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Gas Station

Matthew Cartledge

    A gas attendant sat in a wicker chair leaning against a store wall that was adjacent to a large garage. He wore blue cotton overalls, black leather boots and a straw hat with a red handkerchief hanging out of his front pocket. He was at least fifty years old and held a long 12-gauge shotgun in his left hand.
    His face was covered with stubble. His hair a mess. The attendant took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his brow as the midday sun continued to burn, casting a shadow over the garage and gas pumps across from him. The Nevada desert air was hot, scorching and dry along highway 95. The attendant continued to wipe his brow as he clutched his gun waiting for a customer to arrive. He looked at his watch. It was 12:34 pm. After leaning forward in his wicker chair, he looked down to his left and reached towards his old scruffy dog laying at his feet. The dog licked his lips and poked his nose towards his owner. He was a mix of grey and white hair with a long snout. A genuine mutt. A tumble weed started to blow past the station as the heat and light continued to increase to the point of being unbearable. The man looked down at his trusty friend and patted him on his head before scratching its chin. Both man and dog seemed at peace as a large black Ram 4x4 truck pulled into the station. The man leaned back in his seat as he tightened the grip on his shotgun.
    Two people sat inside the truck with the windows up. Behind the wheel was a man with shiny pink skin. He had a raggedy grey beard. He placed both hands on the wheel. The man looked to be about thirty. Next to him was a woman with curly greyish blonde hair. She seemed to have the same skin tone and age as her partner. The two looked at each other then, at the man. Inside the truck, the man turned to his girlfriend while tugging on his beard. “He’s got a shotgun in his hand. Should we leave?” The woman stared at the attendant and his trusty friend. “He’s got a dog. I don’t know what to do.”
    The attendant got up pushing his dog away as he loaded his weapon. He slowly walked towards the couple and began to wave at the two strangers. “What can I do for you guys?” The couple sat in silence. The man behind the window turned to his girlfriend. “What do we tell him?” The woman said nothing before slowly rolling down the window. “I’ll tell him we need assistance.” The man winced at his girlfriend. “Ok, babe.”
    The attendant stood five feet in front of the truck. The lady stuck her head outside the window. Everyone was hot and sweaty. “We’re kind of lost Sir... Can you help?” The attendant said nothing for quite some time before making an adjustment to his shotgun. “I am not a hotel or a restaurant. I pump gas and make repairs. That’s all I do.” The woman waved her hand across her face trying to beat the heat. She turned to her partner. “Well what should we do?” “Ask him if he takes credit or cash.” She looked at the attendant. “Do you take credit or cash?” Resting his shotgun on his shoulder he took a step towards the woman. “Cash. I only do cash. Most people in these parts don’t have credit cards.” Inside the truck the man looked at his companion. He whispered: “Do we still have the .38 Python revolver in the glove compartment?” The woman checked. “Yes, we do.”
    “Well, what do we do?” “Give me the gun.” The bearded man inspected his gun before turning to his girlfriend. “Let’s get out and talk.” When the two slowly got out of the truck the man tucked the revolver behind his denim pants as he slowly walked around the truck before facing the attendant. His companion was leaning back on the side of the truck running her fingers through her sweaty hair. The attendant stepped back. The bearded man and his girlfriend stood next to each other with their backs to the truck. The attendant adjusted his straw hat while peering directly at the couple. The bearded man had a firm grip on his gun. The attendant’s dog stood up and began to move towards his master. The couple said nothing. After an uncomfortable pause hovered over the threesome, the attendant wiped his brow and held his gun high. “Well, what’s it going to be people?”
    The bearded man looked at his girlfriend. “We’re low on cash. Could you spare us some?” The attendant took a big step back before pointing his weapon on the bearded man’s chest. “There will be no robbery here today. I’ve got deer buckshot in this gun. It will blow you to pieces!” The bearded man stepped back putting his hands in the air. His girlfriend did the same. The attendant pointed his gun at the woman. “I suggest you two get back in your truck and go back to where you came from. I don’t like odd looking people.”
    The bearded man sighed. “We can’t go back sir. We have no communication systems. No GPS or smart phone...” The attendant shook his head as he lowered his weapon. He felt a little at ease. “How much gas do you need?” “We’re running low... we are over eighty percent empty.”
    The man looked at the couple as a jack rabbit ran across the desert landscape behind the truck. With a single shot he blew the rabbit to bits. He smiled and lowered his gun as his dog ran towards the dead animal where he picked up the carcass and ran back to his master. The couple stood in fear and awe.
    The attendant looked at his weapon with a smile. “Where are you people from anyways?” The couple looked at one another. The bearded man looked at his girlfriend with a nod. “We’re from Area 51.” The attendant’s eyes squinted. “Area 51, eh? I don’t meet too many folks from there. You’re ways away. Are you guys with the US Airforce or the government?” The woman turned to her companion choosing her words carefully. “We had to leave... Something bad happened and we had to go. That’s all I can tell you.” The attendant wanted to know more. “We’ve got a little bit of money for gas, food and lodging. I think the engine is overheated as well. Can you help?”
    “So, you two are on the run?” The couple said nothing. “If you’re on the run from Area 51 then there might be a reward for your capture. Am I right?”
    The bearded man slowly slid his hand down the back of his pants clutching the handle of his revolver. “I don’t want any trouble... and I know you don’t want any either.” The attendant smiled as he slowly pointed his shotgun into the air. “No Sir, I don’t. You’re lucky I’m no bounty hunter but I know people who are. Where’s your final destination?”
    The woman spoke up: “Our destination lies in a place far, far away from here.” The attendant rubbed his chin. “I don’t get you people. Where are you from exactly?”
    The bearded man tightened his grip on his revolver. “There is a landing site at the Joshua Tree National Park. We need to get there by midnight so we can move on. We left Area 51 in a hurry.”
    The attendant shook his head as he peered at his trusty old dog sitting at his feet beside the dead jack rabbit. “I may be able to take you there but I need to get paid. How much cash do you have?” The couple started to dig into their pockets grabbing as much money as they could. The woman gave her stash of money to her companion. He grabbed some money from his own pockets handing over the faded green bills. “This is all we’ve got.”
    The attendant stuck his hand out taking the lumpsum before counting it. “You guys got yourselves about a hundred bucks between the two of you. That’s not going to take you far. Why don’t you go back to where you came from? For this little amount of money, I could fill your tank and maybe cool off the engine but that’s about it.”
    The bearded man looked at the haggard attendant in desperation. “We are not a violent people. We can’t go back to Area 51. We just can’t. It’s hard to explain.”
    The attendant had a blank stare. “I know a thing or two about Area 51. It’s a strange place. I’ve heard of things like tiny green dots in the night sky floating around the horizon. I even saw me a flying disc on one occasion. But I think it was a weather balloon. People come to my gas station asking questions about area 51. They want to see what it’s all about. They talk a lot like you. They talk about going to the heavens towards the stars and beyond. Most are freaks if you ask me.”
    The attendant lowered his shotgun as he looked at the faithful dog. “You two got a name? Or is that top secret?”
    “You can call me Sally. My partner is Rich. Sally and Rich. That’s us. That’s what we go by while we’re here.”
    The attendant nodded. “So you two think you’re from another world is that right?” Both Rich and Sally nodded slowly. “Well since you’ve introduced yourselves to me, I feel I should do the same. My name is Daniel Hicks but my friends call me Dan. I’ve lived at this here spot for years. I’ve seen a lot a different people. I don’t offer to show people my home but I am willing to make an exception. We need to get out of this sun and have some food and drink.”
    Sally and Rich glanced at each other before heading in Dan’s direction. Rich smiled. “Anything you can offer would be helpful.” Putting his shotgun over his shoulder, Dan beckoned Sally and Rich to come inside the garage. Dan’s dog trotted his way indoors running behind his master and the couple.
    Once there, Dan led everyone to a back room adjacent to the garage. Inside, Dan placed his shotgun in the corner. There was a small table with a red and white checkered table cloth along with four hand carved wooden chairs. In the corner of the room was an old small faded white refrigerator. As Sally and Rich took a seat, Dan opened the fridge door and grabbed three cans of soda and some peanut butter sandwiches wrapped in wax paper.
    After everyone was seated, Sally and Rich looked down at the food in front of them slightly disgusted. Sally turned to Dan. “What’s the matter? Is it the food?” Sally tried to smile as she looked at Rich. “We don’t drink sodas. It’s bad for our systems.” Dan looked a bit forlorn. “This peanut butter comes from a farmers market downwind. It’s as good as it gets.” Dan bit into the sandwich. Sally and Rich looked at each other with hesitation. Dan took a big gulp of soda before licking his lips lapping up all the excess peanut butter off his face.
    Slowly, Rich and Sally grabbed their sandwiches and took tiny bites. Sally turned to Rich. “I think these are good. I wish we had this back home.” Dan smiled.
    The midday heat had started to wane as they finished their snack. Sally looked over at Dan with a smile on her face. “Gold is very valuable here, isn’t it?” Dan shook his head a little confused. “What do you mean?” Sally sat up gazing at Dan. “Gold is a rare commodity on planet earth. Is it not?”
    “It’s rare. On the open market gold can cost a thousand dollars an ounce or more.” Dan looked a little confused regarding Sally’s interest in gold. Rich leaned forward looking at Sally. “Where we come from gold is very common.”
    Dan took a big sip of soda, He looked into Sally and Rich eyes before putting his can down. He had a skeptical look on his face. “I got to say... the two of you have the strangest eyes. They shimmer in the light. They’re like the eyes of a cat. And your skin is different. It’s kind of peachy.”
    Rich and Sally sat up in their seats looking at each other. Rich leaned forward keeping a hand on the butt of his revolver. “You’re not the first to say that. It’s the light from your sun that does that. Isn’t that right Sally?” Sally nodded. “That’s right.” Dan had a grin. “I’ve met some pretty strange characters in all my years but you two take the cake. Do you ever think you should see a doctor?”
    Rich sat up in his chair. “We’re not sick... As long as we get enough water to cool our systems.” Dan looked at his guests. “You’re the first couple I’ve met who talks about coming from another planet. Either you’re crazy or joking. I can’t tell which.”
    Rich and Sally looked serious. “We can’t stay here forever. As we’ve said, we’re on the run from Area 51. We’ve got to get to the park by midnight or we die.” Dan gazed at the couple. He looked at his watch. It was past 4pm. “You’re about seven hours away by car. If you start your trek right away, you might make it on time.” Dan took a soda off the table and cracked it open. “Tell me more about Area 51. How did you end up on the run?”
    The couple looked afraid. Sally’s strange eyes grew wider as she began to speak. “We had a crash landing in the desert. They came for us and our ship...” Dan took a sip of his drink. He shook his head then burped. “There’s no sailing ships in the desert lady. You must really be off your rocker.” Sally looked at Rich with pleading sad eyes. Rich leaned forward putting his elbows on the table facing Dan head on. “The ship we are talking about can fly. We can fly to places you can’t even imagine.”
    Dan laughed as he picked up his soda can and finished it in one final chug. “Now you people are really starting to talk funny. Normally I’d ask you two to get out of here but I find your story so compelling.”
    Rich looked at Sally. “In terms of spacetime we are not that far away from your earth. We’re just a little past Alpha Centauri. That’s where we make our home.” Dan looked down at his furry friend trying to keep a straight face. “And you guys crashed in the Nevada desert?”
    Sally shook her head trying to hide any emotion. “They shot us down after we came out of hyperspace. We were doing our own research on your planet when it happened. They used experimental alien technology to find us and knock us out of the sky. We crashed landed in the desert sands near Area 51.”
    Dan nodded slowly listening to every word. “What happened after the crash? Where did you end up?” Dan looked at the couple in disbelief.
    Rich cleared his throat. “Before they came for us, we sent a distress signal towards our home. They sent us a reply promising to pick us up at the Joshua Tree National Park by midnight this evening. Once the human’s grabbed us they took us to an underground compound where they did a number of tests and diagnostics on our bodies and minds. We got help from some of the humans who took pity on us. They smuggled us out and gave us a truck, a gun and some money. You’re the first person we’ve seen since being captured.”
    Dan looked up enthused and entranced by what they said. “That’s some story you guys have...” Just as he was about to ask another question, he heard the sound of a car’s engine at the gas pumps outside. “I’ve got a customer. I’ll be right back.”
    Sally and Rich sat at the table and said nothing for close to a minute. Rich looked into Sally’s eyes. “I wonder who’s out there. We might be in trouble.” Sally got up and grabbed Dan’s shotgun resting in the corner. Rich took his gun out of his pants. Sally gazed at Rich. “What do we do?” Rich stroked his beard before cocking his weapon. “Let’s take a peek, shall we?”
    Outside the garage the car idled beside Rich and Sally’s truck. It was an unmarked Ford sedan painted blue with a siren on the roof and no license plate on the bumper.
    Rich and Sally slowly left the room for the front door. Rich held his revolver with both hands. Sally began to whisper. “Can you see the car out there?” Rich gritted his teeth. “Yeah. I do. It’s from Area 51.”
    Sally cocked the shotgun. “What do we do? Do we wait or do we go?” There were two men in the car. One of the men got out on the passenger’s side. He began to inspect the truck. Rich tensed up as he raised his weapon. “Do you see what kind of clothes that guy is wearing?” Sally peered outside the window nodding her head. “Yeah, he’s with the U.S. Airforce. He must be looking for us.”
    Once Dan was finished filling the tank the U.S. Airman pulled a few photos from his breast pocket. Sally turned to Rich. “It looks like he’s showing some photos to Dan. What should we do?” “It all depends on Dan. If they come for us, we’ll shoot our way out.”
    As Dan continued to talk about the photographs, the man in the driver’s seat got out. He headed towards Dan and his partner. Looking at Dan with a dry smirk, he flashed his badge. The three men stood in a small circle talking. Dan kept shaking his head as he continued to look at the photos.
    Sally turned to Rich looking mystified. “What is Dan doing? What is he saying?” Rich looked up at Sally. “I hate this situation. I feel like a confrontation is coming. I just wish I knew what Dan was saying.” Dan turned from the two men after handing over the photographs. He walked towards the garage. When he opened the door, his dog slipped inside from behind. Dan looked pale and scared. He wiped some sweat off of his brow. Rich and Sally looked on as Dan tried to calm down. “I got to tell you people; I’ve seen some serious shit in my life in and around Area 51 but nothing like today. Those two men outside are looking for you. They said the two of you were lost employees from Area 51. They’re curious about the truck. I had to do some quick talking in order to avoid any trouble. I got to say, you guys really are something after all!” Rich grinned at Dan. “So, what did you tell them?” Dan wiped sweat from his brow. “I said that the two of you left the truck here and went out on foot heading south and that you were looking for a place to keep the truck before selling it. The two men want the truck badly. They say it’s their property. I told them I could help them tow it. That’s why they’re here. They want to haul the truck back to Area 51.” Rich and Sally looked at Dan relieved that he didn’t turn them in. Dan seemed to fret as he made his way to the garage. “Lower your weapons and stay here.”
    They followed Dan’s advice as they looked through the window. Within minutes, Dan appeared from the garage with a number of tow straps in hand.
    With a full tank of fuel, both Airforce men got inside their car waiting for Dan. After passing by the pumps, Dan held the tow straps in the air as the two men looked on. He motioned them to pull their car in front of the truck. Once the men had parked their car in front of the truck, Dan hitched the tow straps on the rear of the car. The window started to lower. The driver poked his head in Dan’s direction. “You need to know sir, that what happened here today is totally classified. There will be no official record of the events at this location. If you go public with any first-hand knowledge you may be putting your life in danger. Got it?”
    Dan shook his head. “I understand sir. What happens in Area 51, stays in Area 51.” Both men smiled saluting Dan as they pulled away from the station heading north in a cloud of dust.
    Dan walked past the gas pumps towards the garage making his way inside. “I guess we have good news and bad news... You guys are safe for now but your truck is gone. There was nothing I could do.” Sally reached out giving Dan a friendly hug. “You saved us Dan! At least for now...” Dan sat down and motioned the couple to join him.
    As the afternoon began to turn into evening Dan said nothing. He placed the cool soda can on his cheek, as a bead of sweat rolled down his chin. He looked up at Sally and Rich. “You guys are losing time... You’ve got until midnight.” Sally nodded in agreement. Dan sank in his seat looking tired and worn. “You two look so human but with different eyes.” Rich put his elbows on the table peering directly at Dan. “We’ve got to get out of this place or we will miss our ride back home.”
    Dan finished his soda and scratched his chin. “I’ve got a motorbike outback. It’s not much but it works. Problem is it doesn’t belong to me. The guy that owns it is coming by next week to pick it up. If I had the money, I’d give you the bike and pay him off.” Sally leaned back in her chair. “I think we can pay you back and leave you with something extra but we have to leave soon.” Dan arched back in his seat looking at the two helpless aliens. “Oh, shit, why not... you can take the motorbike. I’ll tell my friend it got stolen. Maybe I can pay him back over time.”

    The couple glanced at Dan. Sally spoke up. “You’re a real-lifesaver Dan. We didn’t think there was so much human kindness until today. We’ll find a way to repay you, I promise!”
    Dan appeared from the back of the garage with a Honda Desert bike with special off-road tires. He pushed it towards Sally and Rich before coming to a stop at the gas pumps. “Here she is. She’s not much but she’ll do the trick.” Dan filled it up with gas. Rich and Sally looked on with excitement. Dan revved up the engine. The bike sounded like a lawnmower. Dan looked on a little tearful. “I never thought I’d have customers like you! Good luck on your journey home. I’ll keep the hundred dollars you gave me. It’ll help.” Sally turned towards Dan with open arms and a big smile. The two hugged. Dan faced Sally dead on. “I’ll never forget your eyes!” The two broke away as Rich stepped forward with an open hand. “You won’t go unrewarded. I promise...” Dan smiled as he took a last look at the pair on the motorbike. He protected his eyes from the setting sun with his hand as the couple made their way south away from the gas station towards their true home in the stars above.
    At midnight Dan sat in his wicker chair between the gas pumps and the garage with his trusty mutt. In his left hand was his shotgun. The desert air was cold as Dan covered himself with a small grey woolen blanket. Looking into the night sky, he had a smile on his face. In all his years Dan never thought he would make contact with beings like Rich and Sally. Area 51 had a reputation of denying that Alien life maybe real. But Dan knew for sure now that all those stories he had heard and all the many things he had seen finally added up to something: the reality of alien life in our galaxy. As Dan peered into the night sky at the countless stars one them began to flicker on and off emitting a pulsating light. Suddenly the winds began to pick up. Tumble weeds began to blow in all directions. Dan grabbed his shotgun as his furry friend began to bark at the oncoming light. Getting off of his wicker chair, Dan passed the gas pumps before walking into the middle of the road. His eyes were fixed on the growing bright light above. The winds continued to pick up speed as Dan looked up with his weapon pointed upwards at the light emanating from above. The light overpowered Dan blinding him with a flash as the winds continued to blow.
    The brightness from above gave off a huge blast of energy blowing Dan to the ground before disappearing completely into the heavens above. Dan’s dog started barking as he lay in the middle of the road still gripping his shotgun. He couldn’t move. After the winds subsided and the tumble weeds stopped blowing Dan staggered to stand up.
    Several feet away from him was a large black duffle bag with a long silver zipper. Dan approached the bag. Using his shotgun, he poked the bag several times. There was no reaction. Placing his gun on the ground, Dan unzipped the bag. He reached inside grabbing an item. It was long and smooth. Dan pulled the object out of the bag and held it towards the night sky. It was a large bar of pure gold bullion. He dug into the bag again and counted twelve bars. He zipped up the large bag and headed to his wicker chair jumping up and down along the way. Dan began to shout: “We’re rich! We’re rich!” Dan’s dog jumped up and down as Dan placed the duffle bag next to his chair. He sat down but could hardly sit still. As he looked up into the night sky at the countless stars, he petted his dog. All he could think about were cat’s eyes...

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