The End
Epilogue
Sawyer
When we pulled up to Gary’s Garage I furrowed my brow and turned to Finn. “I’m confused. Why are we here??
??
“Come on,” Finn said, hopping down from the truck.
I followed him with Sunny, our three-month-old daughter, as he bypassed the opened garage bay through the field to the back of the small building. I was too busy trying not to lose my footing on the uneven earth that I didn’t see what was in front of me until I crashed into Finn’s back.
“What do you think?” he asked, stepping to the side.
My mouth fell open and in inhaled on a sharp breath, covering my mouth in disbelief. “It’s….” I took a few tentative steps forward, not believing what I was seeing until I was able to run my hand over the freshly painted side of my mother’s rusty old truck except now she was anything but rusty.
“She runs. Really well actually. Got a lot of new guts but she’s still the same deep down.”
“But didn’t Gary said she wasn’t worth fixing?” I asked, peeking into the window to take a closer look at the new powder blue leather bench seat and matching steering wheel. Everything about it was new and clean.
“Gary didn’t see the way you looked at it like it was a puppy that had to be put down,” Finn answered.
My heart warmed at the gesture but I didn’t get a chance to say thank you before Finn tugged me further into the alleyway where I hadn’t even noticed what was hitched to the truck.
My camper.
“Blue!” I gasped.
“She’s got a lot of life left in her yet,” Finn said, which was exactly what I’d always thought but was told it wasn’t worth the parts.
“Thank you,” I breathed, wrapping my arms around Finn. “You made them live again. Thank you.”
“Just like you made me live again,” he said, lightly pinching my chin and placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes and leaned into his lips, breathing in his fresh woodsy scent. “Now come on, we’ve got a lot of road to cover.” He rounded the camper and opened the passenger door, making a sweeping gesture for me to get inside.
“We’re going in this?” I asked, still not believing that I had them back.
“We sure are. Gotta test them out on the road, don’t we? Let’s go show off that grandbaby to my parents. Everything is already packed. Now let’s go, Miss. Your chariot awaits.”
I’d never been so happy. I’d never had so much family either.
I placed Sunny in the car seat Finn had already installed and buckled her in. When he started the engine, I squealed with delight and ran my hands over the dashboard. It was still the same truck and camper, but they had been made new again.
Rescued from ruin—reborn into a new life they were always meant to live.
Just like me. Just like Finn.
Just a couple of outliers.
Bonus Scene
Critter
Frankly, I’d waited to god damned long to have Richard in this position to be turning him over to the authorities. He’d be meeting an authority all right, but I’m positive the one he’ll be seeing is located a lot further south than The Outskirts Police station.
“You know, as a kid I woke up on Christmas morning with a butterfly feeling in my stomach. Excitement over what present I might have gotten. What might be waiting there for me under the tree.” I leaned against the tree that was to be Richard’s final resting place and looked down at him. “I’m kinda feeling that way right now.”
He struggled against his restraints. “Oh, come on. No need to struggle. I was an Eagle Scout and served three tours with the ole red white and blue. Ain’t no way you’re getting yourself out of those knots.”
Richard yelled into the cloth gag I’d shoved in his mouth. “Don’t even worry, Richard. I’m not gonna kill ya.” I lit a cigar and tucked the lighter back into my shirt pocket. “Promised the Mrs. I wouldn’t, and unlike you, I keep my promises. Also, unlike you, she was always my wife. Never yours. Same goes for my daughter.”
Richard bucked again, cursing up a muffled storm. I chuckled. “Didn’t know that did ya? Yeah, we were married. Legally, unlike that bullshit voodoo wedding ya’ll have over there up in the crazy town you pass off as a church.”
I took a deep breath through my nose. “You smell that? Don’t you love that swamp air? That Sulphur smell after a good hurricane? It’s like the world is cleansing itself of all of the dead things it doesn’t need anymore.” I looked down to Richard whose eyes were bugging out of his skill. I ruffled his hair. “See where I’m going with this?”
I was kind of disappointed this all had to come to an end. I was enjoying myself too much. But I couldn’t stay. I had to get back to Caroline. To my family.
“This feels good. Satisfying. So satisfying in fact, I felt the need for a pre revenge cigarette. But since I didn’t have one and didn’t smoke ‘em, this cigar will have to do.”
A boat approached in the distance. Slowly quietly. No lights.
Showtime.
I crouched down in front of Richard. “You took my wife and daughter and didn’t even have the decency as a man to give them a good life. You are as low as they come. Any last words?”
I pulled out his gag.
“You’ll go to hell for this,” Richard seethed.
I shoved the gag back in his mouth. I stood up and took a puff of my cigar. I shrugged as the boat grew closer.
“Then I guess I’ll see you there.” I patted Richard on the shoulder. “Save me a seat on the bus.” I smiled and set my cigar in my mouth. “And buy me a fan would ya? I hear it’s hot as fuck down there.”
Richard’s eyes snapped to the man dressed in all black who hopped from the boat. The blonde devil himself, Jake Dunn, appraised his prey, barely sparing me a glance. He didn’t say a word, the kid never did, but he gave me a curt nod and that was my cue to leave.
“Sorry, I can’t stay to watch the show, but I’m sure Jake here is gonna make sure that you’re well taken care of while he slowly secures your ticket down south.”
Richard screamed behind his gag as Jake approached.
With Jake at the helm there was no doubt that Richard Dixon was about to finally get what he deserved, and so much more.
“Make sure it hurts,” I called over my shoulder, hopping on my boat and starting the engine.
“It will,” Jake said, in a tone so low it was almost inaudible.
I took another puff on my cigar and waved a goodbye to Richard with my middle finger. “I’ll pray for you,” I shouted as I took off to the muffled screams and moans of Richard getting the first taste of what Jake was about to dish out.
“Rot in hell, motherfucker,” I muttered to myself as I maneuvered the boat through the thick brush on my way back home to my wife and daughter.
My family.
After all, I had my work cut out for me with them. Two decades is a lot of time to make up for. Christmas’s and birthdays. Anniversaries. I was already planning all the makeup days in my head.
After that night, I decided I was never going to let the