The Disillusionists cont'd...

Around that same time Jay and Alexis had somehow found themselves at the base of a very steep gravel road that may or may not also be a dry creek bed. Jay got out of his car and waited in the chill night air as Alexis pulled up. She switched off her lights and he was swallowed by darkness. He felt his way back to her car and tapped on the window.

"Fuckin' hell." he said as she rolled down her window.

"It's really really dark out here."

As their eyes adjusted, hundreds of stars bloomed into millions. It was a beautiful clear night yawning above them. The moon had yet to rise. Alexis got out of her car and shut the door.

"Wowww...: she said, turning three-hundred and sixty degrees with her neck craned back.

"This is freaky," gawked Jay.

They stood like that for a while, until their wonderment dwindled into a dull feeling of cosmic insignificance.

"So this is the hill you were talking about?"

"It looks," squinted Alexis into the dark, "steeper than I remember."

"I agree. It is a steep hill."

"Mike's car isn't going to make it."

"Oh yes well, we can't scratch Mike's car can we? We'll have to drive the rental up and hike down."

"In these shoes?"

"Well I'm not hiking down on my own."

"Tough shit. I'm staying here." Alexis tried to open the car door but Jay held it closed with his butt.

"No way. We're not splitting up now!"

"I'll be here with the radio."

"Great, then I'll be able to hear your screams."

This seemed to do the trick. Alexis opened the car door without resistance, took out her keys, grabbed her smokes and marched over to the passenger side of the rental. Jay got in the driver's side and with an air of smug superiority, gunned it. Alexis lit up a smoke.

"Hey, hey, hey..." Jay tapped the dashboard, "No smoking. It's a rental."

"Shut the fuck up." Said Alexis, flicking some ash on the floor.