Ten Miles to Austin. Chapter 4.
After a night he'll never forget, Vincent is free to leave, but he has decision ahead.
428 words.
This is it, the final chapter! Thank you for sticking with me for a special spooky month story. Hope you enjoy the final chapter!
Ten Miles to Austin
By Archangel Vulpine
Chapter Four
The short window allowed a sliver of orange sunlight into the room. Having rolled up and packed away his sleeping bag, Vincent stood before the door of the storage room. Whatever had tried to get in last night had left, yet it took him a moment before he could reach for the lock and leave the safety of the storage room. The tall windows at the front of the station allowed the full force of the morning sun in. Looking around, Vincent couldn't tell if things were different. There were miscellaneous items on the floor, magazines, cigarette cartons, but it was impossible to say whether the disorganisation was any different to how the station had been the previous day. Shelves hadn't been knocked over or thrown across the room, bottles weren't shattered on the floor, there were no claw marks in the walls or ceiling. Was it possible Vincent had dreamt the encounter? The lizard was nowhere to be seen, so Vincent tried the door to the office to find it unlocked. The room had clearly been converted for some time: a proper mattress lay on the ground in the far corner; a steel rack of shelves held a few useful items, including a torch, a stack of plates and bowles, and a can opener; plus a small desk stood opposite the door, complete with a mug filled with pens and pencils. Eli was gone and Vincent had no way of knowing where or whether he would be back. The maned wolf walked once around the station, taking a few supplies from the shelves and packing them into his rucksack, before leaving the building. Standing on the junction, he had three directions to choose from: back the way he'd come; left, which lacked any signage to indicate where it led; and right, the road with Eli's sign. Vincent approached the huge metal rectangle and stood in its shadow. According to Eli and his colossal sign, the capital of Texas was ten miles that way. Walking under the sign, Vincent took the first steps of the journey.
The sun climbed as Vincent walked and the air grew hotter; the first day of summer had come early. The road widened, additional lanes growing on either side. The trees receded, leaving vast green fields in their stead. After three hours of walking, Vincent finally spotted a new road sign in the distance. It was too far away to make out yet, but it seemed to be a welcome sign for a city.