The Fall (part 3)

In the car, Sarah started it up and we pulled out of the parking lot.  She reached over and held my hand, and I told her I loved her.  The world had just changed for us.  We were now murderers.

Before, I hadn’t noticed that from my waist down I was covered in blood which posed a problem.  We needed to make a stop realizing we were about to run out of gas.  I pulled a pillow over my lap as Sarah stopped at a station not far from the scene of the crime.  As soon as we were on the road again, I changed pants.

We didn’t feel comfortable staying in the area so we decided to drive south towards New Orleans.  I pulled the wallet out of my pocket and my heart sank.  There was no money in it.  Frantically, I searched it again looking in every little compartment.  Underneath a flap were two hundred dollar bills.  It wasn’t much but it would allow us to continue our trip.

I was really hungry, and got some of the snack food we had brought with us.  After eating some candy, I tried to go to sleep.  Even though I felt exhausted, I couldn’t drift all the way off.  My mind was still going a hundred miles per hour. I was expecting the cops to show up behind us at any minute, but every time we crossed a county line I felt a little safer.  When we crossed into Louisiana that night I was sure we wouldn't be caught—well pretty sure.

During the drive, Sarah and I talked about what we had done.  I told her the whole experience left me with a tremendous feeling of power.  It was like I was in the position of God, and in a way I was.  I was judge.  I had the power to choose who would live or die.  Other people's fate, in a sense, rested in my hand.  I realized I had no respect for human life at all, and it bothered me none.

We arrived in New Orleans around midnight.  Our nerves were kind of frazzled from what we had done earlier, plus we were worn out from the long trip. Neither of us wanted to sleep in the car so we started looking for a cheap motel room.  It didn't have to be fancy or even nice for that matter. Just as long as it had a bed and a shower it would be fine.  We drove around for a long time looking for a room.  Mardi Gras had just ended, and all the hotels and motels were still filled up in the city.  It took awhile but we finally found a room.

           Sleep was fitful that night.  I kept the gun close to me expecting the cops to come crashing through.  I wondered if the search had begun and if the authorities knew who to look for.