Chapter 432: His Advice
"How can I help you officer?" Laz asked, rolling down the window.
"Just doing a routine traffic stop. Need to make sure all your tags and plates are in order. Got your license young man?" The officer asked in a rather bored voice.
"Sure thing," Laz said, reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet.
"Need to see your registration as well," the officer added, wiggling his mustache. Laz had to admit, it was a rather impressive piece of facial hair. The officer was not young, but one would hesitate to call him old either. While there was a good amount of white, hair, it hadn’t all gone that color yet, still showing the light shade of blonde he must of been back in his younger days. And body wise, Laz could tell the man hadn’t been slacking either, with a sure step and a strong stance, the officer was the total picture of a country sheriff. As for the mustache itself which caught his attention, it looked evenly balance with both ends curling up into a circle. The entire thing was held in place by just enough wax to keep it in place, but not enough to make it stiff.
Laz knew he had been staring as the officer noticed but before he could say anything, Jill jumped in to speak, right as Laz had intended.
"Not going to happen Eddy. You need to reach a certain age and level of elegance to pull that off and you’re not even close to that yet," Jill said in a voice tinged with laughter. Laz had adjusted to the situation quickly and looked up like he was shocked at the police officer who looked back at Laz’s face and smiled while chuckling.
"You’ll get here soon enough lad. Don’t be in a rush to grow up and enjoy the youth that you have. Besides, I’m not sure young ladies could handle this type style these days so best not to chance it."
"UH... yes. Yes sir. Thank you... And thanks for the commentary there Emma. Glad I have you to remind me just how ugly I am," Laz said back playfully. Jill just stuck out her tongue and laughed again.
"So this is?" The officer asked, pointing at Jill.
"My little sister Emma. I’m out to check out a few colleges this summer while it’s still early and after hearing my road trip plans, my wonderful, loving and caring parents decided to go on a cruise to celebrate almost being rid of me and made me take her along for the ride," Laz said, shaking his head while sighing.
"He’s just worried people are going to think I’m the one going to college after seeing how young he looks," Jill laughed, full filling her role. In a way, she was right. Jill, while still young in age, hadn’t grown strong enough where the vitality in her body would halt and practically reverse the aging process. Due to this, despite being younger than Laz by either years, they actually looked around the same age. It also didn’t help that thanks to the trauma Jill suffered, her appearance was aged by her experience as she no longer had that innocent glow of youth.
"I see. Well, can I see some ID from you as well, just for my records?" The officer asked, still amused by the sibling banter.
"Sorry sir. I’m still fifteen and don’t even have a license yet," Jill said, shrugging her shoulders as though helpless to help him.
"Oh. Uh... I guess I could call you parents then just to confirm and... wait. Right. On vacation," ZThe rather jovial sheriff said before turning to look over at the chosen on duty.
Without even raising his head to look, the young girl who had her head buried in her phone just waved her hand, a sign that nothing was amiss.
The normally carefree sheriff just shook his head and told them,
"You’re free to go. Get a move on and good luck with college. Best time of my life to be sure. It was only after that I had to start growing up and looking back on it..." The sheriff was about to remanence a long story but Jill cut him off before hand.
"No way you were that handsome back in college. After all, all fine wine gets better with age my daddy used to say," Jill commented, bringing another smile to the officers face.
"What a very nice sister you got there Eddy," the officer said before backing up and letting them drive on.
"My daddy used to say? You made it sound like he was dead..." Laz commented once they had driven past the blockade.
"My dad really is dead. My mom too. What’s it matter to you?" Jill shot back and she curled up on the seat.
"You did great you know."
"I don’t want to do that again."
"Lie?"
"Have to be near people like that..."
"What was wrong with the mustache man? I didn’t get any bad vibes from him?" Laz asked, thinking back. He could feel the aura of people, even normal people. It had to do with using his sense to feel the energy coming off from them. While it couldn’t tell him specifics, it did allow him to get a good feel for people.
"He has been cheating on his wife with a woman half his age," Jill responded as her eyes flashed black and purple before going back to their normal brown color.
"Ah. Well. That kind of stuff doesn’t make one a piece of shit. If anything, he just isn’t loyal. Lot better than some of the people out there," Laz said, making a turn.
"So you don’t mind that he cheated on his wife?"
"Why would I mind? Not my place nor my problem. Neither is it yours. Let me teach you a little something about human’s in general. There are no saints. Not a single person is all right and proper. People have scars, baggage and skeletons stuffed in a closet, each and every one of them. It’s not about finding an angel since there are none to begin with, it’s about learning to understand that everyone, right down to the most high and mighty... are just a different kind of twisted. So don’t fault people for their faults, look at who they truly are and you’ll understand. The more you know...!"
"I felt like you were trying to make a joke, but I don’t get it."
"Never mind."
"So you’re saying that even those two officers from before had some worth?" Jill asked, her face turning somewhat dark.
"Nope. You read them and you know just what kinds of trash they were. While I’m all good with people trying to turn their lives around, some people are way past saving and they need to be put down before they cause anyone else to suffer."
Jill didn’t respond and Laz dropped it. It had been along time since the first time he killed someone, but he remembered the feeling. Even if that asshole deserved to die, it hit Laz pretty hard at first. Thinking back, Laz wondered how Kennedy’s cousin was doing?
’It’s strange, but I don’t even remember his name. But i go to admit, he had awesome taste in furniture,’ Laz thought, remembering the time back at The Shack.
They drove in almost complete silence with just the random sounds of the radio from time to time when they got a station.
"You’ve got a lot in your past and I won’t ask about it. But if you one day want to move forward, you’re going to have to let it out and hopefully let it go," Laz finally said while pulled over and checking for a motel or campgrounds for the night.
"You make it sound so easy..." Jill whisper, almost afraid of Laz hearing her.
"I know," was Laz’s reply, but he didn’t add anything else on. This was one thing she would need to decide for herself.
As they drove along, they came across an outcropping with a painted sign along the side of the road.
"Abandon hope all who enter here," it read, the black lines of paint on cardboard had faded, but it was still legible.
Laz stopped the van while looking at the sign and then to Jill.
"Well fuck. Why not?" Laz said, turning the van off the road and began it’s way down the dirt path. Laz was amazed by the entrance. If you didn’t know where to look than the entrance would have only looked like a straight line of trees. It wasn’t until you had turned and checked it out that you understood where the road was. Not only that, but the sign was a bit aways from the actual entrance anyway, so if even if someone looked, no one would find it without a long, drawn out search. Luckily, with Laz’s sense, he didn’t need to waste time.
The dirt road was long and twisted, going into the words for several miles before coming to an open field. Within that field, several cars and trucks were already parked while may people made up a tent in which to spend the night.
Besides that, everyone not currently getting their sleep space ready was around a bon fire, laughing and drinking with ease.
Laz parked the van and got out, heading to the back doors.
Jill jumped out of the passenger seat and looked at the throngs of people already here. While their weren’t a lot of people here over all, Jill was amazed to discover that each and everyone one of them was an infected.
"Where are we?" Jill asked, seeing Laz come around the corner with two sleeping bags.
"Welcome to the first first day of your official training."
