2. A chance encounter

Here's a riddle for you.

What would an eighteen year old teenager who killed his entire family, hiding from the law, do because he was officially declared dead? Oh yes, he also doesn't have his papers with him, because why would a dead man take his papers with him?

The question is, what will he do and where will he go?

There are many answers to such a riddle, and each one will be correct in its own way. though others will not be even close to the correct answer at all. Well, the answer to this particular riddle, and with me specifically, was:

"i have no idea what to do or what will happen next, but I want to go to the coast" - My thoughts went something like this.

I don't know why, I don't know why or how the thought popped into my head. but I suddenly wanted to go to the coast and gaze out at the bottomless ocean that surrounds all of America and other countries around the world.

I wanted to see the waves, feel the sand under my feet and feel the tides as well as the warmth of the sun on my skin.

Maybe that's what I wanted, because I'd never been to the beaches or near the ocean. And when all my classmates would talk about how they and their parents would go on summer trips and walk on the sunny beaches of Malibu or Los Angeles, I would get all the rage and envy that I had never had that in my entire life.

Maybe that's why? or maybe it's because I'm a total psycho and do whatever's on my mind. I'm not right in the head. I know that. And I'm fucking fine with it! I just adore my mind, and it reciprocates, by the way!

And just like that, I headed towards the coast. not even knowing where it was. Or rather, I knew where it was. intuitively. Ok, OK, I just picked a random direction and followed it. Happy? God, you guys are so. words can't even describe it.

Anyway, I went wherever I could, hoping I had chosen the right direction and would be by the coast in a little while. How naive I was then, but it didn't stop me anyway!

I passed several villages, small towns and megalopolises which, for some reason, had the news of my family's death on the air, but we didn't focus on that. I passed several theme parks, swamps, woods, a small desert, which then turned out to be Texas, and continued on and on.

Along the way, I caught a few hitchhikers who took me for free. Some had to pay, but then I just knocked them out and got my money back, already with them. After all, no one expected an 18-year-old to hit me from behind, right?

And so, day after day, week after week, almost a month passed when I met him. My saviour and the one who still managed to get me to the right destination. Not without problems, of course, but that's another conversation!

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-Fuughhhh, why is it so hot? If I'd known it was going to be this hot, I would have bought more water bottles. - I said, wiping sweat from my forehead and dragging my feet along the track. - There hadn't been a single car in the last few hours either, my legs were falling off.

I reached into my backpack and pulled out a refreshing bottle of the purest H2O, before sucking on it I leaned it against my forehead as the bottle was still a little cold.

-Mmmmmmm, that's better! - I exhaled and looked at the bottle. - I think it will last for a few more hours if I don't drink enough. I have to save money, I don't know when the next town will be.... I don't even know where I am!

I shouted at the top of my voice and put the bottle away in my backpack. I really didn't know where I was. For the last few dozen kilometres, there wasn't a single distinctive or guiding sign. There weren't even any speed limit signs, I didn't know what neck of the woods I was in and it didn't bother me one bit.... except slightly.

-It felt like the Bermuda Triangle. Not a living soul around but me, like the whole planet was extinct or something. - I stopped and looked back. - Not even any more cars, had I entered some kind of military facility? Area 51....? Nah, this is crazy..... I really hope so.

"Hopefully I'll see some sort of populated area very soon. No water left at all, don't want to die of dehydration after faking death by fire. It'll be a laugh in hell when they find out why I'm boiling in a cauldron, I think they'll have a lot of fun."

[FIVE HOURS LATER]

"It's bad, it's very bad."

Indeed, it was very bad. In those five hours, the sun hadn't dropped at all, it had just tilted slightly to the horizon. I had only one sip of water, I had no booze, my body was weak, my lips were as dry as the Texas desert.

The only good thing was that I had found shade. The shadow of a billboard that advertised some mayor from a run-down town, I didn't even have the energy to read. All I wanted to do was lie down and enjoy the shade, not die of heat.

-Mm, that's it now, no more water. - I threw the empty bottle away from me. - Thinking now, I'm done.

"If you do the math, including the food, I'll be dead in about five days. Because of the heat, the water will evaporate faster from my body, from my sweaty compartments. I think no more than three days and then, fuck, the soul will go somewhere down, and I wouldn't really want that right now."

I covered my eyes with my hand to give them a rest. I'm tired of looking at the scorching expanse of the track, my eyes are already burning because of it.

"What to do, what to do.... I need to think of some way out. I don't want to just kick my skates off like that, I'd like to do it in a more epic or dramatic way. I don't like simple deaths, they don't...hm? ".

I quickly opened my eyes and sat up, then looked around.

"I wasn't imagining things. I definitely heard....bingo! ".

In the distance I saw a car, no, a van, slowly approaching me and going exactly where I was going, in the same direction!

-Thank you! I don't know if I can thank you, but thank you! - I raised my praise and ran out into the road, waving my arms. - Hey! Hey! Stop! Stop!

The van was getting closer and closer to me, and I waved my arms more and more vigorously to attract its attention. And when it got really close, it slowed down. I quickly grabbed my rucksack and ran to the door of the van.

The door window slid down quickly, revealing to me the face of someone who would help me out of this situation! And if he didn't, I could still just steal the van from him.

-Oh, oh, you've come a long way, boy. - The man raised his sunglasses and looked at me in surprise. - Where you headed, youngster?

-The coast, I want to see the ocean. I just don't know if I'm going the right way....

"God forbid you tell me the ocean's the other way. I'll just throw you out of the car and crush you with the wheels! ".

-You're a lucky man! You're going in the right direction, and I'm going the same way. I live near the coast, I can give you a ride if you want.

-Would you like that? I'd like that very much!

"Great! What a stroke of luck! So I was on my way to the right place. I knew it! I was 110% sure I should listen to myself more often (no)."

-Hahahahaha, great, I like your youthful spirit! Get in, lad, you can throw your stuff in the back seat with my stuff.

The man opened the door for me and I immediately jumped in and threw my backpack, into the back of the truck. The back was full of various things that were obviously used for living. There was a sleeping bag, a radio, a mini food burner, a fridge, a generator and so on. I quietly threw my stuff in there as I knew I had everything of value in my pockets.

-Okay, I see you're ready. Well, let's go then. - Closing the door, he pressed on the gas and the truck drove off.

I leaned back in my chair and enjoyed the pleasant coolness of the air conditioner. I could literally feel my whole molten body from the heat slowly starting to gather back, something like a human.

– By the way, man, my name is Greg, and what about you? – I was annoyed by the man's voice.

When I opened my eyes for the first time, now, I paid attention to the appearance of the one who saved me from a deep ass today.

In front of me sat a man who looked to be about 50-40 years old. He had quite tanned skin, except for a small area under his white T-shirt and under his mini jeans. He had brown eyes, a rounded face with a smile on it, but his most distinctive feature was his hair. He had long dark brown hair that fell down his back, but there was a catch. There was no hair on the top of his head and on the sides.

He held out his hand to me, which I reluctantly shook as his whole hand was wet with sweat.

-I'm Isaac, nice to meet you and thanks for your help. – we shook hands and he returned his attention to the road.

-You're welcome, it's nice to meet a fellow parrot fisherman. When I was your age, I was doing exactly the same thing. I used to flit around the country, from one town to the next. Always had my trusty guitar with me.

Couple of quid in my pockets, and also.....

I'd pretend to listen to the old man while looking at my reflection in the rear-view mirrors. I could see that I was pretty tanned, even though I tried to wear my black and gray checkered shirt the whole time. But because of the incredible heat I took it off and all I was left wearing was a white tank top.

My black trousers had faded slightly, because of the strong bright colour, the paint on my trousers just faded. And I had to throw away my old trainers because they had a hole in them, so now I'm wearing flip-flops.... just like my saviour. Only mine are red and his are birch.

But the eyes and hair are still the same. Pale green eyes and crow's wing hair. At least I got something good out of those bastards. My hair was long like Greg's at first, but so I cut it off as it was too messy. True, the bags under my eyes worried me a little....but this is due to lack of sleep, they will pass by themselves.

-...-. and then we decided to create a group. Oh my God, those were such fun times. Then the only problem was the question of money and how to announce our songs. I miss those times, sometimes.

- Mmmmm, it's quite an interesting story. I nodded gravely. – And what happened next?

- Oh, then there was a song in general. And not one, but several dozen! Oh, we released so many songs, we just tore hits with our music! That's how I remember right now when our fourth track came out...

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the coolness inside the van, half listening to what this man was telling me. Honestly, I didn't give a shit what he was saying, right now I was worried about two things.

The coast and recreation. I was too tired from this long hike, through terribly hot places.

"I swear, next time I want to go somewhere, I'll just buy a car or a motorcycle..... or just steal one of those things, I don't have a licence anymore anyway, so who's to say what? ".

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-Hey, boy! Hey, man! Get up, our stop. - I felt a rough push on my shoulder and a loud voice in my ears.

-What.... are we there yet? - I opened my eyes and scratched the back of my head. - How long had I been asleep?

-Two or three hours, but that's not the point. Come out, I need your help. - Greg opened the door and got out of the van.

Stretching, I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car the same way. The sun in the sky was almost down and blazing brightly. The weather had also improved, it had definitely dropped a couple of degrees. But after looking around, I still couldn't see the sea or the sand. No coast.

-What's the matter? Why are we stopped? - I walked around the van and stood next to Greg.

Greg opened the bonnet lid, steam immediately came out from under it. He brushed it off and started rummaging around in the engine. After a few seconds, he closed the bonnet in frustration and shook his head.

-The engine's dead, didn't think it'd break when we were almost to the coast. - he leaned on the bonnet and crossed his arms over his chest. - It's about another eight or ten kilometres into town.

-What are we going to do? Push?

-I guess so, we'll have to push. - He scratched his bald head. - Come on, I reckon we'll be able to push the van by late afternoon or early evening.

Realising there was no other option, with a tearing sigh, I went to the back of the van and together with Greg, we started pushing it..... in blissful silence. Right now I didn't feel like talking at all. I had almost reached my goal twice already, and once again fate was handing me a pooch.

We had been pushing the car in silence for a few minutes when Greg finally decided to start talking.

-So....why are you making your way to the coast? - he put in a few words, between pushing and heavy sighing.

-I want to see the ocean. - I wiped the sweat from my face and continued pushing. - All my life I've only heard about it, now I want to see it.

-How's that? Didn't your parents ever take you to the beach or the sea? I don't believe it! - he exclaimed in a crushing voice.

-I'm an orphan. - A premeditated lie.

-Ow.... I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. - there was a look of pity on his face.... I hate it, but it works for me.

-Nothing, nothing, you didn't know. I'm used to living alone, since I never knew my parents. - After catching my breath, I continued. - I'm filling in the missing moments, so to speak. Travelling to see what orphan children just can't see because of....nu, you know.

-Yeah, yeah. That's good. - he smiled. - I assure you, when you see the ocean and the coast, you'll be blown away.

-I really hope so....

"Otherwise all those bastards in my class were just lying to me about the sea But that's okay, I can still rise from the dead and visit them." - I grinned wickedly to myself.

-You said you've been living there, for a long time? - I decided to keep the conversation going and find out some information.

-Mmmm.... for about 12 years. - He scratched his head and smiled. - Settled there when my wife gave birth. Stayed there with my son, he's a good kid, plenty of energy.

-Mmmmm, how's life there? What are the people like?

-Living well, the people there are calm and understanding. Some of them have a little bit of a problem, but you get used to it. You can make a lot of friends there, I assure you there are enough teenagers.

-Mmm, we'll see. - I answered ambiguously.

We spent the next hour or two talking while pushing the truck and taking small breaks to eat, drink and go to the bathroom. I learned that Greg was running his own car wash in town and business was going pretty well.

I also found out about the town itself. The town itself is called Beach City, and it's a beach town that attracts tourists or families with kids for the summer holidays. This is mainly what the town does for a living, but there are other entertainment and earning opportunities as well.

Pizzeria, Doughnut shop, Arcade. Fry's, Fishing and so on. Greg described the town to me in detail and I made notes on the points that were important to me.

So with a lot of talking and hard physical work, we slowly made our way into Beach City, stopping on a small hill to get a bird's eye view of the town.

-There it was, Beach City, my home town. - Greg took a deep breath. - Can you smell it? Fresh sea air with a pinch of salt and seafood. Take a deep breath, son, you're gonna love it here.

Indeed, the smell and the air itself was different. I had never smelled such a fragrance before. The scenery was also magnificent.

The setting sun on the horizon illuminated the city, making every building glow in its light. I especially liked watching the waves as they hit the shore.

- Okay, I think this is where we'll break up, man. Greg wiped his sweat with a towel and held out his hand. – If anything, come to my car wash, we'll talk more. And thank you also for helping with the van, I myself would have dragged it here for years.

- No problem. I'll see you again.

After shaking hands, we separated. He's probably going to his house, but I'm going to the beach. I literally ran to the beach, through the narrow streets of this city.

Throwing my backpack on the sand, I took off my flip-flops and buried my feet in the sand, feeling its outgoing warmth and a little coolness.

The sea washed my feet, and a light breeze blew my hair in the wind.

- He was right, it's excellent. – I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. - It wasn't a head-banger, but it would have to do.

I stood on the beach for a few minutes, enjoying the view, and then I packed up and checked into a nearby hotel. I was finally able to take a shower and jumped onto the bed, wrapping myself up.

I closed my eyes and immediately fell asleep, looking forward to another day in this place..... which would make me rethink my priorities for the future.