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This writing was accepted for publication in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book... “Farewell to Seafaring” Down in the Dirt, v153 (the January 2018 Issue) You can also order this 6"x9" issue as a paperback book:

Order this writing in the issue book At Midnight the Down in the Dirt Jan.-Apr. 2018 collection book		get the 418 page Jan.-Apr. 2018 Down in the Dirt issue anthology 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:

Last Stop

Kyle Donahoe

    The wind blew across the hot desert road as I sat on a bench near the seemingly empty gas station. Seemingly, that is, given that aside from me outside, and two employees in the building, it looked abandoned and empty, like whoever was here eventually packed up and left. So basically... a crap hole. Kind of like my life, really.
    I sighed as I adjusted in my seat on the bench, a dark roof above my seat being the only thing keeping me in the shade. A backpack full of various things laid beside me – it contained things like extra snacks, water, my phone, a charger for the phone, a book or two, and a change of clothes. Oh, and my wallet, containing my ID, credit cards, and... a photo of my husband. I shut my eyes, trying not to think about him. After all that’s happened...
    “Sir?” I heard someone say, causing me to snap out of my train of thought and look to see who was calling me. It turned out to be one of the gas station employees, a pretty young woman who seemed out of place in this boring place. “Are you alright?” she asked me, frowning. “You’ve been here for quite a long time, and-”
    I just smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. A blatant lie that only I knew the truth about. Yet, she didn’t know better, and just smiled back, nodding at me before heading back into the station.
    Many minutes passed by, and at that point, I think I fell asleep. Then, I found myself being woken up by the sound of tires squealing coming from a truck. Jumping nearly fifty feet in the air, I looked up to see a large delivery semi-truck parked on the road before me. And, hopping out from it, was a beautiful woman in “trucker attire” – visored cap, t-shirt with some company’s logo on it, jeans, and boots. A cigarette was visible in her mouth as well. As she came out, she didn’t seem to notice me, as she went straight for the store at the gas station.
    Fast forward a few minutes later, where she came back, still not noticing me. I had been looking at her truck the whole time, and during that, I realized that I could change my current predicament. When she went to get back into her vehicle, I took that moment to call out, “Hey.”
    The lady stopped, turning her head to look at me. “Howdy,” she said, in a noticeably Southern drawl – probably Texan, I figured. “Need somethin’, honey?”
    “Uh... well, I need to get somewhere, and I don’t really have much in the way of transport,” I answered. She took the cigarette out of her mouth and blew smoke to the side, while remaining silent. That prompted me to add, “I’m not gonna be a nuisance, I promise. I just have the clothes on my back, and the stuff in my pack over there.” I pointed at the backpack on the bench.
    She took a drag from her cigarette, and puffed again, before looking at me and speaking, “What’s your destination? I’m headin’ to the city to deliver all this gear and crap.” She made a gesture at the cargo within the truck’s trailer.
    “...that’d be where I’m going too.” I felt myself smiling just a little bit. I saw her put a hand to her chin, thinking apparently.
    “Eh, I got space. Hop in, honey,” she said suddenly, climbing in. Not one to dawdle, I quickly followed suit, getting in the passenger seat and putting my backpack in the legroom that was available. As the door was closed, the truck roared to life, and soon, we were off.
    “Name’s Clementine, honey,” the driver said as we went, extending a hand to me. “Yours?”
    “...Lee,” I said softly, accepting the handshake with a smile. She seemed to return it, before focusing on the road. The window on her side was open so her cigarette smoke wasn’t contained in the cabin.
    “Alright, Lee. Tell me somethin’. There a reason you’re going this way too?”
    I paused, before deciding to answer, thinking of the photo in my bag. “...I got someone to make amends to. Someone I could really like in my life again.”
    Clementine just smiled at me. “You sound alright to me, then. Got a few hours to go before we get there, by the way.”
    I just relaxed and nodded.

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