I took the stairs two at a time and stopped short when I saw the plain white envelope sticking out of my screen door.
“What the fuck?”
I wasn’t expecting the weight of the envelope. When I opened the door, it dropped to the ground with a clunk.
Glancing around suspiciously, I relaxed when there wasn’t a soul in sight. Still, I kept an eye out as I unlocked my door and brought the envelope inside.
Staring at it like it might bite me, I debated opening it. With one fingertip, I flipped it over. Like the plain white paper might be different than it was two seconds ago.
Finally, I figured I had nothing to lose. I ripped it open and dumped the contents out. A small key bounced on the table before settling in front of me. Unfolding the papers, I found a single sheet of paper, a sticky note with a phone number, and a title document.
Kid,
Call Venom. Tell him Griz from Savannah gave you his info. He’s the president, so be respectful. He’s expecting your call. Learn to ride the fucking bike, then let it take you where you need to go. I hear Bumfuck, Iowa, is a decent place to be.
Take care of yourself.
Griz
P.S. Burn this when you’re done—just in case. Haha.
Motherfucker. Griz had been true to his word. That explained the guys at the bar.Holy shit. I didn’t question how he knew where I was staying, or the exact day I fulfilled my parole. Dude obviously had connections.
Holding the letter, I looked at the signed title. I didn’t recognize the seller’s name, and I wondered if it was a real person. It seemed legit, though.
A laugh escaped me. It grew until tears ran down my face as I held my stomach. Honestly, I had no idea why I was laughing but it felt good. Then I sobered and glanced at Kip’s ghost.
“Do you ever see her?” I asked him, holding my breath as I waited for his reply.
He stared at me with a sorrowful gaze before he slowly shook his head. After I swallowed the lump in my throat, I nodded. It hurt that she wasn’t able to come see me like Kip did. I would’ve settled for a message via Kip, because it would’ve been better than the nothing I had.
Making a decision, I did exactly as instructed. I called Venom and learned to ride. Then, the first chance I had, I hit the road for Iowa. Anything to get me away from the memories that plagued me in South Carolina. Crazy thing was, I couldn’t seem to outrun them no matter how far I went and how much time had passed.
While my friend’s ghost haunted me, I was also haunted by the memory of a blonde girl who was always the brightest star.