Standing at the podium of his local church in the light of Sunday looking out into the crowd of 15 some people Jim’s wrinkled hand shaked through his baby blue flannel. The world was silent to him now, only hearing the church organ’s play. He stood on the altar holding a flyer. It was a very intimate church with some deteriorating stained glass that tinted the room with crimson. The pastor spoke but still Jim just stood there barely processing any of what was happening. Quickly the time passed and Jim found himself leaving the altar. As he was leaving some well meaning older gentleman began playing “If I Die Young” by the band Perry off his phone. Jim walked by at first but the man attempted to say something. Whatever he said was irrelevant. In this moment, the insincerity and jumping of conclusions to play a song like that triggered him, and Jim slapped the older gentleman in the face, before stepping out into the sunlight.

3 weeks prior

Brandy exited her father Jim’s truck. Hopping down and catching herself she was met with the sound of the interstate. At this hour it wasn’t much of anything but speedy tractor trailers and the off car or two, but she felt the breeze. It tugged at her oversized tee and the baby hairs draping down from her bun.

“I’ll be back in just a minute Dad.” Brandy said, her adolescent voice drowned in the nearby traffic but her elderly father nodded.

She stepped, walking along the ghostly white parking lines along the ground to the rest stop.

Her hello kitty flip flop’s on their last legs as she pranced through the freshly misted grass towards the rest stop. The small hut eerily haunted by it’s yellowish lights and the flies persistently around it. She entered through it’s front doors and quickly took her vape out of the pockets of her flannel sleep pants. Hitting it and looking at her reflection in the vending machine reflection. Her bagged eyes so dark, she began picking at them, and her ocean blue eyes filled with dread and tiresome, but she just had to stick it out a few more hours in the car. Bored and somewhat disgusted by the state of herself in the vending machine she used the restroom. It reeking of piss and fabuloso. She washed her hands, splashing at her face to cool down her temples from the southern humidity she would soon endure again. Stepping back out into the lobby of the rest stop she was surprised to see another being at this late hour. It was an elderly woman, with a maroon pixie cut half greyed, a crackled black cane, and an empty large garbage bag. Brandy ignored the woman, not out of rudeness but out of lack of reason to speak to her, and waltzed over to the little shelf of pamphlets. Kneeling on the ground she picked up one about about some kind of hidden railroad and skimmed through it. Putting it back and looking up her eyes were met with the face of the older woman now.

“Are you okay ma’am?” Brandy asked standing up to her level, them being roughly the same height.

“Yes honey, and don’t call me ma’am there’s no need, I’m Brenda”. Brenda said with a crooked smile and placing her hand out to be shaked.

Brandy reciprocated the shake, her hands incredibly frigid and filled with a plethora of rings and tattoos. This juxtaposition immediately reminded Brandy of the woman’s large trash bag, and she suddenly felt a chill down her spine.

“What brings you through?” Brenda asked.

“I’m just on my way back from looking at colleges with my dad, headed home.” She responded, now her eyes looking at the corners of the room.

“Oh to have such a future ahead, I certainly can’t relate, where were you looking at?” Brenda asked.

Brandy now while still keeping eye contact with Brenda leaned one arm against the vending machine, her ear facing the products and she heard the buzzing of it.

“Umm honestly a lot haha, would be too many to get into.” Brandy said.

Brenda looked the girl up and down as she said this, studying her pockets and pale hands.

“Well, we have the time it seems don’t we?” Brenda said.

Now terrified Brandy stood in thought for a moment.

“I should really get back to my dad, he wants to make it back home soon he’s got work tomorrow.” Brandy said.

As she finished saying tomorrow Brenda lifted her cane, and a loud crash of the vending machine glass was heard and a thud.