Rest Stop

River let out a long slow sigh, as she looked down the long dark two lane highway.

Her head bobbed forward as she caught herself from hitting the steering wheel.

“Fuck okay, no more. Just make it to the next rest stop, take a nap. Then back on the road, you can do this.” she slapped her face twice. “Six more miles, come on,six more miles.” 

She made it to the rest stop, driving with one eye open. She slowed and leaned forward, looking at the sparse rest stop: a park bench, a rusty grill, an overhang, and an overflowing fifty-five-gallon drum trash can.

"Charming," she said as she leaned back and closed her eyes. She took a breath and stepped out of her car, made her way around to the trunk, opened it, and grabbed her duffle bag and a four-foot-long cardboard tube. She returned to the driver's seat, placing her bag on the passenger seat, and stood the tube on the floorboard, leaning it against the dash. Then she snapped her fingers and pointed at it. "Not a word."

After locking her doors, she leaned her seat back, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

She sighed. "I said not a word. Well, you insisted on driving straight through. I'm taking a quick thirty minutes. Then we'll hit the road, okay?"

"Really?" she said as she shook her head. "So would you rather have me wrap this car around a tree then?"

"Yeah, thought so. Now let me take a quickie."

A loud thud jolted her awake, followed by another, before the car window exploded all over her. She didn't have time to scream as a fist slammed into her head.

Her head went numb, her vision blurred as she was yanked out through the window and thrown to the ground. She gasped as she reached back toward the car. 

"Kanji!" she shouted.

She curled into a ball as a boot slammed into her stomach, forcing the breath out of her. Gasping, she forced herself to her knees. "D... sta...sta...stop." She wheezed.

"What, bitch?" the man standing over her asked.

Wobbling, she tried to stand up. "Don't." She took in a long, hard breath. "You can't take."

Another fist slammed into her, knocking her back to the ground.

The man turned and looked at his partner. "Hurry the fuck up, man."

His partner nodded. "Fuck, chill, dog, I got her shit."

"What in da tube?" the man standing over River asked.

His partner shrugged.

"Well, then fucking open it."

His partner struggled for a moment before tearing the end of it off, and pulled out something long and narrow wrapped in red silk. He untied the silk.

"What is it, man?"

His partner held it up. "It look like one of them fancy samurai sword."

"Fucking sweet, man, throw it in back. You take her car, I'll follow ya."

His partner nodded and climbed into the driver's seat and tried to start it. The engine turned over once, then just clicked after that with each turn of the key. "What da fuck, dog?"

River forced herself back to her knees. "Don't."

The man's boot slammed into her face, sending her onto her back. She lay there and coughed up blood.

The man turned back to his partner. "Fuck, man, get her shit and put it in the back."

His partner nodded and took her bag and the sword and put them in their car.

The man turned back to River and kicked her in the head before making his way back to his car.

The two men sat there for a moment.

"What da plan, dog?" the partner asked.

The driver looked at his partner and smirked, before putting the car in reverse, then in drive, and floored it, heading straight at River.

River sat up and held up her hands as the car raced toward her.

The men laughed as the car jolted as it ran over her.

They looked in the rearview mirror at River's body and gave each other a satisfying nod, before their car came to a sudden, jarring stop.

They looked at each other in confusion when they heard a loud, unnatural, agonizing scream come from behind them. They went numb, the air thinned and sank, each breath was now filled with fear.

The driver stopped breathing as he looked into the rearview mirror, his hand shot out and grabbed his partner's arm. Both men hyperventilated as they watched River stand, her body contorted unnaturally. She screamed in agony. The men flinched at each snap and pop of her body rebuilding itself.

River rested her hands on her knees and took in two deep breaths before leaning back and popping her back. 

"Fuck! Goddamnit, Kanji! That fucking hurt, you fucking dick! Thanks for helping." She popped her neck before making her way toward the men. "You're such an ass!"

She opened their back door and grabbed her bag and her sword. Then she returned to her car and placed her bag back on the passenger seat.

"All this is because I put you in the tube, isn't it?" she said as she unsheathed Kanji. She stared at the blade. Then she rotated her wrist, swinging Kanji in a circle. "Yeah, well, you were getting on my nerves." She took a breath. "Yes, you get to kill them. But only if you let me take my nap. We still have about an eight-hour drive."

Her shoulders slumped as she sighed. "Fine, back into the tube for you." She smiled. "Thought so."

She rested Kanji on her shoulder as she made her way over to the men, who were still sitting in their car frozen in place, their clothes soaked through with sweat.

She opened the driver's door and stepped back. "So, how do you want to do this?"

The driver swallowed.

She tapped her chin. "Well, if you want his head, we'll have to drag him out, or I'll have to put you through the car to get to him."

She shrugged, then swung Kanji, cutting through the car and removing the driver's head. She placed Kanji back on her shoulder and made her way around the car to the passenger.

"Same?" she asked.

The passenger jumped out and tried to run but only made it two steps before she cut his legs out from under him. He screamed as he hit the ground and began to drag himself, clawing at the ground, hoping to escape.

"Please, please," he begged.

River stood over him. "Tried to tell you." She swung and removed his head.

"Happy?" She held up Kanji. "Good. I'm fucking taking my nap. And not a fucking word, understand?"