Last Detour Read online

  LAST DETOUR

  © 2020 Renata Martin. All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Content warning:

  Mature content. Discretion is advised.

  This book explores sensitive themes such as suicide, self harm and mental illness.

  Contains strong language, drug use and sexual situations.

  THE BEGINNING OF THE END

  It had taken a plane, a taxi, and a rental car to get there, but she was finally where she needed to be. The first time she had visited this place, she fell in love. The scent of the damp earth and fragrant pine drifted past in waves in the crisp air, and she took a deep breath. Roaring water rushed past, weaving and crashing amongst the rocks as it made its way down the valley.

  Olivia lit her last cigarette as she watched the river flow, and the soothing noise took some of the sting out of what she had to do. A boulder made the perfect spot to perch and take it all in for one last time. It was a world away from her gray little office cubical, being screamed at over the phone for things outside of her control and then returning home to sit in front of the television instead of getting her recommended eight hours of sleep.

  Sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, lighting up the forest as if it was trying to show her there was still beauty in the world. To make her doubt her decision, but she wouldn't fall for it this time. The slipknot was ready to go, and she gingerly pulled it out of her bag whilst looking around, as if someone would be waiting to put a stop to this at any minute. She put the rope to one side for a moment and ran her fingers over the multi-colored fabric of her bag, recalling the day she bought it from a street vendor in Peru after visiting the awe-inspiring ruins of Machu Picchu. Good memories were not enough to make her change her decision, no matter how much her brain tried to convince her otherwise. It was as if her body could sense her minutes were numbered, and the hairs on her arm stood up on end.

  The atmosphere grew thick, as if the air had become a solid mass. A familiar, niggling doubt scrabbled around in the back of her head, like it always did when she thought of killing herself. A voice telling her maybe life was worth living after all. Survival instinct was her enemy. On her earlier attempts it waited for the right moment to strike, laying dormant for months as any strength she had whittled away, and only kicking in at the last minute to foil her plans.

  Nothing ever really changed. The world wasn't full of opportunity, and life wasn't worth living. The tree she would use was old but sturdy, and she gazed up at the branches, hoping they would take her weight. Her hands ran across the rough bark, curving around the knots and imperfections as pondered how she would get up to her desired branch as she wasn't much of a climber. Even as a child she didn't enjoy climbing trees, not after her friend snapped their leg after they tested their luck climbing all the way to the top.

  It was a struggle, but she managed to claw her way up as she wrapped her legs around the trunk, shuffling bit by bit. A V-shaped branch supported her whilst she securely tied one end of the rope to the tree. The fabric of the noose was rough against her skin as she tightened the knot snugly around her neck. This is it. A minute of pain to avoid a lifetime of suffering, she told herself, steeling herself to take the plunge. Her pulse quickened, and she could feel the blood pumping around her veins. The sound of the river and melodic birdsong helped her quieten her mind before she dropped.

  ***

  First came a blurred light, followed by a muffled, distant voice. A tingling sensation vibrated up and down her body, and the ground below was cold and hard against her back. As her eyes began to focus she could make out a figure towering above her. "Can you hear me?" A deep voice reeled her back from the fringes of consciousness.

  A hoarse noise burst from her swollen throat, but she couldn't speak. She brought her hands up to her neck and winced as she touched raw skin.

  "Take it easy." The man supported her back as she lifted herself into a sitting position. Her head spun like the earth on its axis, and she grabbed his hand to steady herself. The frayed noose lay on the ground beside her, next to a pocket knife.

  "Your lucky I found you when I did." The look of concern in his eyes made her feel shame, which turned to anger. If only she had spent less time admiring the scenery, he would have been too late. Now the decision had been taken out of her hands. The man stood up, dialled 911 and began pacing. Dark, curly hair reached his shoulders, mingling with a thick beard that obscured his face. He was wearing a tattered long-sleeved, black t-shirt and in the wrong light he could easily be mistaken for a sasquatch, if it hadn't been for the cellphone held up against his ear.

  "There's no signal here, and the hospital is miles away. I don't have a car and we're in the middle of nowhere." He said frantically.

  "I don't need a hospital." She got on to her hands and knees and pushed herself up.

  "My cabin isn't far from here. If you think you can walk, I can check you over." He looked into her eyes to check she was coherent.

  "A cabin in the woods. You're not some sort of serial killer, are you?"

  "Can't say that I am. Not that dying seems to be an issue for you." He paused. "I'm sorry that was inappropriate."

  "Well, I guess you have a point." She wiped her dirty hands on her jeans.

  "You don't sound like you're from around here."

  "I'm not. I'm English."

  "What are you doing so far from home?"

  "It doesn't matter now."

  "Well, at least tell me your name. I'm Michael, by the way."

  "Olivia."

  "How did you get here anyway?"

  "My rental car is parked a couple of miles away." Olivia coughed. "Do you have any water?"

  "Yeah, my place isn't far, then I can walk you to your car."

  Following without question, she delved further into the woods. She was the type of person who would walk home alone at night and would never cross the street to avoid a dodgy character. She didn't want them to know they made her uncomfortable. It would be far too awkward.

  ***

  CABIN

  It was straight from a teen slasher flick. An abandoned ranger station being consumed by weeds from the ground up. Roots forced their way in between the rotten planks, breaking them apart.

  "You live here?"

  "I apologize in advance for the mess." Michael pushed open the unlocked door; which moaned and creaked with age.

  A damp, musty smell hit her as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Boarded windows blocked the natural light, apart from a thin shaft coming through the open door. A large, stained mattress dominated most of the floor space, and pill bottles lay empty around the bed. Oxycodone and benzodiazepines, from what she could make out, before he kicked them aside. The hollow sound of plastic bouncing on wood rattled around the cabin.

  "Excuse the mess. It's been a tough time."

  Olivia nodded, not knowing what to say.

  "I used to have a great little apartment. Good job. I got injured from a car accident. It was my own fault. The oxy was the only thing that helped the pain. Then I lost my job and things really turned to shit." His eyes were glued to the ground as he spoke.

  His openness stunned Olivia. Where she was from, you could work with someone for years and never know the dark parts of their life. Someone would inevitably say good morning and ask how she was, and she would inevitably give a one word response. "Sorry. That sounds rough."

  "Do you want to sit on the edge of the table while I have a look at your neck?"

  "You know what, I think I'm fine." She wasn
't keen to touch any surface. "Actually, there is something that might help."

  "You name it."

  "Maybe some oxy for the pain?"

  "Oh." He paused. "I'm not sure I'd feel right about that."

  "Don't worry. I don't have an addictive personality. Well, unless donuts count."

  "Okay." He checked the various bottles that littered the floor until he found one that wasn't empty.

  "Don't worry, I'm not going to empty your stash."

  "No, it's not that."

  "Relax. I was joking." She glanced around the room at the clutter. A pile of old damp newspapers teetered in the corner, reminding her of a television show she watched about hoarders. People swallowed whole by their belongings.

  "I'm just going to walk back to my car. I really am fine."

  "You think you're good to drive?"

  "Sure." She was far from sure as she stood up, and a rush of blood to the head made her sway to one side.

  "I wouldn't recommend taking oxy for the first time and driving. You'll be pretty drowsy."

  "I'll be fine."

  "I wouldn't mind driving you."

  Olivia took a moment to consider the offer. She knew driving was a bad idea as her hands shook, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he may murder her and leave her in a ditch somewhere.

  "Sure. Thank you. How will you get back though?"

  "I'll grab a ride with a friend. Maybe I'll stay in town for the night." Michael reached down to pick up a scrunched up plastic bottle with a small amount of water at the bottom and passed it to her with a small white pill. He put the rest of the bottle in his pocket.

  "Thanks." She unscrewed the cap and placed the tablet on her tongue.

  ***

  The light faded, and the greens and browns of the forest deepened with the impending twilight. Goosebumps raised on her arms as the air cooled, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

  "You want my sweater?" Michael asked, starting to untie it from his waist.

  "No. I'm fine," said Olivia, trying to hide her shivering.

  Branches cracked underfoot as they walked, disturbing various unseen wildlife in the bushes. All the trees looked identical in the dwindling light, and she wondered when they would finally get to her car.

  "You ever see bears out here?" she asked.

  "All they time. They're amazing to watch, as long as you don't get too close."

  "I'll take your word on that." She dodged a branch. As she reached a break in the trees, her heart lifted. "The path, it's the path." She jumped up and down.

  "Of course it's the path. I know this place like the back of my hand."

  "How do you even live out here? The nearest shop is miles away."

  "I have my ways."

  Olivia didn't push it. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. As the light almost disappeared completely, Michael guided them down the path by the glow of his cellphone. She could only see what was directly in front of her, and the childlike part of her brain that was still afraid of the dark, expected something to jump from the darkness. Stumbling on a rock, Olivia lurched forward and grabbed Michael's arm to stabilise herself. "Sorry." She laughed as she tried to compose herself.

  "Is that your car?"

  She could barely make it out. It just looked like a dark blob until they got closer.

  "Thank you so much." She hugged him out of reflex and sheer happiness that she wouldn't have to spend the night in the woods or in some dank cabin.

  "Are you okay to drive?" he asked.

  "I feel fine." She rummaged around for her keys. "Shit."

  "Everything all right?"

  "No, I've lost my keys. Well, the rental companies keys. There is no way I'm waiting for triple A."

  "Are you sure you've looked everywhere?" He shone the torch from his phone into her bag. "What is it with woman's handbags? There's always so much stuff." He watched as she poured the contents of her bag onto the roof of the car and rifled through.

  "Nope, not here."

  "And you've definitely tried all your pockets?"

  "Yes, I've tried all my pockets. Oh, shit." She paused, as if deep in thought. "I left them in the car."

  "I think we're just going to have to bite the bullet and break the window."

  She wondered why she even cared. It is not as if she would be alive to return the car. The hotel room would make as good a place as any to finish the job. A brief flash of guilt stabbed at her chest as she thought of a poor, underpaid house keeper having to find her body. The rental car company was the least of her worries.

  "So how do we go about this? Just give it a hard elbow?" she asked as an image of her having to sit on glass fragments for the whole journey popped into her head. Before she had a chance to figure out what to do, Michael picked up a large rock from the ground.

  "Do it." She gave him the nod.

  The sound of shattering glass rang out into the night. Michael picked up a stick and used it to smash the remaining shards from around the frame. After disposing of the stick by throwing it into the undergrowth, he unlocked the door from the inside. Olivia used a left over takeaway bag from the front foot-well to wipe the bulk of the glass fragments off the front seat.

  "Ha, here they are." She found the keys in the side compartment and held them up in a small victory. They used a blanket from the trunk to cover the front seats and avoid any unnecessary injuries, and Olivia started the engine.

  "So where am I taking you anyway?" she asked.

  "Just any cheap place to stay in town. I should probably see my folks."

  "Can't you stay with your parents?"

  "They always say I only go to see them if I need something, I don't want to start a whole thing. Plus, I should probably clean up first."

  "Fair enough." She looked straight ahead, watching insects fly in front of the headlights.

  "Do you have a place booked?"

  "Yeah, all my stuff is at my hotel, the Hill Inn. I booked an extra night in case, well, just in case."

  "You don't have to explain."

  "Thanks." She could see her future now. This dishevelled stranger that lived in the woods like a hermit trying to get a free night in a hotel at her expense. She berated herself for this thought after all that he had done for her, but took solace in the fact that people are having these ugly thoughts constantly, it's just no one ever gets to hear them. Her meanness would stay hidden in the confines of her brain, never to see the light of day. Another small part of herself didn't want him to leave. There was just something so inexplicably intriguing about this person.

  Once in the comfort of the car, a warm, drowsy sense of well-being took hold as the oxy did its job.

  "Maybe I should take over, you look a little... spaced out."

  "Yeah, I guess you're right." She slowed and pulled over into a lay-by. Part of her was wary of relinquishing control of the car to him, but mostly she was just too tired to care.

  He pulled away and put the radio on. There was nothing but static, so he tried to skip to another station, and another, but no luck.

  "I think your radio is busted."

  "There's a CD in the player." She leaned against the headrest and fought the heaviness of her eyelids.

  "It's fine. I don't need it. You can sleep if you want? I'll wake you up when we get into town." It didn't take long for the motion of drifting along and the hum of the engine to lull her into sleep.

  NOTHING IS THE SAME

  A squeeze of her shoulder roused Olivia from her chemically induced sleep.

  "Olivia." He shook her a little now, and a sharp pain travelled down the side of her neck as she lifted her head.

  "What was the name of that hotel again?"

  "What?" She rubbed her eyes and looked around. They passed a sign as they approached Fresno.

  "Oh, uh, the Hill Inn."

  "So, I don't want to freak you out, but something really weird is going on."

  She sat upright. "What?"

  "Just look."

&n
bsp; There were plenty of cars on the free-way, but none of their lights were on and they weren't moving.

  "I'm getting out to see what's going on." He opened the door.

  "What are you doing?" She leaned over him to shut the door. "Don't get out in the middle of the free-way."

  "Olivia, there is no one in these cars, they're all abandoned. Every last one of them. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a single car go past since we started driving." He opened the door again and stepped out.

  "Fine." She opened her door and stood beside the car. There was no noise, no lights, nothing. Michael crossed into the next lane and peered into the car windows, working his way from one to another.

  "Don't go too far," She urged him. "Is there anything about it on the news? Have you checked your phone?"

  He ran back towards her, out of breath. "I'm not getting any signal. Not on my phone or the internet."

  She was at a loss. "Well, there's plenty of room to drive around them. We just need to get into town. I'm sure someone will tell us what's going on." All she could think of was that soft hotel room bed with more pillows than she knew what to do with.

  The single source of light when they entered the city came from their car. Not a single house, shop or restaurant they passed had any sign of life.

  "Could you park up?" said Olivia.

  Michael pulled into the allotted parking for a bar and grill. "Now's not the time to be getting a steak."

  She rushed out of the car, leaving the door open behind her, and stood in the glass doorway. "It's still open." She tentatively stepped inside.

  "Maybe the city was evacuated for some reason," he said as he approached the restaurant.

  A tingle of excitement ran up her spine as a burst of adrenaline fought away the fatigue.

  "I should probably be scared right now, but you have to admit, it's kind of cool. It's like the city is ours or something." She called out to check if anyone was there, but the only response was her echoes.