Chapter 10: On and Off the Road

Alanis smiled as the van pulled into the driveway. She was home now.
Two people came out of the house. It was a ten-year-old boy and a sixteen-year-old girl.
"Hollie! Brian!" Alanis yelled, and the two came running. She opened her arms and Brian jumped into them. "Hey little sis," Hollie said hugging Alanis tight, "I'm so glad to see you after four years"

"Bus to Ohio? Do you have enough money young man?" the lady at the ticket booth said. Taylor sighed and pulled out his wallet. Then he emptied it onto the counter. 'A hundred dollars, geez, I should've taken the bug or something' Taylor thought. The lady took his money then gave him the ticket.
"Have a nice day" she said as he walked away.

"MOM! DAD! Taylor's GONE!" Zac yelled running down the hall. "Gone? Where?" Zac's dad mumbled. Zac swallowed hard.
"To find Alanis," he said

"Here's your room, Alanis" Laurie said opening a door. Alanis gasped. 'It's beautiful' she thought. "You can put your stuff in it later Hon, let's go eat now"

The bus was cramped, hot and it smelled. Taylor had never been so miserable in his life.   'I hate public transportation, I hate public transportation, I hate public transportation' Taylor repeated to himself. "God, if you get me out of this I'll never play pranks on my gullible brother again" he whispered to himself. His eyes widened as the sleeping man next to him fell upon Taylor. The man smelled like Cuban cigars and beer. Taylor's face scrunched up in disgust. He pushed the man off of his shoulders. The man woke up and his eyes blazed. Taylor gulped and prepared for the worst scolding from a drunk in his life.

"You're sure he went to Ohio?" Walker asked again. Zac nodded. Diana bit her lip. This was awful.

Taylor frowned as he stepped off the bus. "I never liked the bus anyway!" he shouted. He scowled as the drunk made a face through the window. He made another enemy. 'Screw it, I'm walking to Ohio' he thought and picked up his backpack. He then started walking down the streets of some town in Kansas.

Alanis walked into the backyard. Her swing set was still there. As if it were instinct, she sat down in the swing that dangled from the tree limb of the strong oak tree. Slowly she began to swing.

"Where's Taylor?" Alanis asked later.
"He's around here somewhere," Zac said pushing the swing. Alanis smiled.

Alanis's feet scraped the ground, making dust rise, and bringing her to a full stop. She missed Zac. 'My best friend named Zac' she thought with tears springing to her eyes. She wished she hadn't left Zac.

"There is a boy who will follow you if you do. And he will get hurt because of it. And his loved ones will hurt. This blonde haired blue eyed boy will follow you. He will seek you out. But in the end you will have neither the boy nor justice of the problems for which you seek help."

Alanis gasped. 'Taylor!' she thought. Immediately she jumped from the swing and ran inside.

BRRRING!

BRRRING!

BRRRING!
"Come on! Pick up!" Alanis whispered to herself. There was a click then a "Hello?"
"Zac?"
"Alanis?"
"Yeah, Zac, where's Taylor?"
Zac was dead silent. He didn't even breathe.
"Zac?"
"He's…he's gone"
Alanis's eyes grew wide. "Where?"
"To find you, Alanis, to find you"