Chapter 23: Chapter 23: An Accident

Ripley's POV

Ripley left in the early morning hours on Saturday. She didn't worry about being quiet, there was no one to wake up.

It was a four hour drive where she was headed. She would get there hours before she was supposed to, but she liked to have a cushion. She liked to have time to scope a place out. She liked to familiarize herself with the small towns she worked in.

What she hadn't planned for was the standstill traffic on the interstate.

Diesel was too expensive for this.

Ripley rolled the windows down. After about twenty minutes and not moving an inch, Ripley shut the truck off.

She watched as mothers carried babies up and down the shoulder, soothing bored or ornery infants and toddlers.

Ripley watched people walk their pets up and down that same shoulder, letting them stretch their legs and use the bathroom.

The girls in the little red Jetta next to her had climbed out and were sunbathing now.