~*~
Merle's pickup chugged along the two-laned CR 135. Two newer, faster models of car had already sped past him since he left Molly to get some supplies in town. He didn't mind being passed. 135 was a popular alternative to the interstate for travelers, whose destinations were surely more important than the nearby feed store and post office.
As Merle neared the intersection that would turn him toward Stephenville, he slowed to eyeball a man in a flannel shirt and ripped jeans walking backwards on the shoulder, toward the same stop sign. He looked to be in his twenties and was holding his right arm out, thumb up. He had a weary, desperate look to his face.
He reached to his door compartment to brush the handle of a pistol he kept there as he pulled over. The man walking jogged to the truck to meet him as Merle reached across the cab to roll down the window.
"Hey, thanks for stopping, man," the hitchhiker panted, a half-smile of relief on his face. "I've been walking for about two hours."
"Where are you headed, son?" Merle asked.
"I was trying to get to Krugertown, but I got lost," the younger man said. "My phone died right after my piece-of-shit car, and I think my map is out of date," he said, pulling a dogeared state road map from his back pocket.
"Krugertown? That's twenty miles west of here, son," Merle said. "I'm heading up to Stephenville. You can probably hire a tow there, and the mechanic is decent."
"That'd be great, thank you!" The man opened the truck door and pulled himself in. "I'm Avery, by the way."
"Merle," the older man responded. He reached to shake Avery's hand. "What brings you to the back of nowhere with a busted car?" he asked, taking a right turn onto Miller Road.
"A woman, wouldn'tcha know," Avery said. "My girlfriend. I was trying to surprise her. She wants this cat, but I'm allergic. There's an allergy clinic in Krugertown, I was going to get a shot there then pick up the cat and surprise her when she got home from work."
Merle scoffed. "Never was a fan of cats," he said. "Too selfish. Fortunately, Molly prefers dogs anyway. We have two, they go with me duck hunting."
Avery smiled politely. He wasn't much into animal hunting.
"So why a cat?" Merle asked.
"Oh, Celine loves animals," Avery said. "She has a big aquarium, but she's looking for something she can actually hold and train."
"Train? Never did see a person who could train a cat," Merle said.
"Celine is pretty gifted," Avery said. "I've seen her sic her three-year-old nephew on his dad with just a nod after twenty minutes."
Merle chuckled. He and Molly never had kids of their own, but he enjoyed playing with his nieces and nephews as they grew up.
"Where are you from?" he asked Avery. "Must be a smaller place, if you have to go to Krugertown to get an allergy shot."
"We live out in the mountains, actually," Avery said. "Celine's parents let her stay in their lodge."
"That sounds mighty nice," Merle said. "We live on the other side of those mountains, but out of the woods. You don't head into town often enough to know your way around?"
"Not really. I don't have a lot of reason to leave. She keeps me busy."
They were pulling up to the main street in Stephenville. Merle hung a left to head toward the local towing company.
"Where's this cat you were going to pick up?"
"Oh, it's at the wildlife preserve."
Merle looked sideways toward Avery. "The preserve?" Maybe the owners had a stray with kittens they were pawning off?
"Yeah, she did a lot of research before she contacted them," Avery said. "Being in the mountains, there's lots of room for them to roam and hunt."
"So no lap-cats for you?"
"Lord no. Those suckers full-grown are the size of a couch."
Merle frowned and turned toward Avery as they waited for a light to turn green. "Just what in the sam-hill kind of cat are you talking about, boy?"
"It's a tiger cub," Avery responded matter-of-factly. Merle laughed.
"Oh man, son, you had me going there for a minute!"
Avery smiled. "It's not a joke. We're getting a tiger, as soon as I know I won't be sneezing my head off the whole time we're training him."
Merle's eyebrows knit up as he started adding some more items to the list of supplies he was keeping in his head. This crazy son-of-a-bitch was talking about keeping a tiger in the woods behind his home.
As they pulled up to the tow company, Avery flashed a smile and thanked Merle for the ride.
"Really appreciate your help, man," he said. "I'll be sure to teach the new cat to leave duck-hunting dogs alone."
"You do that," Merle said.
As Merle pulled out of the parking lot to head to the feed store he called Molly to tell her about the hitchhiker.
"Honest to God, he was planning to get a tiger," he said. "Be sure to grease the bear traps, honey. I'm going to get some more ammo for the rifle and MREs for the bunker. Goddamn people are going to make us go underground before the election even takes place this year."
Word Count: 900
Month Word Count Total: 1,515
~*~
Soo yeah. Not a great story, but kind of fun. Also not the kind of exercise I was intending to do, but definitely got my brain going and my fingers typing. Kind of considering trying another one before the Brian gets home tonight.
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