Teresa, the Haunted Wordsmith, tagged Fandango to write part 2 of her latest Finish The Story challenge, titled “The Open Road.” Then Fandango tagged KeithsRamblings to write part 3, and Keith has tagged me to continue the story.

Here’s the story so far, with my contribution at the end:

THE OPEN ROAD

Part One by Teresa

It was Spring 1962. Mick, Harry, and Jefferson just graduated from Lincoln High School. The VW bus was stocked with a few changes of clothes, and enough food and 8-track tapes to last for days. It was just them, their future, and the open road.

“Man, this will be great,” Mick said, leaning back in the driver’s seat. He pulled his draft card from his shirt pocket and threw it out the window.

Harry and Jefferson laughed. They burned theirs the night before. No one was going to tell them where they were going to die, or that they had to kill others in the process.

“Nevada, Colorado, then Canada,” Jefferson said, sweeping his long, stringy blond hair out of his eyes.

Harry looked at him through his light brown vail and laughed. “Failed geography, huh.”

Mick laughed. “So did you.”

“Ah, who cares!”

As they drove down the highway past the redwoods and toward the open desert, the Beach Boys blared through the open windows, and the wind blew their concerns away with it.

After a few hours of driving, they saw a little red car pulled off to the side of the road with a very distressed young woman standing near it.

“What do we know about cars?” Harry asked as Mick pulled over.

“Less than we know about pretty girls,” Mick quipped.

“Need some help?” Harry asked through the passenger window.

Part Two by Fandango

Sally was trouble. She knew it and she used it. Her long, dirty-blonde hair, her large blue eyes, and her extraordinary body were her tools that enabled her to get pretty much anything she wanted.

She was standing there by the side of the road, next to her stranded, somewhat beat-up MG-TD roadster. Wearing a loose halter top, tight bell-bottom jeans, leather sandals, and a dazzling smile, she was like an apparition to these three eighteen-year-old boys.

“Oh thank God,” she responded to Harry’s question. “Stupid me, I ran out of gas out here in the desert, of all places. I was beginning to lose hope and then you boys came along to save me.” Sally batted her eyelashes and said, “I’m so terribly thirsty.”

Jefferson, carrying a canteen of water, was the first out of the old VW bus. He handed it to her and was joined shortly by Mick and Harry. “What’s your name and where are you headed?” Mick asked.

“Sally,” she said, “and I am hoping to get to San Francisco.”

Jefferson looked at his two companions and then back at the girl. “You are in luck, young lady,” he said. “My friends and I are heading to Canada by way of San Francisco.”

Harry started to object, but Mick poked him in his side with his elbow.

Part Three by keithsramblings

Sally climbed aboard and settled into a seat at the back of the bus. As they pulled away she glanced over her shoulder and watched as the red car she’d ‘borrowed’ from her roommate disappeared into the distance. She discreetly dropped the keys from the open window.

“Where are you from?” asked Mick.

“Lincoln” she muttered.

“I don’t remember seeing you at High School,” said Jefferson.

She said nothing, just stared out of the window as the bushes rushed by.  Harry watched as she tightened her grip on the canvas bag on her lap. Gone was the smile. She looked nervous. Something didn’t seem right.

“Look,” said Mick, “there’s something ahead blocking the road, what is it?”. ‘God only knows’ sang the Beach Boys.

A Jeep stood at an angle across the highway. As they approached it two men climbed out. Sally reached inside her bag.

Part Four by Iain Kelly:

‘Keep driving,’ Sally said, pointing the gun at Mick in the driver’s seat.

‘But they’re blocking the road,’ Mick pointed out.

‘Then ram them out of the way. If you stop I will shoot you dead.’

Mick shifted down a gear and pressed the accelerator. It all happened to quick for Jefferson and Harry to respond. With Sally sitting behind them they were powerless to get the gun out of her hand.

The two men in the road noticed the VW speeding up just in time to dive out of the way. The three men inside the van squinted away as their prized VW smashed into the corner of the jeep, sending it spinning out the way.

Miraculously the old VW kept going, although the engine sounded decidedly wonky and ‘The Beach Boys’ were no longer playing on the 8-track.

There were loud bangs behind them and everyone instinctively ducked as bullets hit against metal. The two pursuers had recovered and were firing after them.

Fortunately the road curved and they were soon out of range. Mick kept driving, Sally stil had the gun trained across them.

‘Do you want to tell us what the hell this is all about?’ asked Harry.

Sally flicked her dirty blonde hair from her face and started to explain.

TO BE CONTINUED…

To continue this journey into the great wide open, I am tagging JS Brand. I hope they will pick it up and run with it.

Rules–

1. Copy the story as it appears when you receive it (and the rules please)
2. Add to the story in whichever style and length you choose.
3. Be sure to pingback or comment on the original post (here) please
4. Tag only 1 person to continue the story
5. Have fun!