Road to Anywhere (boyxboy)

Chapter 9: The narrow eacape

"I am nothing like you."

☆

Oliver's eyes widen as the face behind the silhouette emerges… the man who was at the bar. Oliver instantly tries to close the window, with Morton looking on in sheer panic with the persistent banging of the door he was leaning against. It wasn't going to hold up for much longer. 

There is now a wrestle at the window, with the now loosened catch allowing it to be pushed open and closed in both directions, as the battle between Oliver and the stranger from the bar fight for dominance. The window is eventually swung up so high, that Oliver cannot reach the handle to pull it back down. They now both stare at each other, with Oliver feeling that sickening fear of being beaten to a pulp in the middle of nowhere, becoming a reality, but all the man does is hold a finger to his own lips and quietly emits a "shh". His head gestures for Oliver to follow him as he offers a hand. 

"This door isn't gonna hold!" Morton cries as the persistence of the enraged man on the other side continues with his assault on the door. 

Oliver looks back at the hand being offered to him and without another thought, takes it. The hold pulls him up and allows him to escape out of the just about large enough hole the opened window had created. His feet hit the grassy ground and just for a moment, Oliver looks up at the taller male, who was smiling weakly at him.

"Hey... Help me." Morton whispers as he reaches a hand out of the opened window.  Oliver steps out of his trance as he takes Morton's hand and soon he is outside, standing next to Oliver. 

"Thanks." Morton says, but the strange man still seems wary of the banging still taking place on the toilet door. 

"Come on." He whispers as he takes the lead, ushering the two friends towards their campervan when he sees the coast is clear. "Go… go now." He says as the three of them run towards the van. Oliver runs around to the driver's side, with Morton taking the other. The man continues to be on guard as the doors quietly close. 

Oliver gets the keys and puts them in the ignition, but before he turns the key, he pushes open the window. He sees the man still there, looking at him. "Why are you helping us?" He wonders, still unsure if this was some kind of trick.

"Just go Olly."  Morton says as he looks at the pub in fear that the man would soon find out about their escape, but Oliver just stares at the stranger with intrigue. There was something about him which got him curious. 

"This place isn't for you." The man replies coldly. "Drive and don't come back." But Oliver continues to stare, the reply seemingly not satisfying him. "Didn't you hear me? I said…"

"Are you?..." Oliver dares to ask, he could tell the man could read between the lines, but as soon as the start of the question leaves his lips, the man's demeanour changes. He gets up close to the window, just shy of Oliver's face. 

"I am nothing like you." He says through gritted teeth. "Now leave, before I change my mind." 

"Drive! Fucking drive!" Morton shouts, with Oliver needing no more encouragement as he turns the key.

"Don't fail me Jojo… please." Oliver says as the van springs to life. Oliver puts his foot to the floor and the camper screeches away from the pub. 

The man watches the van's exhaust clatter as it heads away down the only road out of Littlebury. The noise causes the attention of the locals, who exit the pub to see the man standing at the grassy roadside. 

"Jeremiah. You let them get away!" Comes the angry shout as the honch man exits the pub. 

"Sorry Merve. They were too fast for me." Jeremiah shrugs as he places his hands on his hips, trying to look disappointed in his failure. But deep down he wasn't sorry. They were braver than him. He would forever be stuck in the village of Littlebury, hiding in fear from his own truth.

***

"Do you think it's safe to stop now?" Morton questions, as he looks out at nothing but open fields, with the sun slowly setting in the horizon, causing a crimson sky. They had been driving for over an hour, with Littlebury a good physical distance away, though it still played heavily on their minds. 

Oliver sees a dirt track stray from the country road. A sparkle of diamonds decorating the surface of a lake in the evening sun, through some trees. "We should be ok down here." He decides, as he takes the turn, with the campervan slowly coming to a halt, just shy of the body of water. The engine is switched off, leaving the two males to look on at the tranquillity before them. "This is more like the countryside I was imagining, don't you think?" Oliver says with contentment.

"Mmmh." Morton hums in agreement. "But I'm hungry." 

Oliver rolls his eyes at Morton's apparent lack of appreciation for the surroundings, being overridden by the demands of his stomach. "Morton, you're killing the mood." He huffs, but Morton is already pulling at the box of Chef's delights in the footwell. 

He pulls the box lid open and takes out a foil parcel, opening it carefully. "You want cheese?" He says, holding out a rather large baton of bread filled with grated cheddar. 

Oliver eyes up the sandwich, realising he was actually quite hungry. "Yeah, give it here." Oliver takes the food from Morton and begins to eat, with Morton finding another baton filled with ham. 

"Olly…" he begins as he swallows down his first bite. "I'm sorry I caused us so much grief, y'know, in the village." He glances at his friend, who's stare has not wavered from the sparkling lake. "Do you really know what you signed up for with me on this road trip?" 

Oliver emits a small chuckle. "I thought I did, but somehow you never fail to surprise me. But I guess that's what I like about you Morton." 

Morton joins in with the laughter, "I'm glad, because in a minute, I think another moment is coming on." 

"What now?" Oliver stops chewing his bread momentarily, maybe just regretting a little, his appreciation for his friend's spontaneity. 

Morton now grins as he looks ahead once again at the lake. "I've always wanted to go skinny dipping…"