Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Once we’re in the sunlight, Baptist yanks Rodrick to his feet. The actor stands up straight and tries to look dignified, but it doesn’t have the intended effect. Instead, he looks sallow and sad, like he’s a husk of a man, and he’s listing slightly to the right and constantly correcting himself, like a ship bobbing in the current. “You can blame this outing on Cowan, you know.” Rodrick puts his hands on his hips. “The piece of trash forgot about me and I have certain needs that must be met.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised. I think it’s hard for Cowan to think of anyone but himself.” I look around at the close-knit tents and try to imagine spending more than an hour in this place. “Did you used to come here often?”
Rodrick shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Whenever I needed a place to sleep, I’d come looking in here.”
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
“There are good people out here too. Good people and bad people. It doesn’t take a lot to end up living in a tent beneath an overpass in this society, especially when you’re born with nothing and given nothing your whole life.” A wicked smile splits his face. “It doesn’t hurt that drugs are so much fun and so easy to get.”
“We don’t need a lecture on the failings of modern society,” Baptist says with a growl in the back of his throat. “Let’s get back. You need a shower.”
“You need someone to spray you down with bleach,” I say and Rodrick winks.
“Don’t worry, darling. If it was possible for me to catch an awful bug, I would’ve gotten something by now, but I remain untarnished.”
“Terrible logic.” Baptist gestures with his head. “Come on.”
He begins to retrace our path through the tent wilderness. Rodrick follows at a slow shuffle, giving me another loopy laugh, and I bring up the rear. This whole excursion’s been one long nightmare and I’m happy we’re finally getting the hell out, but I can’t help wondering what’s going to happen to all these people. Will they be here tomorrow, still in their tents? Gathering around their makeshift fires, talking in low voices, hoping to make it out too? Sharing needles, sharing food and water and whatever else they have, struggling to get by. Is this life when your father isn’t famous?
I touch my abdomen, thinking of the baby. Thinking of all the ways I can fail this child. The struggle, the pain. Could any of them end up here? I hate myself for wondering it, and I want to find a way to help these people, but there are so many tents and so many stories, and I don’t know where to begin. I’m only one girl, lost in my own world, struggling to survive my own nightmare.
“Lady.” A man’s voice grabs my attention. He slips out from between a large piece of plywood and a stack of concrete blocks and I recognize him from earlier. It’s the guy named Todd and his eyes burn into mine, the look on his face torn between terror and determination, and I slowly look down to see a long knife clutched in his trembling hands and pointing right at me.
I freeze. I don’t know what to do. It takes a second for what’s happening to click into place. Todd’s going to hurt me, or he’s going to demand something from me, and I don’t know what I have to give him. Money? Help? He’s five feet away and could cover the distance with one wild lunge. The guy doesn’t look steady or sane, and I bet I could overpower him, but the knife changes everything. One wrong move and he might plunge it into me, and even if it’s not a killing wound, I can only imagine all the awful infections hiding on that blade.
My heart stutters and nearly stops before hammering wildly up into my throat.
“What do you want?” My voice comes out steady and it surprises me. I want to scream and I’m too afraid to look over at Baptist, but inwardly I’m shouting for him to turn around and help.
“Money,” he says, glancing sideways. Rodrick and Baptist both stopped, and Baptist is inching closer. Relief hits me, but it’s too tightly mingled with fear. Can Baptist even help me right now? Todd raises his voice and says, “I just want money, all right? I don’t want nobody to get hurt.”
“You shouldn’t do that,” Rodrick says with a sigh and wags a finger. “Naughty boy.”
“Just give me money.” Todd’s staring from me to Baptist with a wild look in his eyes as the desperation of the moment builds. He waves the weapon in the air like it’s a magic talisman. “Please. I don’t want to do this, lady. I just need money.”
“Put the knife down,” Baptist says slowly. He’s at my side now, his hulking body moving closer to Todd. I try to grab his arm to stop him but he shrugs me off. I don’t want him to get hurt because of me, but he’s not paying attention to anything but Todd, and my fear heightens as I worry less about myself and more about Baptist.