Utterly Mad

    An hour and about forty miles later, the truck did just as Catnip said it would. As it crested a low hill, Mark made a simple gear shift and was rewarded with a loud bang. Something under the hood emitted a tooth grinding screech, and the tortured engine cut out.

    Under the high drone of the trucks horn blaring it’s single note, one could hear the repetitive offensive noise of a balding fat man screaming epithets into the steering wheel. L had put her fingers in her ears and hadn’t taken them out until Kyle had tugger on her elbow and given her a pair of ear plugs. Catnip on the other hand didn’t bother. She’d heard much louder things on a regular basis back home. Machine gun fire, the report of her friends tank firing its main gun, various explosions, her sister screeching in her ears, and even the divine roar of the Catnip Express. “The horn is gonna run out of air.” She shouted over the noise. Soon enough, this prediction too was confirmed as the horn wound down.

    “How far away from that town are we?” Catnip asked. The ugly mutant checked his watch and told her. Too far to walk back, it was the one thing Catnip hadn’t wanted. “I guess we better start walking. I’m not looking forward to this.” L said. The truck whirred. “Get back in the fucking truck.” Mark shouted at them.

    “Trucks not gonna move Mark. We’re gonna head back to town.”

    “We’ll never make it back before dark, get back in the fucking truck.”

    Catnip packed a few of the tools she thought she’d need, sliding them into a canvas carryall found in the trucks storage. “ Too far to walk, we can pick up parts or maybe another car somewhere along the way.”

    He scowled at her, “Get the fuck back in the fucking truck, I’m not walking anywhere and we aren’t getting another fucking car.” Catnip didn’t like his attitude. It seemed to have taken on a condescending commanding tone. She offered to fix the truck, the offer had been denied. Not just denied, denied aggressively. When the truck had broke down, she’d offered to walk until she found parts or a new car. In return, she met staunch resistance. “Ok, but no. You guys want to help?”

    L and Kyle silently went about the task of collecting up tools and supplies, leaving enough water for Mark. “Ready?” Kyle asked. “Ready.” Catnip said. Instead of walking towards Prescott, the trio went north. There had been nothing between Prescott and the place where the truck had finally died, but the road ahead had plenty of rest stops. They were sure they could find what they sought at any of those places.