Chapter 3 Part 3 - Revised

     Oh her way back to the SUV Skye started to feel better. It was crazy with each step she took she felt dramatically better. The dizziness subsided completely as soon as she put her hand on the door handle of the dodge. She didn't open the door but instead leaned on the frame with her hands above her head as she stretched her back out. Anna was still watching Gertie over the hood of the vehicle rubbing Skye's back. “What’s with that old lady?” she asked, “Is it just me, or is it super creepy that she’s here?” Feeling much more like herself Skye leaned to the left and looked where Anna's gaze landed. As soon as their eyes met Gertie waved.  She stifled a shiver. “Yes,” she sighed “it’s very creepy so... let’s get Leigh and get the hell out of here.” Anna agreed and stepped back as she fished her keys out of her pocket. “You good?” Skye sighed as she turned to her friend. “Ya I'm good.” She opened the door and quickly looked back at where Gertie had stood and she was gone… she had disappeared.

    When Skye stepped into the truck Anna walked around the back on the search for Leigh. Anna found Leigh putting the rest of her toppings on her hot dog. Without turning around “How’s she feeling?” Leigh asked. Anna shrugged and scanned the area for the old woman. “She feels better and wants to go home. Are you ready?” Leigh nodded and grabbed a napkin. Anna looked at the loaded hot dog and the singular napkin Leigh held in her hand. Immediately she reached out, grabbed a handful more and shoved them at her. “If you make a mess in her truck she. Will, kill you.” Leigh cocked her head and thought about it then nodded with a smile.

    Skye felt much better and had the engine running as she watched two of her best friends walking towards her. It had been a less than satisfactory day looking for collectible items but she did have the statue in the box that she wanted to find out more about. She glanced in the rear-view mirror at it and as she looked at the smooth surface of the white box, it appeared like the lid rose slightly and fell, rose...and fell as if it were breathing. She paused and shook to clear her head “No.” she said to herself.

   Skye jumped as the passenger door opened and Leigh attempted to get in with no hands as the super sized hot dog took up their use. “Sorry,” Leigh said, “Can I get a hand here?” Skye looked at the hot dog and back at Leigh's thin frame and took the hot dog from her hands. Leigh took a napkin out from underneath her arms where she had stuffed them and quickly wiped her hands off before she got in. Skye passed the hot dog back to her once she had her seat belt snugly across her hips.

   “Do you feel better?” Leigh asked. Skye mulled it over and nodded, “Yes! Much better actually... I don’t know what happened.” Leigh looked at her, “Did you eat this morning or did you only have coffee like every morning?” Skye let a shy smile escape her. Leigh was always concerned as much about her own health as she was about Skye’s. Had she eaten? If so, how far was it between meals? Did you have too much sugar or too much caffeine?  All questions Leigh would have spit out before Skye even had the chance to answer the first one.

   “I’m fine Leigh, your right I just needed to eat.” She said calmly and realized she didn't even know what happened to the hot dog. Skye figured that all of the stress from the day had just caught up to her and combined with the lack of food, her body just couldn’t take it anymore. “I think I just need a hot bath and steak and a glass of wine, then I’ll be fine.” She hoped.  Leigh laughed and replied “Am I making you that steak because, you can’t cook a steak properly to save your life.” 

    As they bantered back and forth about who could do what better than the other, Anna pulled up beside them. She motioned for Skye to roll the window down. Once it was down Anna shouted at them like she was on speaker phone. “Are we ready to get the hell out of here ladies?” Both nodded in agreement. “I’ll meet you back at the shop.”  She hit the gas like a pro, spun her tires and took off down the road and back to her city life.

   Skye pulled out in a non aggressive fashion and just as Leigh was about to take a bite of her extremely large hot dog “Leigh...I will kill you if you drop any of that in here.” Something was muttered under a mouthful of onions, cheese and chili that Skye understood ya ya I know When she looked back at the road, she slammed the brakes on suddenly trying to avoid a something that she saw in the road. Leigh’s head jerked forward as the vehicle stopped with the hot dog continuing its movement into her mouth and she choked.

   With her mouth covered in chili and cheese, her bun full of onions Leigh spat the dog out of her mouth and it landed on the dashboard in front of her. She looked her mouth forming an O and like the cherry on the sundae a big dollop on the mingled condiments slid down her chin slow motion and the giant drop fell deep into her cleavage. Skye tried to apologize but couldn’t stop laughing at the sight it.

    “I’m so sorry!” Skye said between gasps of breath.

    Leigh took a slow breath while reaching for the stack of napkins. “What the hell happened?” Skye shrugged, “I saw something in the road! Like a person or something. I didn’t want to hit them.” Leigh scanned the road. “I don’t see anyone…”

   The laughter trickling away Skye did her own survey. “I swear I saw someone…”

    After going to the shop and unloading their findings except for the statue. Skye and Leigh took the dogs for a long stroll. They had been in the truck for most of the day and thank god it wasn't hot out not that it fazed either one of them as they slept. After the walk and lots of treats later Skye dropped off Leigh and pulled quietly into her own driveway. She did not want to open the garage door and risk waking up the kids if they were sleeping. She didn't realize how late it had gotten. Cyrus was a night owl so she knew he could still be up. Having his room facing the back of the house she couldn't see if the light was on.  The dogs were panting with anticipation of being home and as soon as she opened the truck door them, they both jumped out and ran full speed for the front door. Skye took the box out of the back seat and locked the truck. Kona circled around so she could stop in her favourite corner for a pee. Angel sat patiently at the front door and waited for Skye to catch up.

    She walked to the waiting dog sitting at the door and bent down to stroke her head. The door wasn’t locked so she knew that at least Cyrus was up then she reminded herself to give him shit for leaving it unlocked in the first place. She stepped over the threshold and the weight of the day fell on her once again as she closed the door quietly and sunk against it with a sigh. She was home thank god and she could end this day.