@@@@@There was something odd attached to the
@@@@@There was something odd attached to the bumper–chains and two
very dirty tarps, all ragged and torn
“Here,” Jared said, and led the way to a shadowy crevice just a little shorter than he wasHe
brushed aside a dusty, dirt-colored tarp and rifled through a pile hiding behind itHe pulled out a
T-shirt, soft and clean, with tags still attachedHe ripped those off and threw the shirt to me
Then he dug until he found a pair of khaki pantsHe checked the size, then flipped them to me,
too
I hesitated for a moment while he waited, wondering what my problem wasI flushed and then
turned my back to himI yanked my ragged shirt over my head and replaced it as quickly as my
fumbling fingers could manage
I heard him clear his throatI'll, uh, get the car His footsteps moved away
I stripped off my tattered cutoff sweats and pulled the crisp new pants into placeMy shoes
were in bad shape, but they weren't that noticeableBesides, comfortable shoes weren't always
easy to come byI could pretend I had an attachment to this pair
Another engine came to life, quieter than the jeep'sI turned to see a modest, unremarkable
sedan pull out of a deep shadow under a boulderJared got out and chained the tattered tarps
from the jeep to this car's rear bumperThen he drove it to where I stood, and as I saw the heavy
tarps wipe the tire tracks from the dirt, I comprehended their purpose
Jared leaned across the seat to open the passenger doorThere was a backpack on the seat
I crouched to look at myself in the side mirrorI flipped my chin-length hair over my cheek, but it wasn't eno