The Batlord

Dude, it's like modern day Tolkien. You need to find a midget and a male model to adventure with.

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Mondo Bungle

I'd be down for a companion, what with being a lonely teenager bitch ass and no one understands me and etc

Here's something, would anyone think it'd be cool to try and meet? Not out of Nevada yet, but it's only been three days. Anyone in the Midwest or something like that?

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Mondo Bungle

July 10

I woke up on the hard and barely malleable dirt ground, feeling like a complete pile of garbage. There will be many, many more of these mornings, get used to it kid. I sat up in my sleeping bag, still in my heavy flannel and pants, and stared at the ground. I packed up here, and headed for the Walmart, for something I hadn't figured out yet. I ended up getting some dry shampoo and a razor. I hate the weak ass facial hair that grows on my chin, it really lowers my self image. Afterwards I loitered outside the store for a while, it was still early. I had no more money at the moment, but as I sat out here, some men came up and offered me some. "Oh, that's alright." I said, I wasn't out here begging. But they gave it to me anyway, one handed me seven dollars and the other two. They wished me a good day and left. Nine dollars now, and some change. I went to a Jack in the Box for a quick breakfast sandwhich, and that filled me up. There was an old, scraggly woman outside the restaraunt. I went out and set my stuff beside a table, and she started talking to me. I was going to talk to here, ask if she knew where I library was, but she beat me to it. I didn't hear her at first, so I went up to her.

"Traveling far?" She asked.

"Yeah I guess, just going East, don't know where." She told me about other people she knew who walked across the country. She gave me a weird vibe. We had a conversation, and as I was about to leave, she said to me: "You want to have a life, you know. You want to make it."

"Right now, this is what I want my life to be, and I'm making it." She gave me a disgruntled look. "Well I'm gonna head that way and see if that library is still there." She'd told me about a library.

"God bless you, and whatever you do."

"You too."

I walked towards the direction she told me the library was, across a freeway bridge and back onto the road. I turned and walked down Main street, there's one in every town. She told me it would be right by the police station and city hall, and it was. A very small building. It was closed today. So, exasperated and tired, I sat out on the grass and shut my eyes. It was much more comfortable then the ground earlier, and I fell asleep. Soon, the sun shone directly on me and my black jacket, it was hot and I moved a few feet over to sit under a tree. Nodded out some more. I ended up napping outside the library for three hours. Got up in a confused fashion and began walking the way I came. With some money left over from breakfast, I bought some more gatorade at a 7-11. I made it back to the walmart area, near an on ramp, an ideal spot. So I stopped and waited.

One woman stopped, I picked up my stuff. "I can't pick you up but I have something for you." She said from here car as I dropped my bags and walked up to her. "I'd pick you up but I'm going the other way, I saw you though and wanted to drop this off for you. There's some necessities in here." I thanked her cheerfully and she drove away. This was actually a nice little package, some toilet paper, shaving cream, toothbrush (which lead me to throw away the one I had), body powder, a rag, some little food items, etc. I packed it all into different sections of my inventory. I'm nearing maximum capacity.

A trucker stopping at the Walmart passed me by. "How ya doin?" He said.

"I'm alright." My answer every time, no matter how I feel. His truck was parked further up the ramp and he went into the store. Came back out, "I'd give you a lift if I could, but I can't."

"That's fine." I said and smiled. When it comes down to it, that's the best reason you can give someone. I'd do it, but I just can't.

So more waiting, and then a sedan pulled up directly in front of me. I grabbed my bags and walked to the side. The passenger window rolled down to reveal and old driver. "You can put your stuff in the back there." I opened the back door and tossed it in, careful not to mess up the shirt he had hanging there, then I got in the passenger seat. "Where you going?" He said in a very un-inquisitive manner.

"As far as you're going. Just heading East, seeing where I can get to. My next major stop would be Elko, I suppose."

"Well, I'm going to Lovelock myself, I can drop you there." Lovelock was about fifty miles down the highway.

"That'd be great."

"Name's ___." He said, and extended his hand for a shake. I can't remember the name. The car was very cool, damn near cold, but very comfortable. "So you have friends out East or what."

"Nope, never been there."

"Mhm." After telling him my "plans", and why I left, he started talking. He told me about his driving, apparently he'd put 20,000 miles on this car in a year. Told me about his huge family and driving to visit all of them, hence the miles. They were scattered everywhere. Told me about his own hitchhiking adventures, 1967.

"Don't try hitchhiking in Utah, the police will get you right away, I know. They stopped me. 'Son,' Now don't call me son, I said. 'Boy,' Now don't call me boy either. 'What are you doing out here?' So I told him, I am in the military, see, and I have orders to get to ___."

My story telling might be choppy.

"He asked me, 'What do you have in that bag?' Just some clothes, provisions and a .38 magnum revolver stuffed at the bottom. 'Is that loaded?" I said, no, what do you think I am? Having a loaded gun bumping around the bottom of my bag, you must think I'm a fool. 'Would you mind taking that out?' I did, let him see it. 'Now we can't prove that this your gun.' I told them, why don't you call the registry down in Florida, give them that engraved serial number and have them tell you that I am who it is registered too. 'That won't be necessary. Anything in your pockets?' I had $1100 at the time, maybe a little bit suspicious for hitchhiking. 'Now we can't prove that this is your money.' So I sighed. they took me into their jail, let me have a meal and a place to sleep. I couldn't catch any bus anymore. The next morning they came and got me. 'Alright son,' I told you not to call me Son. 'Boy,' You just don't listen do ya? These guys ended up taking me in for the night and feeding me, and took me back to the same spot, gave me my gun and my money said 'You get a ride now, don't let us catch you again', and drove off. How about that?"

We shared more small talk along the way. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked.

"This morning." It was four now.

"See that bag in the back seat? Take it. It's fried chicken, four pieces. I got it at the walmart along with some flowers I'd place on my wife's grave."

"Oh you don't have to do that."

"Well why not?"

"...I didn't ask, or anything."

"I know you didn't ask, that's why I'm doing it." He opened up his wallet and pulled out two twenties and set them on the chicken container. "I didn't HAVE to do that either, but I did, and you're taking it."

"Well thanks a lot." I said.

"I can drop you at a truckstop in town, get some food there, whatever else. It's right next to the highway."

"Is there a library in Lovelock?" I asked.

"Yep. What, you wanna get dropped there?"

"Yeah, that'd be good."

"What you got at the library?"

"a library is usually just where I go when I don't know where else to go, plus I love to read."

"Mhm." We drove for forty or so minutes before pulling into town. We drove through the downtown area. "There's our stoplight." He said as we came to a stop. Took a right and came to a park. "Here's the library, right beside the swimming pool, this where you want to go?"

"Yeah." I got out with the chicken, then got my bags from the back. "Thanks for the ride and everything else, you have a good day." I said.

"My day became good when I helped someone out. Take care of yourself."

I waved as he pulled out of the parking lot. The library was open for another hour thankfully, I stopped in to write an entry for this journal. Afterwards, when it closed, I went to the park right next door and ate some of the chicken. Then I went into the pool and asked about a shower. I was greeted by a young man, my age most likely if not a year older. "Yeah we have showers... it's like two dollars though."

"Could I take one?" I asked, handing him a twenty.

"Yeah," He started fidgeting through the cashier. "When do you need to leave? I have a group coming later and will have more change, all I have right now is... you know what, here, just go for it." And handed back the bill.

"Alright, thanks." I said. I went and grabbed my bags and took them into the changing area. Twelve dollars for a shower? **** them truckers anyway. I pulled out a rag, shampoo and soap. I took my shower, changed into some new clothes, and went back to the park to get dry. I quiet fog would cover the town in the evening.

I got high in the park, listened to some tunes, just passing the time. Might as well stay here tonight, I thought. I saw a few Lovelock kids roaming around the park, it was Friday night. I finished up my chicken and started looking for a different place. I still had this park as a backup. I found another park not too far away. It was getting dark. In this park, I decided that tonight I wanted to get belligerently stoned and pass out hardcore. I had two unisom pills left over from a long time ago that I found while packing up my bags before leaving initially. I took one, and smoked the rest of the weed I had. Then lied down on the grass on my sleeping bag. I never take into consideration the sprinklers. Fortunately, the ones that went off didn't reach me and I had time to pack before getting wet. I sat at a bench now, just relaxing. I had become so outrageously high at this point. I guess my plan had worked. I felt heavily sedated, and was borderline hallucinating. I nodded out and fell down on the table, and slept for some time. Woke up spinning and stoned. I wanted to walk back to the park where I was earlier, the nap had taken away some of the high.

I slept terribly in a plastic tube in the playground. They're usually wider, in my experience.

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The Batlord

Just a thought. Instead of spending your money on Gatorade, why don't you save one of the bottles and use it as a canteen?

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grindy

This thread is great.
Good luck and keep us posted!

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

Mondo Bungle

I like gatorade dawg. I have two full bottles of water on me at any given moment.

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The Batlord

You're not gonna be making much money as a hitchhiker, so I'm just saying that Gatorade is kind of an unnecessary expense.

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Mondo Bungle

I've made like $100 total so far

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The Batlord

Do what you want. I'm just saying, you don't have a regular income, and no safety net if you suddenly find yourself broke, so maybe Gatorade shouldn't be your priority.

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Mondo Bungle

I'm already broke, the two bottles I've bought so far during the trip haven't really caused anymore massive financial problems.

If anything I have too much money. It just won't stop coming.

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