In the morning, they had the Continental Breakfast and discussed the trip. "I really think we should go to Utah first," said Izzy. "Then you could get an army to go to Nevada with you to defend you. Of course, then Card Sharp would know we were there. It seems stupid to throw it away. Lives ... I mean." Kat looked at him. Throw it away ... the Tongue Ring? She was starting to distrust Izzy more and more. "Well, come on," said Tai. "We have a long road ahead of us. Kat, give me the keys to the SSR." She looked at them mournfully. "Can't I drive, just for today?" she pouted. "Fine. Whatever. I'm getting our stuff." He walked down the hall to their rooms. Soon, the vehicles were packed and they started down the road, looknig for I-29 North, until they came to I-90. Then they headed west. Tai was looking at the map. "I don't care what Izzy says; i'm not taking the Tongue Ring to Utah. But I'm guessing," he took out the Sharpie again, "that we don't have to go through all of it. Of course, we'll have to cross the Rocky Mountains, and that means more snow ... no wait. Shit." "What?" "Looks like we'll have to go south instead. All the roads to Nevada are closed off except one; I forgot." He thought for a minute. "So, we'll go through Arizona. But we're probably gonna have to go through Utah. In that case, we need to find I-25 to get to I-80." "But then ... no mountains, right?" "Do you know anything about geography? The Rocky Mountains stretch across all America." "Sorry." By suppertime, they were in Rapid City. "Let's just get a motel," said Tai. "Since we don't know where we're going after this." So they ate dinner and got two rooms in a Motel 6. They were gathered in the indoor pool when Tai brought the subject up. "So ... I think we're going to go through Colorado to Arizona to Nevada." "You skipped Utah," said Izzy. Sora whispred to Kat, "Did you know that an Orange Grand Am has been following us all day?" "Ew, orange?" "Orange. Well, copper-orange." "I'd say you were going to pot, but I seen it in Iowa, too." "CAC?" "Yes, the fucker. I'd hope our stay in Sioux City would throw him off our track." They went to sleep later, but Kat couldn't sleep. She threw on a long sweatshirt over her sweatpants, and opened the door to take a walk. Something moved down the hall and around the corner. Kat slammed the door in surprise, forgetting to even take a room key with her. Tai came out of the other room. "What's going on?" "I just saw CAC. Well, I think." "Of course. He's been following us since West Virginia. Maybe we can go faster tomorrow." He went back in him room, leaving Kat alone in the hallway. "Woah, hey," she said. She didn't really want to take a walk, now that CAC was running around, but she didn't have any other place to go. So she walked down to the vending machine for a Snickers. She woke up in the morning to the door hitting her back. "Hey!" she yelled. Then she realized she had been sleeping in the hallway. Mimi laughed. "You're such a loser! Let's go eat." When they got back, everyone was dressed and packed. Kat and Mimi hurried while everyone else ate, and soon they were in the parking lot, ready to go. "Well," said Tai to Kat, "you are the Ringbearer, so you should choose the path you need to take." "Oh." She looked confused. Then she walked down the sidewalk in front of the Motel 6. Sora noticed Izzy watching her walk away. No one else seemed to care. Kat reached the corner and decided not to wait for the light to turn. She turned and walked down the sidewalk. She brushed some snow off a bench and sat down, thinking of everything that happened since she left Maine. She felt as if someone was watching her and looked up. "Wondered when you were going to notice me," said Izzy, sitting down beside her. "You really shouldn't be wandering off alone." "I know what I need to do," Kat said. "So you can go away now." "Don't you want some advice?" "Not from you, no. There would be no hope in going to Salt Lake City while the Tongue Ring still exsists." "Ah, yes, that. It's so small, but yet, the world revolves around it. Can I see it again?" "Fuck no." Izzy stood up. "FIne. But I would use it to destroy all the people of Nevada. Um ... that came out wrong. Anyway." He shook his mind clear. "They tell us to get rid of it! I mean, they expect you to just walk into Nevada? He's more powerful than you are." Kat also stood. "Well, thank you for telling me that. Now I know what I should do." "Go to Salt Lake City?" "No." "Just let me borrow it! You can even blame me, that I took it from you by force." Kat jumped out of his grasp and ran down the sidewalk a little bit. She took out the Tongue Ring and stuck it in her tongue, taking the Dice Tongue Ring out. Izzy stared around him. "Oh I see! You're going to bring it to Card Sharp!" He slipped on some ice and fell in the snow. A snowball hit his head. "Hey!" He stood up, brushing snow off. "Kat? I ... I was just kidding." After Kat threw the snowball at Izzy, she ran past him to the street corner and back to the motel. She stopped at the streetlight. I have to go alone, she thought. The others were talking about her back in the parking lot. "I'd say that only me," said Tai, "Sora, and TK should go with her. Izzy would go to his own city and you guys can go wherever." "What?" said Mimi. "We're not leaving her!" "There's no good in going to Salt Lake City," said Sora. "Uh ... no offense, Izzy." She looked around. "Where is he? Anyway, Kat's just scared shitless to go to Nevada. But she'll go by herself, tell you what." Izzy came back. "I got angry at her! She put in the Tongue Ring and vanished!" Tai jumped on Izzy, punching him in the face. "You miserable little maggot!" Everyone pulled him off. "We have to go find her!" Sora cried. Everyone ran different ways. Tai groaned. "Izzy! Follow Mimi and Kari and look after them." He ran, looking for Sora. He found her at the corner. "Go find Mimi and Kari. You shouldn't be alone." Sora started down the sidewalk, thinking hard. Something must have scared Kat for her to put the Tongue Ring in. She decided to leave, I bet, she thought. Sora ran back to the Motel 6 parking lot. She kept slipping on ice. The SSR was moving, but no one was driving it! A backpack was lying on top of the Aviator. Sora jumped in front of the SSR, and it stopped with a loud screech. She could hear Kat cussing inside the vehicle. Sora ran to the passenger side and hopped in. "You're going to get pulled over when the cops see that nobody's driving." Kat pulled out the Tongue Ring and reappeared. "Fine. You can come with. But go get your stuff. And hurry." Sora quickly got her two bags and Kat popped the trunk for her. She threw her stuff in and got back in the SSR. They squealed out of the parking lot and down the road. They set off on Highway 16 in search of Highway 85. |
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| The Cult of the Tongue Ring part twelve |