Twisted Yarn

The two boys watched quietly. Their gaze fixed on people that were no longer there. Even the hot dog man couldn't distract them from the horror they just witnessed. They didn't know the ladies too long but there was a connection that they could not explain.

"Mom.", Jason whispers as he mouns the passing of a woman who he started to believe was indeed his mother.

"Cummon Jason", Chris says, "We need to find some place where nobody will find us, nothing can happen and most of all, we can get some rest. After all this excitement wears down, then we can hit the road again. Sound like a plan?"

Jason nods his head in agreement and the two guys get in the car. Chris starts the car, turns and heads north, the way they came from. "What are you going turning around?", Jason asks. "There was a highway a little bit up the road, I figure if we take that, they wont be able to find us."

"Who's `they'?"

Chris just looks a Jason with a solemn stare they tells alot, but says nothing.

The car intersects highway 212 and they head west. They travel through a section of Wyoming, only to enter Montana moments later. It seems like every mile Jason asks if they had gone far enough, but everytime he asks, he gets the same answer, silence.

Hours pass and they can't get very many radio stations and it is getting late. They pass a sign that reads :LAME DEER 8mi LITTLE BIG HORN 56mi.

"I think we should stop at Lame Deer", Jason suggests. He continues to get the silent treatment.

As the car approaches Lame Deer, there is a double lane road that is runnning north, the car squeels as it turns onto it. Another span of time passes and Chris is turning on to roads without street signs. The road is dark and the sun has set a long time ago. In the distance there is a red light blinking. As they approach it, they see it is a small town. They stop at the blinking light and take a look around. To the left is a large building which appears to have a restaurant of some sort and to the right is a convinence store.

Chris turns to the left and into the parking lot. As they exit the car, they see the sign on the side of the building. It reads Coal Bowl. It even has a picture of Fred `Twinkletoes' Flintstone with his bowling ball and waterbuffalo hat. Chris looks around and finally says, "We can stop here" and begins walking in. "Here? Where they hell is here", Jason asks as he follows Chris into the restaurant.

The restaurant is standard family fare. Nothing too extravigant. It is filled with families and even some local color along the bar stools to the right. There are a lot of younger people working there as Jason notices as he looks into the open window to the kitchen. He has always been mindful of health code violations since working in a restaurant. Everything looked good. In the distance he could hear the sounds of bowling pins falling coming from the adjoining bowling alley.

The young hostess seats them at a booth, drops off some menus and walks off. Chris is studying the menu when Jason asks, "Okay so where are we?" Chris shrugs and says, "dunno". Just then a sweet voice says "You must be lost." The two boys look up to see a girl in her late-teens, dressed in a little checkered waitress uniform holding an order pad. She's even got a little paper hat on. "You're in Colstrip. Colstrip, Montana."