Monsieur Death

Evangeline

I had an idea right before we managed to sneak out the gate.

“Wait!” I hissed. He nodded. I ran around my house and jumped the window. I heard a pounding on my door, so I grabbed the box of money from under my bed and hid under the bed. My mom gave up knocking and opened the door. She walked in and looked out the window. I slithered next to her and snatched the car keys from her pocket and hid again. She left, calling my name. I slid out the window and ran back to where Liam waited. I held up the car keys.

“Come with me.”

My mom and dad and sister were all inside, So slipping into the car was no problem. Starting it was harder. I knew how to drive, I had learned last year. But my shoulder was hurting and as soon as it got going, my parents came outside and started shouting at to come out.

I pulled out of the driveway as fast I could. However, I couldn’t help rolling down the window and shouting: “See ya, Suckers!” Before turning around and driving away as fast as I could.

*********

“Are you okay?” I asked Liam. He had been staring out the window for the last hour. He nodded. I wasn’t convinced.

“You sure.” He nodded again. “Hungry?” I asked

“I’m fine.”

I pulled over. “What is it?”

He looked at me. “I.... I’m just nervous.”

My turn to nod. I started up the car again.

“Here.” I pulled out two gatorades from the cooler. “You should be careful. You could get dehydrated.”

He shrugged, but took it. “I’ve never seen a car with a cooler before.” He said. “Then again, I’ve only seen one other car.”

“No, you’re right. My family’s way over the top. They’ve got screens, food, a built in microwave, you name it.”

“So where are we going?” He asked. “Where is this uncle of yours?”

“About an hour out. We’ve got a lot of driving to do. First an hour to my uncle’s, and then about another six hours to the Golden Gate Bridge.”

“Six years?”

“Six hours, silly.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Never mind.”

*********

I spent almost the whole hour explaining human time to Liam. He still didn’t understand seconds, but I figured I had done the best I could. We arrived at my uncle’s house at three in the morning. He was a truck driver, and he said he couldn’t sleep the nights he was home. We knocked on the door for about ten minutes, but no one answered. The I realized the gate was locked.

“He’s not home.” I slumped back in a defeated heap. He had told me he was going on a trip to San Fran soon, and I thought that would be perfect. I had another idea. I whipped out my phone. Maybe he had just gone to the store or something.

“Uncle Hugh?”

“Hey, Eva! How’s my favorite family member?!”

“Really..... not great actually.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, me and my friend need to get to San Francisco. Like, now.”

“Sorry kid. Can’t help you.”

“But why?!”

“I’m not a truck driver anymore.”

“What?!”

“I got in an accident. Broke both legs.”

“WHAT?!”

“Sorry. I can’t walk anymore.”

“But- Why- no! We need this!”

“There’s nothing I can do, kiddo. Let me know if there’s some other way I can help.”

He hung up.

I looked like I was driving to San Francisco.