The house was located in a smaller than average neighborhood amongst a sea of concrete sidewalk and streets.
Out front, the yard was separated by a simple walkway to the entrance accented on both sides with a cotton wood in the center of each half of the lawn.
As the door swung open, out stepped a young man with shaggy sandy blonde hair, dazzling green eyes and an athletic build.
Orion mentally prepared himself for the twelve mile jog on which he was about to embark.
Running had never been a main focus of his life, yet over the last few years he grew to enjoy the challenge.
Although the distance was relatively short compared to greater challenges that lay ahead, the twelve miles would be a new plateau to mark down on his training schedule. The weather cooled quickly as the sun began to set when Orion took his first step towards another routine run.
The trail was an adapted version of two of his shorter routes fused together and he had affectionately dubbed this pathway the “Tour of Rhemis”, seeing how it wound its way through most of his home town.
Rhemis was a growing suburb with a population of approximately 13,500.
The city lacked any distinguishing characteristics to set it apart from the ocean of cookie cutter neighborhoods that overwhelmed the area's’ landscape.
This normalcy, although offering a safe haven in which to grown up, deeply gnawed at Orion’s inner consciousness as he passed another perfectly manicured lawn. Each step he took propelled him past the stale dull scenes that he expected to comprise the entirety of his journey.
However, little to his knowledge, he would not be completing his training that fateful serene night.
*************
Voleta would by most standards be considered an ordinary college coed, except for her scarcely mentioned affinity for economics.
A crown of wavy brown locks framed her delicate radiant ever smiling face.
In addition to being secretly studious, Voleta frequently hit the gym to maintain her stunning young figure. On this night however her mesmerizing brown eyes were drifting closed as she wearily began her long drive home from a full days work.
Nine hours of monotonous arranging of cloths at the local department store left Voleta tired and shamelessly bored.
She had held her current position since she received her first car, a 1996 blue two-door convertible Ford Mustang, on her sixteenth birthday.
Four years later the car continued to operate well, however her job performance had been on the decline since her latest breakup that took place two weeks ago. Young love, although not apparent to those involved, was trivial compared to the myriad of other issues that Voleta would confront in the near future.
Her forty-five minute drive home concluded with a short habitual set of simple turns located in the safety of her peaceful neighborhood of Rhemis.
This over familiarity with her accustomed routine proved to be fatal as she slammed on the breaks after hearing a startling thud against her front right bumper.
The color drained from her face as panic washed over her.
*************
Minna ferociously raced out her front door upon hearing the loud unnatural howl.
In a classic case of her neglectful nature, she discovered her young son outside sobbing at the site of the accident.
With an inaccurate assessment, Minna began yelling at the young girl who was comforting the boy. Little to Minna’s knowledge, her son was weeping after he witnessed the death of his English Setter which was now smeared all over the street.
“I’m really sorry ma’am,” cried Voleta.
After a moment of soaking up the situation Minna’s raised voice shifted into one of disdain as she continued to take out her pent up frustrations on Voleta.
“How dare you hit my dog! You are going to pay for this!” she threatened.
“I’m really sorry ma’am,” repeated Voleta. “I will make it up to you I swear.” Voleta wished that the lady would comfort her son or at least take him away from the bloody sight of the mangled dog.
Her thoughts shifted to how she would be able to explain this to her parents.
They had wanted her to attend a prestigious Ivy League university but she decided to go to a state college close to home. Since then the relationship between them had been strained and she did not want to jeopardize it further with this news of an accident.
“DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!” Minna’s roar brought Voleta back to the present.
“Yes ma’am,” mumbled Voleta, barely getting the words passed her frightened lips. She nodded slightly wondering what she had just agreed to.
“Well what is your number?”
“Huh? Oh right,” stumbled Voleta. “Let me write it down for you,” she said as she reached inside her purse for a scrap piece of paper and a pen. “Here you go. Look I’m a college student and it’s just that well, um… could you just be patient with me making this up to you?”
“Fine!” came Minna’s irritated reply. “But don’t think you’re getting away with this missy, do you hear me?”
“Yes’um,” muttered Voleta as she got back in her Mustang and realized that she needed to head straight for a car wash.
*************
Step after step, Orion’s Reebok running shoes pounded the paved road occasionally kicking up a small rock or two.
His arms held taught at right angles at the elbow, his chest leading, and each leg swiveling in a tight circle as if he were riding a bicycle that could not be seen.
The road was at a slight upward incline that did little to detract from his pace; this route was full of large slow sloping hills.
Orion wiped his sweaty brow and reproved himself for forgetting to wear his sweat band. The saline beads of perspiration have a tendency to slip into his eyes causing a dull burning like an ember left glowing after a campfire has been put out. His right hand reached up again and he ran his fingers through his golden mane and pressed on.
As he reached the top of the rise, he slowed down to take a short walking break. In contradiction to common logic, taking brief walking breaks actually increased his overall times for his runs.
Firstly, he took several deep breaths quickly intentionally hyperventilated himself and then slowly eased his breathing back to a regular interval. This quick breathing technique helped to rush oxygen to his muscles and allowed them to better clear away the built up lactic acid known to cause cramping.
Orion peered ahead and mentally noted a point in which he would resume his earlier velocity.
Yet before he was more than ten yards away, a blue Mustang slowly pulled up beside him causing him to stop where he was. He waited to hear from the driver that was approaching with their window already rolled down.
“Excuse me sir,” the young girl began, “but do you happen to know where one of those places you can go to wash your own car is around here. I usually take it to a place where they do it for you, but well you see…I am…well I need to do it myself this time and…”
Orion listened patiently to the girl’s explanation while subtlety giving her a once over with his eyes.
From what he could see she was a slender well toned young woman with hypnotic untamed lush brown eyes offset picturesquely with beautiful brown hair.
“…my parents will kill me if they find out and I don’t know what to do,” she poured on out of distress.
Orion nodded along at her words and when she had paused to take a breath he interjected, “Well I think I know a place you can wash it off, but you see I am not sure exactly and well I could probably show you, that is if you don’t mind me tagging along a bit.”
How stupid he sounded he thought to himself.
It had been awhile since he had last been in a relationship and in the interim he had not been out very much and had become a little introverted around pretty girls. In an act of returning self-confidence, he walked round the car before she could answer and opened the passenger side door.
Upon sitting down and thinking how smooth that last move was, he began again to become hyper self-conscious and blurted out, “Sorry about the sweat I was jogging and…”
Voleta simply smiled coyly and shifted the car back into gear.
She was pleased with this latest turn of events and happening upon a charming athletic boy had been the last thing on her stress out mind expected.
“You know where Davis Street is right,” Orion put in more as a statement than a question.
Voleta nodded in acknowledgement and so he continued, “Start out that way and I will know the other street when I see it. I think it is down off that road near the Quicktrip gas station.”
*************
Wisping overhead, the clouds slowly silently glided past the full orange setting sun.
The dimming night sky smelled of woody backyard grill outs and the dwindling noise of the long day was sporadically interrupted by the happy cries of children out past when they were told.
The red tail lights of the Ford could be seen brightly glowing as Voleta eased on the break to drop Orion off at his home.
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