Who: Asher, Open When: Monday afternoon Where: Near the fields What: Asher rolls into town Status: Ongoing Rating: PG
Asher shifted gears in the 18-wheeled truck, slowing its speed down as he started toward what seemed like a populated area. He'd done the same for what felt like hundreds of towns, not wanting to blow through at upwards of 80 mph on the off chance that there were people in the town. There never were, but he didn't want to take a chance. Welcome to Hartshorne the sign read. Asher wondered briefly who had lived in Hartshorne before. As if sensing his owner's thoughts, Chewie whined a little and rested his head on Asher's thigh. "Half-way there, buddy," Asher promised the dog, patting him between the ears.
Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure they were halfway there. He'd missed a turn a few miles back, or had made one when he should have stayed straight. Either way, he wasn't on his planned route. But the map had assured him he'd hit 271 and that would take him back on his way south, so he wasn't too worried. A little deviance would be a welcome change, and it was unlikely he'd find anything different on one route versus the other. Maybe he'd find a park, throw the ball around with Chewie for a while before continuing.
They were about thirty minutes from Hartshorne when he slowed again for another oncoming town. That was when he saw something that made him gawk and slam on the brakes as hard as he dared, especially considering the rain. The vehicle whined and groaned as gears shifted and stuck and air was let out of the brake lines, but Asher didn't notice. What he did notice was crops- fresh and green and being tended by actual people. There were horses in the fields working, and cows grazing and all of the things he'd forgotten existed these last four years.