“Where’s mine?” she asked.
Unable to fully accept that she didn’trequire food anymore, she ordered the apple pie Melanie handedher.
“Enjoy,” Melanie said.
“Always,” Lucy replied.
Melanie stuffed herself until she was afraidshe might pop. When she finished, she sat back to watch as thescenery passed by in a blur of color-laden trees, fields,mountains, and quaint wooden stores. They stopped only for bathroombreaks and to stretch their legs.
After a few hours, she switched with Kyle andtook over driving. Music played from the radio, and the tireshummed across the asphalt as they headed toward Maine.
“I’m getting hungry,” Lucy said from the backseat.
The hair on Melanie’s nape rose. She knew herfriend wasn’t talking about apple pie. Melanie tried not to showher discomfort, but it was taking everything she had not to tug atthe collar of her shirt. She was acutely aware that, in thisvehicle, she was the meal.
“We’ll find somewhere to park, and the two ofus will go hunting soon,” Kyle said.
“Hunting for… what?” Lucy askednervously.
“Animals.” Kyle waved a hand at the windowand the woods surrounding them. “There are plenty of them outthere.”
“Animals?” Lucy squeaked.
“We won’t kill them,” Kyle said. “You cansatisfy your hunger without killing them.”
“Good,” Lucy muttered.
After another ten minutes, they entered asmall town. They drove down a country road crowded with trees ofevery color and small businesses selling local honey andantiques.
“Pull in there,” Kyle said and pointed to theparking lot of a small grocery store as dusk descended.
Woods surrounded the building on two sides,and she parked near the wood line as far from anyone else aspossible. Lucy had donned her blood-covered shirt again withoutanything else to wear, and Kyle was still in scrub pants. Theywould stick out like sore thumbs if anyone spotted them.
“We should go somewhere with fewer people,”she said.
“I wantyouto be somewhere there’s alot of people,” Kyle replied. “It will be safer for you while we’regone.”
She turned off the vehicle, and they sat insilence as people exited and entered the store.
“Okay,” she said. “The two of you shouldgo.”
Before Lucy started to thinkshewouldmake a good snack.
“Maybe you should come with us,” Kyle said ashe watched the grocery store.
“No,” Melanie replied. “I far prefer to stayhere, listening to the radio and people watching. You two should gohave fun.”
“I’d prefer not to leave you here.”
“And I’d prefer not to run around the woods,getting eaten by mosquitoes, and watching you two hunt Bambi.”
“I’mnothunting Bambi,” Lucysaid.
“We’re not going to hunt Bambi,” Kyle assuredher.
“Good,” Lucy said. “I’d rather eat a personthan a baby deer.”
Melanie chuckled as she glanced at her friendin the rearview mirror. “Do you know how screwed up that is?”
