In Search of..
prart 2
by Beth Horowitz

We drove on that scooter for an hour, and the only reason I know that is because I timed it. That hour was one of the most confusing and dizzying hours I'd ever had. I had wanted to ask this man, Jarod, so many things.. Questions about my parents, about who he was.. and how did he know Angelo..? All of these questions swirled around for 45 minutes before I just shut down, because that's when I realized I'd get the chance to ask him all of this later, and sitting on the back of this bike asking myself unanswerable questions wasn't helping. I decided to just relax and enjoy the fact that I was free from the Centre.. And Mr. Raines..

Just as I was really starting to relax and be happy about my freedom Jarod pulled over into the woods. For a split second I thought he was going to leave me there.. I don't know why the thought hadn't occurred to me before this.. But as he shut off the engine a whole new set of questions came flying at me. Who is this guy? How do I know that I'm safe? Is he going to hurt me?

But I had no choice, I had to stay with him, because I couldn't go back home, because my moth- Laura had obviously turned me in to the Centre. I couldn't go to a friend's house because I didn't have any friends. I couldn't go to a family member's house because they probably have surveillance on Laura's family. I was trapped, and being trapped is the one thing in the world that I can't stand.

We transferred into a small car with tinted windows that was hidden behind the bushes, and Jarod put the scooter where the car used to be. We got into the car and I noticed that my bag that the 'blackies' had taken from my hotel room was in the back seat. As soon as we were buckled in, before Jarod even started the car, I turned to him and said "And I'm Catherine.. Now can you tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Jarod laughed and said, "You really are your mother's daughter. Go to sleep, all the things I need to tell you will be confusing, and you seem pretty out of it.. It seems as though you've had a rough few weeks, and an especially rough day. Go to sleep in the back-seat, and I'll tell you everything tomorrow morning."

"I really hate being out of the loop, this better be some juicy stuff or I'm gonna be pissed." Okay, so I was cranky, sue me. And with that I let my seat float backward and I had the most well-deserved and dreamless sleep I've ever had.

***

I woke up to the sun rising, and Jarod singing along to the radio. He seemed so child-like.. He turned to me and said "This song reminds me of your mother." It was a Guster song.. one of my favorites, and one I'd always thought described me:

You were almost kind, you were almost true
Don't let me see that other side of you
You have learned in time that you must be cruel
I'll have to wait to get the best of you
Poison in everything you said
Don't you, don't you?
Wonder what difference does it make......Either way
You were almost kind, you were almost true
Why give away that other side of you
Happens every time, so it must be true
Step on a kid, he'll grow up hating you
Poison in everything you said
Don't you, don't you
Wonder what difference does it make....Either way
Were you ever kind, were you always cruel?
Who's ever seen that other side of you?
Happened every time, so it must be true?
Where did you learn it's either him or you?
You were almost kind, you were almost true
Don't let me see that other side of you
You have learned in time that you must be cruel
I'll have to wait to get the best of you
Poison in everything you said
Don't you, don't you?
Wonder what difference does it make......Either way

By the end of the song Jarod and I were singing along, sounding like two drunks singing karaoke at a local bar. I propped my seat back up, turned off the radio, looked Jarod square in the eyes and said, "Okay buddy, spill the beans."
 
 
 
 

Feedback please