Chapter 3

Tom watched as the bus unloaded its passengers.

He was not a people person. Countless jobs over countless years had proven that, as had his social life. Meeting strangers was something he avoided, something that rarely led to good things. That he now had a stranger beside him, a teen girl no less, and was waiting to meet two more, almost seemed more surreal than meeting a god.

God was everywhere, after all.

It had been a long drive. To save money, and keep the two kids from having a long layover waiting for the connecting bus, Tom had bought them two tickets to Glens Falls. The small city was just outside the Adirondack park, a metropolis compared to the place he had met Alice but which probably wouldn't even register as a town to kids from New York. Not that it mattered. It was dark enough that you couldn't see much beyond the street lights anyways.

"There she is! Krissy!"

His blonde companion jumped up and down, waving. A heavy set girl exiting the bus waved back. Tom considered her. She was not fat, really. She may have been called that, by those who felt if you can't see a girl's ribs she's obese, but at this point in her life her body just had fleshy curves. Hips swelled out, more than filling her blue shorts. Breasts were not the small firm half spheres Alice's seemed to be, but large soft pillows that could not stand on their own, promising comfort and pleasure. Her hair was black and curly, falling just to her shoulders. As she carried two duffle bags towards them, he admired her strength. This was NOT some weak little girl. He was impressed.

The boy next to her, he had no idea what to make of. He was Black, for one thing. Skin as brown as could be. Tom had nothing against Blacks. He just ... well, Black teens were to be avoided. Everyone knew that. There was nothing racist in admitting it. The kid looked OK, though. Smart, even. Walking up next to his sister, wearing a small backpack obviously meant for school, his eyes took in Tom the same way Tom was regarding him. That was more than fair.

Alice didn't wait for them to walk the final few feet, throwing herself into Krissy's arms. Tom watched, amused. Also a little aroused, he was not quite ashamed to admit. He was a lonely man, after all. The boy was watching the girls as well, expression amused, resigned. Tired. Tom could relate. Stepping towards him, he reached out his right hand.

"Tom."

The boy looked at him.

"Zak." His brown hand slowly came out, taking Tom's. They shook once, then released their hold simultaneously. Almost as if neither were good at this kind of thing. Tom nodded, attention turning back to the girls. "And you are Krissy, I assume?"

The two teens separated, Alice now holding one of the bags. The heavier girl looked at him with distrustful interest.

"That's me."

Tom held out his hand. He was conscious of those around them. A small group, true, and people they'd never see again, but he was with three runaway children in a public area. They really should be leaving. After a moment's pause, Krissy's hand touched his.

It was soft. Warm. Unfamiliar. He let go quickly, face feeling hot.

"OK, let's get everything into the car."

"He doesn't seem like a cannibalistic serial killer."

Krissy tried to keep her voice low. The man heard, though. She saw him pause, just for a moment, before continuing on through the mostly empty parking lot. Well, that was OK. He had to know what all this sounded like to her.

He seemed OK. Not ... dangerous. That he wasn't overly friendly was in fact reassuring. She almost got the feeling that if they DID just run away, he'd curse the loss of the money for the tickets then go on with his life. He really was doing this for reasons that had nothing to do with enslaving them or the like.

Although, he obviously did want to fuck her.

"You STILL into cannibals?" Alice bumped against her. Krissy bumped back.

"You were only gone a week. It's better than sparkly vampires."

Cannibals were cool. Italian cannibals, in badly dubbed movies from the 70's and 80's. It was so fake, yet ... Krissy shuddered at just the memory of the last one she had seen. The girl cut open, alive, and her slimy innards pulled out and eaten raw.

That had to hurt.

Their savior was waiting next to an old blue hatchback, its back hatch open. He stepped away.

"Toss your stuff in, and we'll get moving. It's a long drive."

Great. First she and Zak spent the entire day in Central Park, with all they could take from home in two duffle bags, hoping they didn't LOOK like runaways. Then a five hour bus trip, and now even more driving. With an unknown destination awaiting them. Maybe the delay was good. Coming up to the car, she lifted the bag up and tossed it in. Alice placed hers a bit more gently, straining a bit. Krissy smiled. Her friend had the looks and brains, but she had the strength. At least she out did her somewhere.

"Watch your fingers."

Tom slammed the hatch shut. The back of the car bounced. He looked at them, hesitating.

"It's a two door car. I'll let you three sort out who sits where. I get the driver's seat."

"Darn," Alice said, pouting. "I wanted to drive."

"Can you drive a stick?" the man asked. Krissy laughed as Alice turned red. Reaching out, she pushed into her friend's back, sending her a half step towards him.

"Oh, she's gooood with a stick!"

"Shut up!" Alice shoved back, laughing. Krissy didn't even budge, her legs shifting a bit to give her a more stable stance. She saw Zak looking at them. Her brother shook his head, turning to the man.

"I'll sit up front. They can fight in the back."

Tom nodded.

"Sounds good."

Zak tried not to sleep.

It was hard. The girls in back were silent, talk having died out after fifteen minutes or so. Most of what they wanted to say probably couldn't be with the stranger listening. Or him. Zak knew his sister kept secrets from him, or tried to. Protecting him. Like he was some child. Forcing his eyes open, he looked out the window. Once the car had turned off the main highway, the trip had become dark, no streetlights, little oncoming traffic. Just them, traveling down a two lane road through the forest, weak headlights shining ahead. Just him, alone with his thoughts.

The stranger was not Dad. Not in the obvious way, being a different person and all, but in the way he acted. He was not like Dad. In many ways, of course, this was good. Dad was ... moody.

Zak frowned. Why not admit it. Dad was a drunk. A bastard. A mean, horrible...

Dad was his father, and he loved him.

His sister was probably right. The two of them could no longer live under the same roof as the man who had raised them, the man who was their only family. That didn't mean the thought of never seeing Dad again didn't make him want to cry. How could he not be with him? Life was not fair...

The car slowed, turning onto another road. This was was smaller, if that was possible. There were no signs. No shoulder. They traveled on in the darkness.

The man coughed.

Zak opened his eyes. He didn't know he had closed them. He glanced at the dashboard, saw he had been out for about six miles. The stranger, Tom, glanced over. Seeing Zak was awake, he smiled. It was a friendly, if awkward, smile. Reassuring, for some odd reason. Tom spoke loudly.

"You two awake back there?"

"No," came Krissy's tired voice. Zak grinned. Sis was damned funny. The man nodded.

"Well, if you were, I'd tell you we're just about there. We'll have some walking to do, before we get to the clearing where you three can pitch your tent, so I'll leave it up to you if you want to take all your stuff in, or leave some of it for tomorrow."

"Walking? God, Alice, what have you gotten us into?"

"Forest, I think." Alice's voice wasn't quite as tired. Zak looked out the window again. Nothing but trees.

What would it be like, living in the forest? In books, it could be great, living with nature. Adventurers traveling through forest paths, onward towards epic battles. Coming on farmers or woodcutters. Elves. Monsters. Rabbits.

The car slowed. There was a fence, seeming to come out of the woods, cut across a small field, only to turn and vanish back into the trees. Before it was a small parking area. Tom pulled the hatchback into it, parallel to the road. He turned off the ignition.

"We're here."

Zak unbuckled, opened his door, and exited. He didn't want to. Part of him just wanted to sit in the car some more. Stay with this last contact with home. The rest of him just wanted to get to the place where he could lay down and sleep. Turning, he found the lever that moved the front seat up. His sister reaching a hand out, he helped her out of the back seat.

"Ow," Krissy said, straightening her body. "Should have taken the bus."

"I don't think a bus runs out here," Zak said. He looked around. Apart from the fence, and the thin road, there was no sign of civilization, and those had a sense of age about them. He felt a slight breeze on his face, heard leaves and branches moving in the dark. The idea of Ents passed through his mind.

The man was passing out things from the trunk. Zak grabbed his backpack, slipping it on. It was heavy, every book he owned shoved into it, including a library book he now would not be able to return. He also accepted a sleeping bag, rolled up tight and tied with two pieces of string. Alice had a soft suitcase he recognized, pink, along with a light green duffle bag similar to the two Krissy was again carrying. The man had a large roll of canvas, and a second sleeping bag.