PART FOUR
We parked near the rec center and walked to the dorms. They had that creepy Victorian look to them. Like it was a church rather than a dormitory.
April hit the buzzer.
"hello" said a man with a Hindi accent.
"Hodgee, its me April."
The door buzzed and up we went in silence.
She knocked twice and let herself in.
"Oh I see you you brought a friend." Said Hodgee.
"Hodgee, this is Luke, Luke meet Hodgee."
We shook hands.
"My real name Aditya Prarabdha but people just call me Hodgee for short. So what brings you two here tonight."
"We ran into some trouble earlier tonight and we need a place to crash."
"Oh no, ever time you run into trouble it means trouble for me. Well to hell with it then, I didn't want to study anyways. Let's go hit the
bar"
"Uhh, I'm not old enough to get into a bar." I spoke up.
"Don't worry about it my firend, I know a place where they let anyone in." Hodgee replied. He grabbed a coat and off we went.
As we walked I asked April,
"Is this safe? Shouldn't we be hiding?"
"Were safe here. They don't like to hunt around here."
"Why is that?"
"Because the majority of Duke University is holy ground." She replied. " It's a big Taboo to them."
"Why don't you live on campus then?"
"Because one can only be a student here for so long. Besides the woods are my home. They would never dare to come after me in my home. But, when they
see me in the city sometimes they come after me."
"What do you think of all this Hodgee?" I asked.
"I do not care to get involved. Aprils' business is her business as far as I am concerned."
"Oh.Ok then."
I did not want to press the issue. He seemed kinda distant and I was jsut tagging along at this point. Where ever April was going I was going
too...and at this point we were going to a bar.
There was no bouncer once we got there. The age range of the place was diverse and nobody even seemed to notice when Hodgee handed me a beer.
We sat down at a table and talked about Hodgees' schooling. Apparently he was studying to become some kind of research geneticist. I couldn't follow
the conversation completely so I mostly stayed in the back round and listened. At last call Hodgee ordered some jager bombs with whiskey chasers.
When it was time to go we headed back to his dorm room. He passed out on his bed while me and April stayed up and talked for a bit.
"How did you yall meet ?" I asked her.
"We met at the Cafe Mocha a few years back. It's a nice place to read and meet new people. He was reading a book when I noticed another student come
up and they got into an argument and the other student took his book. Afterwords he looked so unhappy I had to go up to him and say hello. As it
turned out, he was borrowing the book and the other student wanted it back. Hodgee only got a partial scholarship here and he is very bad with his
money. I told him I would buy his books on the condition that he would always me his research articles when he became a big hotshot scientist....OH
you know what would be funny?" She said changing the subject. "Lets draw on him!"
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed...A thought like that would of never occurred to me. She went to a small desk and retrieved two sharpies.
"Come on, it will be fun."
She started by drawing a mustache on his clean shaven face. I laughed so hard I was sure he would wake up but when he didn't I decided to draw some
glasses on him to go with his mustache. we did him up with some freckles and laughed wildly. It was a great night considering the evenings earlier
encounters.
After we were done drawing on him we sat on the floor and I put my head into her lap as she leaned against the wall.
" Lets get some sleep. Your gonna have a nasty hangover in the morning and we are gonna have to leave early. Hodgee gets very easily distracted when
I'm around and I still have to do something about my car. "
I took a short nap with my head in her lap. It was very easy to fall asleep. When she woke me the sky was just turning color from night to day. Hodgee
was still sleeping soundly and I was still drunkish. She left him a note on his forehead saying "Thank you" and a note on his desk saying "Take a
bath stinky".
We made our way to her car and got back on the road. I was very conscious of the other cars on the road. Despite the fun we had, getting smashed by a
van of religious nuts was a fact not lost on me. I was just waiting for them to pop out at any corner. But they didn't.
We made it back to her home safe and sound.
"I need to make a few phone calls why don't you cook yourself some breakfast."
"What should I cook?" I asked
"Why not try some scrambled eggs... You can't go wrong with scrambled eggs"
So I followed her suggestion. Despite having nearly no idea how to cook she was right, and I was starving. By the time I was done eating and rinsing
my plate and pot she had finished her phone calls And it was time to go again.
"Alright, heres the plan. Your gonna follow me to the auto yard in your minivan. Were gonna drop off my camero there and they should have it ready
for me in a week."
As we walked out into the driveway she stopped me and gave me a deep kiss... "For Luck" she said. I got in my vehicle and followed here out to the
auto yard.
After we dropped off her car we headed back to her house. I was feeling good thinking all was well again. I was wrong. As we were stopped at a the T
in the road where we would normally turn right to go down to her road the black van from the previous evening came barreling down from the left and
stopped right in front of us blocking my way forward. From behind a white truck came up and blocked our way back. Then two men from the Van got out
and started to walk up to us.
"Oh s...! What do we" I said in fear.
"Drive through them" She told me locking the doors.
"What?! I can't do that!"
The older man pulled out a gun and shouted "Get out of the car son you don't know what she is."
"Drive through them now." April gritted through her teeth.
I put it into reverse and and slammed into the truck behind us. From their it gets a little blurry. I was trying to reverse around the truck but when
that wasn't an option I threw it into drive and tried to drive inbetween the two gunmen. The opened fire and ... I don't know.. My windshield
shattered and I had made it through them and turned left but I could not maintain control. The van was going all over the road and I guess I over
compensated somewhere because the van flipped onto its side and into the ditch. Somewhere mid flip I wondered if this was how I was gonna die.
It wasn't.
We landed and I undid my belt and checked on April. She looked OK but I was still panicking.
"April!" I called out to her.
"I'm fine, get out!"
We crawled out through the shattered front window.
"Come on." She told me running into the woods. I followed her into the forest. We could hear the hunters entering the forest behind us shouting
commands to one another.
We ran faster. Branches cut at my face while weeds threatened to trip me with every step. I thought we were losing them when April stopped suddenly. I
ran right into her and bounced into the dirt and leaves.
"Get up and hold on to my back."
I did so and she climbed up a tree like a lemur monkey. I had no idea she could climb like that.
We made it to the top and she said "Ok get off we should be safe up here"
I tentatively let go of her as I got my footing on a branch. "Luke whatever happens I need you to stay put and stay silent, can you do that for
me?"
I nodded.
"Don't worry, I am not gonna leave you. I'll be right back. I just gotta go lead them off our trail. Don't be scared."
I was very scared!
"I'll be right back OK?"
"Ok" I said.
She kissed me quick on the lips and Jumped out of the tree.
I was astonished that she could jump like that... Hell I was astonished dumb founded and 80 foot up in a tree. I had no idea how I was gonna get down
if April did not come back for me.
FIN FOR NOW
Authors note
OK I hope to have this story finished up by sometime tonight/tomorrow . I am gonna take a break for a few and get back to this in a few hours.