car windows ch.1
I watch the cars zoom past us as we speed away from yet another part time home. It's not all that bad, after many years of watching friendships grow then hitting the road, you normalize the despondent feel as you let that seed you planted get ripped out by its roots. Plus, each road trip is equipped with all the junk food you can eat. You'd be surprised to see what a 99-cent soda that slipped into your pocket from the 7 eleven can do for your troubles.
"Lewie". I look up into the reflection of my father's face in the rearview mirror. A slight stubble accompanies his pressed lips. "It's going to be different this time, this place." He pauses, scratches his head, and turns to meet my eyes. "I know it's hard for you, kiddo, but you have to trust me, this time it will be different." I wait till he turns back to the road to speak. "Where are we headed?", I grumbled. Like the universe was listening into our conversation, we passed the sign for Bannack Montana.
You've got to be kidding me.
@twerpz
nice writing!
@twerp
ch. 2
The hum of the engine filled the space between us as the miles stretched out, a blur of flat plains and dusty roads. The trees had long disappeared, and the only thing that marked the passage of time was the occasional sign for some town that had probably been forgotten by everyone except the mailman.
"You’re serious, aren’t you?" I asked, my voice barely above the rush of wind outside.
My father didn’t answer right away. He just stared straight ahead, hands steady on the wheel. I could see him trying to hold onto his optimism, even though the weight of the world had been dragging his shoulders down for years. Each move felt like a fresh wound, and I wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep pretending that everything was going to be fine. That maybe, just maybe, this time would be different.
“Bannack…” I muttered again, like saying it out loud would make it sound less out of this world.
“You’ve heard of it, right?” he finally asked, turning to me briefly, eyebrows raised.
I nodded, though I hadn’t. Bannack wasn’t exactly a name that came up in normal conversations. I wasn’t even sure if it was a town or a ghost story.
“It’s an old mining town,” he added, as if that explained everything. “We’re going to check it out. It’s… well, it’s different. There's something about it.”
Something about it. The words echoed in my mind. What did that even mean? Was it the same story every time? Another small town where we’d try to make a life, only for things to unravel again? A pattern that repeated itself like some endless road with no escape. Or maybe this one would be the one that lasted. That’s what he always said, after all.
I glanced at him, trying to guess if he was serious or if this was just another one of his empty promises. His face was still set in that determined expression, but his eyes were a little too lost to carry it off convincingly.
"I don't know, Dad," I muttered, cracking open the can of soda in my lap. "Seems like the same old thing."
He sighed, a deep, almost weary sound. "I know. I know it’s been tough. But this time—" he broke off, as though something had just occurred to him. "You’ll see. Bannack’s got... something."
“Something,” I repeated, my voice flat.
@twerp
This is really good so far, great writing. I went ahead and highlighted the lines that really grabbed me:
...you normalize the despondent feel as you let that seed you planted get ripped out by its roots.
Each move felt like a fresh wound, and I wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep pretending that everything was going to be fine.
His face was still set in that determined expression, but his eyes were a little too lost to carry it off convincingly.
I'd love to read more of this and see where the story goes.
