The Downward Spiral Book 1

Ch.12 Drugs and Insanity

"Is that your guitar back there?"

The question caught me off guard.

I opened my eyes and I found my head pressed up against the window with my hand propped up under my chin. Drool was forming on my lip and dripped off my palm.

I don't remember dozing off at all.

When I glanced ahead, the power was still out for the rest of the city and we drove in complete darkness down a deserted freeway.

I looked over her shoulder to see how fast she was going on the speedometer.

Holy shit!

I sat up properly when I saw she was doing 99 but with the freeway stretched out so far and no cars around, it looked like we were barely moving at all.

"Yeah it's mine," I answered. "But can you slow down a bit? Remember this is my truck you're driving."

She waved a bangle right hand like I was a pest. "Don't worry chica. I used to speed race all the time with my dad when I was sixteen. I know what I'm doing." She gloated.

"He taught his daughter well. Whooped his culo a few times mind you."

"That's great and all but just be respectful of my shit OK?"

She smacked her lips. "Lo se, I got it. Damn, chill already."

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"Yes actually. I've been tailing one of them earlier but I think they shook me. I'd imagine they couldn't be too far away if they're still sending people to the bridge. I've been checking every exit for any signs of them. But anyway about the guitar," She said with an appreciative smile. "I bet you've bash in a lot of pretty heads with that thing. You know how to play it too?"

I looked in the backseat at my nearly destroyed guitar and nodded. "Yeah, I was in a band. In fact, all hell broke loose right after one of our concerts. We almost got stuck in the middle of it."

"Wow a band? That's pretty cool." She asked while turning her head back towards the road. "Who got you your first guitar? You're dad?"

I snorted. "As if."

"Did you two not get along?" She asked, sounding surprised.

I rolled my eyes. "That's the understatement of the year. The bastard couldn't get along with anyone."

Camila frowned. "Well that explains where you get your sparkling personality from. How come you guys didn't get along?"

I shrugged but didn't say anything. Camila acknowledged the silence and turned to face the road again. As I stared ahead into the overwhelming darkness, memories of living at that depressing shithole played in my head like a nightmare, reminding me of how my father used to be. Worst part, when we decided to leave, I couldn't stop thinking about how we abandoned our mom alone with him. With that thought, my mood went sour.

"Then who did?"

"Huh?"

"Who gave you your first guitar?" Camila asked, interrupting my rampant thoughts by snapping her fingers at me. "Keep up with me girl."

A blush creeped up on my cheeks at the question and I shifted to look at the window. "My um...my ex-boyfriend bought it for me a couple of years ago ..." I mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear and just change the subject.

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, why? Is there something weird about that?" I grumbled looking back at her.