[scott snedeker]

Sky turns his truck into a roadside MacDonalds. I look at him.

"I have no money, Sky."

"We are not going to eat this poison. I have good food at home. I'm just refuelling the truck."

We pull around back behind the restuarant. The smell of cooking meet nearly makes me faint with hunger.

Then Sky grabs an iron pole and inserts into an iron plug in the tarmac. Immediate I am assaulted by a putrid smell and begin to dry heave.

"Go over to the other side. this can be a bit rough if you are not used to it.'

"What are you doing?"

"I am pumping out the grease pit into the fuel tank. This truck runs of fryer oil. The owner lets me use it for free and he doesn't have to pay to dispose of it"

Sky pulls out a green hose with a pump and a crank in the middle and turns it for about 10 minutes.

"All full . we have sixty miles to go and then we are home."

I recovered. The light started to turn orange and fade to a firey purple in the western sky. The stars began to appear in the east set against a rocky terrain dotted with dry scrubby bushes.

We started ascending in elevation and pines replaced the scrub. Small mountains beagn arising around us in the concealing dark. The paved road ended.heralded by the steady roar of the tires over the dry rocky soil. Sky turns rght up a path cut int the side of the mountain and bounces the truck alarmingly up the path. Branches strike the sides of the truck as we bound into the dark foest. and then we stop. I breath a sigh of relief.

"We have about a forty-five minute wlk up to my house. Are you uo to it?"

"Helluva time to ask now!... Yea I'm up to it!"

I think to my self.. "God If that stent in my heart breaks loose, be kind and make it a sudden cardiac death and get it over with,, Okay?"

Sowe start walking by star light. I stumble and wheeze and stop frequently to catc my breath. Sky patiently waits for me. Sky then takes my arm over his shoulder and lifts me for the last half of the jouney. I am spent We finally get to a glass and wooden strucure I can't make out much detail in the night. Sky leads me inside. It is warm and comfortable. He lights an oil lmap and the room is alive with color and reflection of stained glass and arwork everywhere.

Sky remove my suit jacket and my shoes. He leads me to a hammock. I gingerly sit down grasping him afriad that i will fall.

"Lean back slowly. I will get your feet."

I melt into the delicious curve of the suspension. My eyes fluuter i try to keep them open then..........