A Stranger in Kentucky

The hazy winter sky of Winston blushed, as the sun set. Winston was a small unincorporated community smack-dab in the middle of Kentucky, where nothing much happened at all. Decrepit farms littered the margins, and at the town’s center stood a baptist church, with a cemetery in the back. There was also a gas station, a small grocery store, and a burger joint. If you needed something else, you had to go to Lexington.

The defiant population of teenagers had to make due with music and warm bodies. Their strict baptist parents put a strain on the Burger Chef staff, the teens often loitering in the parking lot well past closing. Corina was there now with a couple girlfriends, she noticed the setting sun that would put an end to her good time.

The speaker pumping music into the parking lot was playing one of her favorites. 'Runaway' by Del Shannon. She bumped hips with the young girl next to her, and lost herself in the music; but she felt the creeping tug of her mother probably wondering where she was. Under her mask of rebellion, she still feared the watchful eye of her severe mother.

“Where’ve you been?” Her mother said, before the screen door could close behind her.

“Joni’s, bible study, told you this morning.” Corina replied nonchalantly.

She could tell there was going to be an argument, but her mother always waited until after dinner. Corina thought her mother enjoyed making her toss and turn all night hating her.

Corina flipped the radio on, as the nightly ritual of preparing dinner began. Like clockwork, her mother would stand sweating over the stove, side-eyeing her daughter. While Corina lazily chopped vegetables, swaying her hips to Neil Sedeka and Ricky Nelson.

“Peel them potatoes girl, ‘fore I…”

“Yea yea, ‘fore I peel you.” Corina sarcastically interrupted.

A quick wooden smack from the soup spoon, and potato skins began drifting into the colander.

Before they ate, her mother lit a candle and placed it in the window. She did this every night in remembrance of her late husband. Then she switched the radio off and said a quick prayer. Now, only the sound of clanking utensils rung in the quaint farmhouse.

“Guess who came by the house today?” Her mother asked rhetorically. “Vince Johnson, you know 'em?” A suspicious glint in her eyes.

“Yeah, that old man who hangs out at the gas station all day chewin’ tobacco, and starin’ at me and my friends. Why was he here?” Corina spat in disgust. The gas station across from the Burger Chef kept a watchful eye on the wayward teens.

“Watch your mouth little girl, Mr. Johnson was nice enough to help an old widow like me with some house repairs; and I’m not surprised he stares, look at what you got on.” She looked her daughter up and down with contempt.

“Mr. Johnson told me some interesting things today.”

“He’s lyin’ Ma!” Corina wanted to twist that filthy man’s throat.

“You won’t be sneakin’ out no more.”

“I haven’t Ma, I swear!” She tried to sound convincing.

“Not another word!” Her mother boomed. I know all about you sneakin’ out the house at night to run around with those boys, doin' God knows what. It won’t be happening again... somethin' about you girl, you've been twisting my stomach into knots. I feel them knots right now...you make me ache."

"Stop treatin' me like a little girl Ma, I don't give a damn how you feel, I'll just keep on doing whatever I please, like always, and you can't stop me... just jealous cause Pa's dead, and nasty Mr. Johnson would rather kiss me."

Her mother's face sank, she couldn't keep up with Corina's painful stabs. She pushed her bowl away, and stood up.

"He came by today to put a deadbolt on your door, and locks on the windows." She stated wearily. "Now go to your room."

_______________________

After an hour long screaming match, Corina decided to let her mother win. She'd think of another way to torment her soon. It was a push and pull game, Corina liked it. Sometimes she was sweet, sometimes sour.

She stared at herself in the full-length mirror. Her stomach was jutting out from under her tank top, bloated from cabbage soup and spoon bread.

“I think I’m gonna leave this place. I’m big enough for three Winston’s, just look at this movie-star face!”

Corina often examined her body, caressing her tan skin, and gazing into her fluttery amber eyes. Her feminine curves didn’t match her age, and at fifteen she stood 5’8 with long honey ribbon curls.

“Ma’s crazy if she thinks I’m gonna be stuck in this damn room every night, I’ll smash the window if I have to, or maybe I’ll poison her dreadful cabbage soup.” In spite of her good lucks and popularity, Corina was a selfish little girl, with a nasty habit of imagining terrible things.

She cozied herself under the bed covers, and thought about what her friends were doing. She figured Adam and Steve probably missed her right now. Normally she’d wait until her mother started snoring, then she would sneak out.

The teens would post up wherever was convenient to smoke rolled cigarettes, drink beer, and sneak off from the others to fool around in secret places. Corina kissed sweetly, but never went further than that. She fantasized about all the sweet times as she drifted off.

_____________________

The next day Corina felt like doing something bad, just to remind her mother how little control she had. Her mother had mentioned recently the dangers of accepting rides from strangers, so she thought hitchhiking might be a fun game to try. Instead of going to the Burger Chef with her friends after school, she skipped towards the highway, like a little girl unaware of the dangers of traffic. Her thumb reflected pink glitter nail polish in the sun, and almost as soon as she stuck it out; a dusty Chevrolet Impala pulled off the highway into the dirt dip of the roadside.

“Shit, I can’t believe someone stopped!” she blushed, a rebellion realized.

She was skeptical to take the ride, but too stubborn to refuse. She walked towards the Chevy, as the tinted passenger window slowly rolled down. A hardened, but smiling face appeared, a man.

“Where you headed little lady?” He had spiced southern pipes, smooth with confidence. And she had to admit he was pretty good looking, although much older than the guys she normally liked.

With a pouted lip and coy glance, she replied, “I’m just goin’ down the road a bit. You offerin’ a ride?”

“That depends, what are you offering me?”

A quick stomp and Corina’s walking away, kicking up dust. The Chevy inched slowly beside her, the only car on the ghostly highway.

“Come on now, I’m just kidding, please get in, your chariot awaits!”

A flash of teeth, big bad wolf or prince charming? Her hesitant hand clicked open the door.

“Alright, thanks. But don’t try anything funny with me, I can fight!” She let out a nervous giggle, and her eyes shiftily glanced around at her surroundings.

The Chevy picked up speed on the highway, and the radio hummed softly, the muffled sound of 'Blue Angel' by Roy Orbison.

“You hitch-hike often, miss…?”

“Corina, and yeah I do it about all the time.”

“I’ve never had the pleasure of picking up someone as sweet as you.”

Corina blushed from vanity, but an empty space had begun to grow inside her as she realized the car had zoomed past her road, going much faster than she was used to.

“Uh Mister…”

“Jack…yeah, call me Jack.” He said, as if he was unsure that was his name.

“Okay Jack...we just passed the road I live on, you think you could drop me off or turn around?”

“Don’t worry Corina, I ain’t gonna strand you, I just wanted to take you on a little ride before I take you home. You seem like a gal who likes some adventure, am I right? I bet you like to go fast, too, real fast."

Corina felt five years old again, and she had the feeling that he never planned to take her back home.

“Yes.” She whispered in a trance.

The two sat in puckered silence, Corina unsure of what to do. Jack turned up the radio, singing along.

'Don't you worry your pretty head, I'll never let you down, I'll always be around, blue angel...'

"Say, you like music don't ya?" Jack had one hand on the steering wheel, the other was draped around the passenger seat.

"Yea, I do..." She whimpered.

"There'll be lots of music where we're going, just wait! You're gonna hear how beautiful it really sounds, it'll sound so nice I promise."

The pit in her stomach had grown, pushing its way up to her throat. She needed to say something, but she felt dizzy, she couldn't come up with the right words. What could she say to make this stranger let her go.

"My Mama's gonna be looking for me Mister, you'd better turn around, or just drop me off right here is fine." She said a little too loudly, trying to sound bigger than she was.

"What do you mean Corina? Your Ma ain't gonna come lookin' for you. You're already home." He glanced over at her, his eyes resting on her bare legs. A sickly grin contorted his face. She didn't realize before, but his face had slowly changed. He didn't look anything like the man who had rolled down the window not too long ago.

"W-what do you mean, I'm already home?" She asked.

"Oh, don't you remember? I swapped you out...your Ma has the new Corina, and I got you. Boy, ain't I lucky!"

"What are you talking about?" She screamed, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I heard you last night, in your dreams. That sweet little space inside your mind, where the dreams are. I heard you."

Corina felt like she might faint, the car was going too fast, she couldn't even make out road signs, everything just blurred together in shades of green and brown. Maybe this was a dream, maybe she'd wake up any minute to her Mother calling her to breakfast. Her favorite, chocolate chip pancakes.

Jack continued rambling, not even talking to Corina. Just talking out loud, with a lilting melody, like he was singing a song she'd never heard.

"I knew you were special, and didn't like livin' with your stuffy old Ma anyhow. I swapped you with a real goody two-shoes, I'm sure they'll get along real nice. She'll be so happy, won't even begin to know the difference."

She tried to think of anything to get a chance to escape, she began to plead with him, trying to be nice and sugary.

"Well, if we are goin' somewhere, I need my things...some clothes, you know? Can we go back to pack me a bag, I promise I'll come with you, I really do wanna get out of this town."

"Don't worry your pretty little head, you won't need clothes with me, I got everything you need baby, and more."

Corina felt the mournful pain of someone realizing something too late. She regretted the way she had acted, praying to a God she didn't believe in, that if she could just escape, she'd really be good from now on.

She felt herself fading, her mind began to empty and she started to forget things about her past, not even knowing where she had really come from. Jack lowered his arm from the passenger seat, to her neck, and tenderly fingered her hair.

"Say...you like music, right?" Corina stared straight ahead sobbing, afraid to meet his gaze. "You're gonna love this song."

Roy Orbison's 'Blue Angel' started to play again. Jack grasped her limp palm, and serenaded her the way a lover would.

'Oh blue angel, don't you cry, just because he said goodbye, oh ahh ahh ahh, oh don't cry...'

Corina was unable to move, unable to say anything, or think anything that would make sense. All she could do was sit and stare, as the car put miles between her and Winston. She focused her attention on the passenger side mirror. Behind them the last dying rays of sun flecked the dusky sky. She began to hum along to the song, after all she really did like music.