Post by 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝 on Nov 27, 2019 20:23:00 GMT -5
Perhaps the strangest thing of all (to happen that day, at least), was the other man's refusal to let him go. Jude hadn't thought him the type to be so daring. He heard the back door open just as the truck was cruising from the lot to the road, heard the sound of shoes dragging on the dusty concrete. At first, he thought it might be the girl. It was her truck that he was stealing, after all. She had some fight in her, as was evident in her ability to single-handedly turn the tide against desert raiders. But when he glanced back, his jaw dropped a bit when he recognized the face of the dead-weight he'd just ditched.
Turning his eyes back to the road for a split second to make sure he was driving straight, Jude's mind spun like the tires gaining traction. Should he stop the car? The man was already half in, and if he slammed on the brakes, he might cause more damage. The truck's owner might catch up to them, and who knows what she would have done to him? He wasn't exactly in the mood or seeking out a beating. Though you may deserve it.
Jude glanced back at Dove again, and much to his displeasure, his conscience convinced him to at least take his foot off the gas, to slow the truck enough for Dove to clamber onto the backseat and slam the door shut behind him. And then Jude was right back on that pedal, intent on getting them as far from the gas station as he could before the truck inevitably broke down.
In the mirror, Dove was glaring at him. Jude stared for a moment before scowling right back at him, feeling his walls going up, defending him against his own guilt. He hated the look the man was giving him. Betrayed. Abandoned. But it was a dog-eat-dog world, didn't he know that? Jude wouldn't make it as far with Dove as he would on his own. But the man was more resilient and was showing more drive than Jude had expected or given him credit for.
You were going to leave me. The words hit him like a slap in the face. He wanted to retort something harsh. You can't blame me. Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my place and I in yours? You're worthless. He refrained, however, sensing that Dove wasn't finished reprimanding him. What could Jude possibly say to get this man to forgive him? How could he be anything but brutally honest and expect to win back his trust? It wasn't something he would miss. He would be able to do without the companionship of this weakling. "I'm sorry I had a lapse in judgement and allowed you to tag along in the first place, my mistake?"
It was, maybe, the wrong decision in hindsight, now that it had caught up with him, scolding him as they raced against a catastrophic storm. Jude regretted it, of course, as any child might regret doing something wrong only because they were exposed. I almost got away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids!
When Dove told him what to do, Jude rolled his eyes, despite knowing he had no other choice but to comply. He couldn't very well shove the man out of the truck at this point, that would be pushing a boundary he didn't like to even approach. Ditching someone who was destined to die was very different from murdering them. "Whatever. It's not like this was a partnership or anything. It was just me saving your ass the whole time. Sorry. I got tired of it." Though this was the truth, it sounded colder out loud than he'd anticipated. Honesty is the best policy. Honesty is the best policy. If he didn't have that, he didn't have anything.
Dove opened his mouth, about to object, when a shape moved near the side of the road ahead of them. Jude's instinct said, 'deer', but it was smaller, and darker. As they approached, he saw it had a sleek, graceful body, a tail, a lolling tongue. Dove voiced the question in his own head. It was a dog, of all things. Jude may have been selfish, but he wasn't heartless. When the dog jumped onto the road in front of them, he brought the truck to a sudden stop. Dove slammed into the seat in front of him. Jude knew he was quickly losing brownie points with the man, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. He gripped the wheel, staring at the dog, who wagged its tail and barked at them, aware that it had their attention.
"It looks healthy," he commented, more to himself than to Dove. But he remained sitting, not keen to get out and see for himself. "What does it want?"
Turning his eyes back to the road for a split second to make sure he was driving straight, Jude's mind spun like the tires gaining traction. Should he stop the car? The man was already half in, and if he slammed on the brakes, he might cause more damage. The truck's owner might catch up to them, and who knows what she would have done to him? He wasn't exactly in the mood or seeking out a beating. Though you may deserve it.
Jude glanced back at Dove again, and much to his displeasure, his conscience convinced him to at least take his foot off the gas, to slow the truck enough for Dove to clamber onto the backseat and slam the door shut behind him. And then Jude was right back on that pedal, intent on getting them as far from the gas station as he could before the truck inevitably broke down.
In the mirror, Dove was glaring at him. Jude stared for a moment before scowling right back at him, feeling his walls going up, defending him against his own guilt. He hated the look the man was giving him. Betrayed. Abandoned. But it was a dog-eat-dog world, didn't he know that? Jude wouldn't make it as far with Dove as he would on his own. But the man was more resilient and was showing more drive than Jude had expected or given him credit for.
You were going to leave me. The words hit him like a slap in the face. He wanted to retort something harsh. You can't blame me. Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my place and I in yours? You're worthless. He refrained, however, sensing that Dove wasn't finished reprimanding him. What could Jude possibly say to get this man to forgive him? How could he be anything but brutally honest and expect to win back his trust? It wasn't something he would miss. He would be able to do without the companionship of this weakling. "I'm sorry I had a lapse in judgement and allowed you to tag along in the first place, my mistake?"
It was, maybe, the wrong decision in hindsight, now that it had caught up with him, scolding him as they raced against a catastrophic storm. Jude regretted it, of course, as any child might regret doing something wrong only because they were exposed. I almost got away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids!
When Dove told him what to do, Jude rolled his eyes, despite knowing he had no other choice but to comply. He couldn't very well shove the man out of the truck at this point, that would be pushing a boundary he didn't like to even approach. Ditching someone who was destined to die was very different from murdering them. "Whatever. It's not like this was a partnership or anything. It was just me saving your ass the whole time. Sorry. I got tired of it." Though this was the truth, it sounded colder out loud than he'd anticipated. Honesty is the best policy. Honesty is the best policy. If he didn't have that, he didn't have anything.
Dove opened his mouth, about to object, when a shape moved near the side of the road ahead of them. Jude's instinct said, 'deer', but it was smaller, and darker. As they approached, he saw it had a sleek, graceful body, a tail, a lolling tongue. Dove voiced the question in his own head. It was a dog, of all things. Jude may have been selfish, but he wasn't heartless. When the dog jumped onto the road in front of them, he brought the truck to a sudden stop. Dove slammed into the seat in front of him. Jude knew he was quickly losing brownie points with the man, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. He gripped the wheel, staring at the dog, who wagged its tail and barked at them, aware that it had their attention.
"It looks healthy," he commented, more to himself than to Dove. But he remained sitting, not keen to get out and see for himself. "What does it want?"
