Surviving Bessie

4. Ravenspond

“That’s him.” Bessie’s eyes flash volcanic ash. She glares through the two-way window. “Harry. Terry. Whatever the hell his real name is. Number three from the left.”

Terrance Blacksmith lounges in a tight, white T-shirt and black jeans, his sulky features ugly in his pretty-boy face. He stands with four similarly dressed youths. He has been transported from Calgary for this morning’s line-up.

Suddenly, Bessie is swept right back, sitting in his dusty red truck riding beside him, in the foothills of Alberta. Ash sits by the window. The mid July air is sticky hot …

The pickup cruises along a winding dirt road, heading up a hillside. In the driver’s seat, the guy who looks like the movie star Zac Frontenac, drives with one hand, smoking a smelly French cigarette with the other. His car keys display a pair of dice on a small chain.

The pickup cruises along a winding dirt road, heading up a hillside. In the driver’s seat, the guy who looks like the movie star Zac Frontenac, drives with one hand, smoking a smelly French cigarette with the other. His car keys display a pair of dice on a small chain.“Harry, where are we going, anyways?” Bessie’s voice trembles slightly. “Thought we were heading right to the bus station?”

“Harry, where are we going, anyways?” Bessie’s voice trembles slightly. “Thought we were heading right to the bus station?”“Oh, it’s such a nice day, don’t you want to see the countryside a bit before you go? Besides, I checked the schedule. Your bus doesn’t leave for another few hours.”

“Oh, it’s such a nice day, don’t you want to see the countryside a bit before you go? Besides, I checked the schedule. Your bus doesn’t leave for another few hours.”Ash speaks while looking at her friend. “You checked that before we left the diner?”

Ash speaks while looking at her friend. “You checked that before we left the diner?”“Well, yeah, course I did. Didn’t want you to miss your big important trip, did I?”

“Well, yeah, course I did. Didn’t want you to miss your big important trip, did I?”Bessie lets out a long breath. “So, this is on the way?”

Bessie lets out a long breath. “So, this is on the way?”Harry takes his eyes from the road to smile enigmatically at his passengers. “We’re almost there.” Without warning, he turns sharply onto a rough dirt road. Hardly a road, it’s more like a trail.

Harry takes his eyes from the road to smile enigmatically at his passengers. “We’re almost there.” Without warning, he turns sharply onto a rough dirt road. Hardly a road, it’s more like a trail.

In the darkened room in the police station, Bessie jumps up to pound on the glass before Detective Pederssen can stop her. She shouts, “Why isn’t he dead instead of them?”

“We’ve got him, Bessie,” Eric says quietly.

“It’s all my fault.” She sobs, collapsing into his chest. “Everything is my fault.”