I was concentrating on the road ahead as I drove my 'toy hauler' Motor Home through the stormy weather. The speed limit was 55 but I was only doing 35 because of the weather. I saw something black alongside the road ahead. It appeared to be moving so I lifted my foot off the accelerator. It was someone on the side of the road. I slowed more and saw the person turn to look at me. He was apparently clad in a black garbage bag.
I saw a white face and a white hand shield the eyes from my bright high beams. I sighed; I knew I had to offer him some shelter from this storm. He was in a bad spot with the lightning crashing all around us. I slowed and stopped by him. I hurried back to open the door. "Come on in out of the storm buddy." I yelled. He scurried towards the door as I checked to see that the steps were down.. As he entered I saw huge blue eyes and a dirty face. I slammed the door shut and locked it again.
"Come on back here." I pulled him to the small bathroom. "Here are some towels, try and dry off while I pull us a little further off the road. OK?"
The guys head nodded as he pulled the black plastic garbage bag he was using for shelter off over his head. I ran back and very slowly drove us further to the side of the road, I wasn't happy with this because the side of the road sloped down into a half full drainage ditch. I was afraid we would slide into it, and I was only half way off of the road, not good.
I turned and yelled, "Hey!" He looked at me. I yelled, "Sit down, I need to drive to a spot where I can get off the road." He waved and turned to sit in the dinette. I was please to see him sit on one of the towels.
About two miles down the road I saw a closed gas station and pulled in and stopped. I walked back and told my passenger he could get up and finish drying off now. He stood and I realized he was very short. The long light colored hair hung down over the face as he vigorously rubbed his hair dry. He threw his head back flipping the long hair off of his face. Damn! The guy was a dirty faced little girl with beautiful blue eyes!
She looked up at me, "Thanks a lot Mister, I thought I was going to blow away out there." She appeared to be about 12 to 14 years old, soaked to the skin and shivering. Even so, she was able to smile at me. A tough kid, I thought. I turned and opened a closet and found the old pair of my ex-wife's sweats. I handed them to the child and said, "Here sweetie, see if you can fit into these. If you want to you can shower off some of the dirt, the water will be cold because the water heater hasn't been on all day."
"Thanks Mister, I'll hurry." She shut the door behind her. I shrugged and got out a mop and dried the wet floor. Then I turned on the generator and put two cups of water in the microwave. I tapped on the bathroom door, "Hot coffee or hot soup?"
"Soup please, Mister."
"OK! You finding everything you need?"
"Thank you Mister. I'm fine. I'll be right out."
I took both cups out and found a bowl and opened a can of chicken noodle soup, poured it in the bowl and nuked it. I fixed my coffee and sat in the dinette. The microwave dinged and I got the soup out and put it on the table as the bathroom door opened.
The girl sat and grinned at the bowl of soup. I realized I hadn't put out a spoon and grabbed one out of a drawer. I turned to give it to her and saw she had the bowl to her lips and was drinking it down. She lowered the bowl and smiled at me. "Thank you again. Mister, My name is Katie, Katherine Ann Mc Coy."
I extended my hand and she took it. I said, "I am Mike Flynn. Welcome to my part time home and part time shop."
She said, "Mister Flynn, All I seem to be able to say to you is 'Thank you.' You are a very nice man. Thank you again."
As I watched her I realized that she was somewhat older than I had thought at first. I saw her glance into the soup bowl and asked, Are you still hungry, when did you eat last?"
"The day before yesterday."
"How about I fix you a couple of White Castle Hamburgers?"
"I have never had one, Mister Flynn, but it sounds good."
"Girl, please call me Mike, I keep looking around for my father."
She giggled, "OK, Mike. I'll do that."
"If you don't I will start calling you 'the garbage bag kid'."
I zapped the two little burgers in the microwave and turned to Katie, "While they are cooking, why don't you tell me what you are doing out here in a thunder storm in the middle of nowhere. How did you get here and where are you going?" I put the White Castles in front of her and opened the refrigerator to get some mustard and turned to find the burgers were gone. I laughed, "Do you want a couple more?" She was still chewing and she happily nodded yes.
When she was finished she insisted she was going to wash the dishes before we talked. She did a fine job and then cleaned up the bathroom too. She sat down and looked at me. "I will tell you the truth. I am running away from home in Georgia. I am from a little place near the Okefenokee Swamp. My mom died about two weeks ago. My step dad and his brother keep saying that as the woman of the house I have to fuck them whenever they want it. I have to fight them off every day until they get too drunk to do anything. I had to give them hand sex to keep them away and they wanted more. I couldn't take it any longer. I took my old bike and started out the other night when they passed out, I didn't make it but about ten miles when it blew a tire. I hitched a ride, slept in a barn, then walked on this morning. I was going to try and find some work at places along the road but the women ran me off. They called me a bunch of nasty names so I kept on walkin'."
"Where are you trying to go?"
"Mike, I don't really know. I guess I need to find a job and somewhere to stay. I'll haft'a keep on lookin'."
Mike looked at her, "How old are you?"
"19."
"Did you finish High School?"