a time, and wondered if other women fantasized about men when they filled their vaginas with their toys.

After the shower, and drying off, Shannon applied a bit of makeup, nothing fancy, she was never one for dramatic looks. In fact if it was all the same with her, she'd be happy enough to quietly blend into any crowd, no matter how small it may have been. She glanced at the rows of almost equally spaced scars that ran horizontally across her left bicep. Those scars had been enough reason for her to be moved from more than a few foster homes, but she hadn't cut herself for years now. Still, those silent reminders would be hard to hide on a day that was expected to reach above 100 degrees.

She picked simple khaki shorts, a white spaghetti strap blouse, and trainers for the day's outfit. She packed her bag and was checked out of the motel by 7:30am, her stomach hadn't stopped rumbling since she had gotten out of bed.

Almost directly across the street from the motel was a fast food joint that served breakfast, well, if you could call it that. Still, it would have to do. Shannon sat at a table, and imagined the endless canyon that would soon lay in front of her. She daydreamed, and pictured in her mind's eye mule-trains, small, but visible moving along dirt paths along the canyon floor, from her perch far up above.

"Hey there." a voice, close spoke.

She snapped out of it, and looked to her right, seeing a younger guy, maybe 18-20 sitting at a table a few feet away, watching her intently.

"Oh, hi." she said, and scrunched up her brow, what did he want?

He was deeply tanned, and clearly a backpacker. A huge rucksack lay on the floor next to him, his clothes weren't clean, but they weren't exactly filthy either. His hair was sun-bleached, and shaggy, and his blue-eyes seemed almost unnatural.

"Are you headed up to the canyon?" he asked, his smile revealing perfect rows of snow-white teeth.

"Mmhmm." Shannon nodded, and she looked at the huge backpack next to him 'How far have you walked?' she asked.

"You mean, like today, this week, or?" he almost laughed as he replied.

"I guess that means a lot." she said, wondering if she should feel impressed, and then wondering if he thought she would be impressed.

"I started in Ojai, in California, but I'd be lying if I said I walked here from there. I'll catch a ride, anytime I can." he said, nodding.

"So, umm, I just wondered, maybe if you're heading up that way, if I could tag along?" he asked hopefully.

"It's not safe for women to pick up hitchhikers, haven't you heard?" she answered, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Take my picture with your phone, then I'll let you take a picture of my ID, send both to your folks, I'd have to be crazy to do anything stupid if the cops would have my picture and ID, right?" he said, smiling again.

"In the meantime, I'd be dead, somewhere between here and the canyon." Shannon answered.

"Yeah, I suppose I hadn't thought of that, look, I'm new at this being a crazy hitchhiker thing. I haven't figured any of this out yet." he shrugged.

"Just up to the canyon, and that's it." she said slowly, giving him her best 'I'm serious, and you better not be a crazy person.' look.

"I'll even pay for us at the gate." he said, then reached out his hand, and introduced himself "I'm Tyler, and yeah, that's actually my name."

"Shannon." she said, and lightly shook his hand. "That's really my name too."

"It's like six or seven miles from here, my feet already thank you." he said, then reached into his backpack and retrieved three water bottles, then walked over to the drink machine, and filled them with water, took a huge drink from one, and came back, sat down and told Shannon he was in no hurry, and she should take her time finishing her breakfast.

"It's pretty horrible actually." she said, then stood and carried her tray to the trash bin. Tyler followed and took the opportunity to sneak a quick glance at the woman's toned legs, and smallish ass.

"You jog?" he asked from behind her.

Shannon stopped, and turned, realizing he must have been checking her out. "No, why?" she asked, and angled her head, waiting for him to answer.

"I didn't mean anything by it, it's just obvious you take care of yourself is all." Tyler answered with widening eyes.

"Tyler, you're talking yourself out of a ride..." She told him in a serious, flat tone.

"I swear Shannon, I didn't mean anything by it." He said, holding his hands up.

She turned and continued to the trash bin, and emptied her tray, and then stepped outside, and walked to her car. As she unlocked the door, she saw he was standing away from her, with a bit of a strained look on his face.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Look you're right, it's not safe for women to pick up hitchhikers, and especially ones that haven't showered in days. I'll just say it was nice to meet you, and again, sorry for me being awkward, enjoy yourself up there, the view is going to be more than you ever imagined." he said with a smile, and then waved a bit, and began walking toward the road.

Shannon started her car, and chuckled to herself "You take care of yourself, it's obvious..."

Then she pulled out onto the road, and stopped next to Tyler, pushed a button to lower the passenger window and called to him "Hop in."

"You sure?" He asked.

"I'm stopped aren't I?" She replied, wondering why she was taking the chance and then reasoning that it didn't really matter.

~

"Was I right, or what?" she heard his voice, but couldn't pull her eyes away from the endless sight before her. It couldn't possibly be this huge, it had to be partially a mirage, or maybe her brain just couldn't process something on this scale.

Tyler watched the woman, and her lips moved, but no words came. He supposed he probably looked about the same when he first visited this place two years ago. He decided not to speak again until she said something, and so he turned his gaze out onto the canyon, and thought of his last visit and the memories it brought back.

Her sniffles pulled him from his thoughts and he turned, seeing tears rolling down her cheeks. There was something about this Shannon woman, and he guessed maybe she was going through a difficult breakup, or maybe she'd lost a loved one. So he gave her space, but he wanted to touch her, just take her hand while this impossible to describe sight burned into her memory.

"Hey, hey... It's a lot, I know." He said softly.

"I... I've seen pictures, but." Shannon answered, shaking her head.

"Pictures can't do it justice," he said warmly.

They stood at one of the lookout areas, a place called Mather Point, holding a railing, and feeling smaller than either of them ever had in all of their lives.

She turned, and apologized, and Tyler shook his head, and lifted a finger to her cheeks, and wiped away the tears.

"If you wouldn't have, I would have, and I've been here before." He said with a silly grin.

"Why did you come back? California is a long way from here." she asked.

"I made a promise, and I keep my promises." he said seriously. "I'm going to walk from here, to the other side." He said slowly nodding.

"What? There's no way, that's gotta be at least.. I don't even know, it goes on forever.." She said, surprised.

"23 miles." Tyler answered, and gazed out into the endlessness again.

They were silent, just trying to take the view in, letting it all burn into their memories, and then finally Shannon spoke.

"Let me come with you."

Tyler looked at her, then grinned and said "Where's your pack?"

~

They drove back to Tusayan, Shannon bought a backpack, and more supplies than she would have expected. They finished up, had lunch at a better place, and discussed Tyler's plan. There was a shuttle service that could bring them back to this side of the canyon, and schedule for that. Tyler asked several times if this was really something Shannon wanted to do, as there were some difficult sections along the trail, and it would be hard, and expensive to call for a rescue on the canyon floor.

"You should call your folks, let them know what crazy idea their daughter has." He chuckled.

"Mom's dead, never knew my Dad, he's in prison somewhere, maybe still." She said and shrugged a bit.

"Sorry Shannon." He said quietly, his voice seemed squeezed.

She nodded at him, then for the first time since impulsively deciding to hike further than she ever had in her entire life, she began to question if she could make it.

"Listen, Tyler, this isn't going to make any sense to you, but I need you to make a promise, you said you never break your promises."

Tyler watched her intently, only nodding at her words.

"If I decide that I don't want to keep going, like, if I want to turn back, you have to promise me that you'll keep going. I don't want to be the person that ruined your insane hike through the grand canyon." She said with a smirk.

"If you don't think you can make it Shannon.." he started, looking for words that wouldn't offend her.

"Just promise." She said.

He kept watching her, and struggled to respond. He didn't know her, there was no reason he should have felt obligated to turn back if she got a blister or something, or got tired. But there was something he couldn't put his finger on that was making it tough to agree with her request.

"Promise me." She repeated herself.

"I can't. Sorry Shannon, but if you get hurt or something, or you run out of water, or get tired, or whatever, we'll just take a break, for as long as you need, and then we'll push on. Your friends won't believe this hike you're about to make, the story will be so much better when you finish, instead of giving up. So no, I don't promise." He said evenly.

'Friends' Shannon repeated the word in her mind, If only.

"The shuttle leaves before sunrise," he said, changing the subject. "I'll meet you at the fast food place, sound good?"

"That works, which hotel are you staying at? I'll give you a lift." Shannon nodded.

Tyler grinned widely, and gave his huge backpack a few quick taps "I carry my hotel around with me."

"You can camp on the floor of my room, that is if they have any available." she said, and they drove back to the hotel Shannon had stayed at the night before.

After she'd showered, Tyler agreed with Shannon that a shower would feel nice, while he was in the bathroom, she ordered a pizza, and just after he'd finished up, there was a knock on the hotel room door. Shannon answered the door, paid for the pizza, and then beckoned to Tyler inviting him to share the meal.

They sat and watched a bad movie on their hotel TV that had too few channels. When it was over, Tyler rolled out his sleeping bag on the floor, and climbed on top of it, urging an early night as the shuttle would be picking them up in the wee hours.

Shannon covered herself and got comfortable in the bed, and tried to fall asleep, her thoughts kept drifting back to the hitchhiker laying on the floor next to her.

He was handsome enough, though too young. Still, she could imagine kissing him, she decided that he'd be very open to her suggestions, not that she was an expert, but she imagined that as good looking as Tyler may be, he didn't radiate any of the vibes that older guys, more experienced guys usually did. Her breathing came slower now, as her body relaxed, and the last thought that crossed her mind was that she'd never had sex with anyone younger than her.

~

The shuttle ride literally took hours, and Shannon had plenty of opportunities to revisit this decision of hers, but eventually the bus unloaded its passengers, while the early morning sky was still dark. As the pair made their way onto the path, they let all of the other hikers move past them, and after a few hours, they took a break as the sun began to light the sky.

"You good?" Tyler asked.

Shannon nodded with a big smile, big smiles didn't happen a lot for her. But this crazy idea seemed like it was just what she needed. The sights, sounds and smells were incredible. To think that she had just planned to gaze upon the canyon, and now she was at the bottom of it, she was actually part of it all, and making good progress toward the far end of it, seemed almost impossible to her.

"This is incredible." she answered.

"Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Tyler asked, his gentle way of complimenting her made Shannon feel even more amazing.

After a break, they started back on the path, and began regularly chatting, and laughing as they made their way south. Tyler couldn't put his finger on it yet, but there was something curious about her, and Shannon was happy enough to be sharing the day with someone and surrounded by incredible beauty that she would never have thought to experience if it wasn't for the kid from California laughing at her bad jokes as they walked along the trail.

That night Shannon decided that she wanted to have sex with Tyler, but lacked the grace to give him a signal.

"How old are you Tyler?" Shannon asked, laying on top of her new sleeping bag.

"Almost Twenty, how about you?" he answered.

"Twenty-two. Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked.

"No, it's tough to have a relationship, hitchhiking across the country." he answered with a laugh.

"No woman back home waiting for you when this is over?"

"Nah, but I don't mind, lotsa guys can't be happy unless they have a woman in their life, I'm okay flying solo I suppose." he answered, and while it wasn't entirely true, Tyler had gotten used to not having someone in his life. "How about you?"

"Nope, no woman waiting for me either." she answered, smiling.

"You know what I mean!" he laughed, and shot back.

"No guy either, you might find this hard to believe, but I'm not the most well-adjusted woman." she said giggling.

"You mean the scars?" Tyler asked, and immediately regretted it.