*BurntIre*
The dimly lit gas station sat alone on the side of the road. A lone pickup truck was parked by the door.
“Spooky,” HPA shivered.
“Yeah,” I said. “You know, I could go another hour or so without eating–”
“Well, I can’t go another hour or so without a Mt. Dew!” protested Suede.
“OK, then.” Elisabeth pushed him forward. “You go first.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you’re a guy. Our warrior poet, you know?”
Suede muttered something under his breath, but obediently opened the door.
A bell jingled.
The man behind the counter looked up. He resembled the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. Huge arms. Full beard. Glittery eyes.
“Sir,” Suede squeaked. “Do you sell pop?”
“What kind of a place do you think this is, eh? I mean what would a gas station be without pop, eh?”
“Eh?” I repeated with a frown. “We must be closer to the border than I thought.”
Linz was already examining her map, turning it this way and that.
“In the back,” the man continued.
The rest of us went down various aisles.
“Powdered donuts over here!” PinkQT called.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Ah, you got any other money?” the man was asking Suede. “We don’t take American.”
“You don’t take American?” Suede sputtered, can in hand. “The last time I checked Wisconsin was still a state.”
“Wisconsin, eh?” The man made a noise that sounded like a chuckle. “This is Canada.”
I froze.
PinkQT gasped.
Linz whipped out her map.
Elisabeth’s mouth opened and closed.
HPA slumped against the candy rack.
“Canada!” I wailed. “Now we’ll never get to Wannabe!”
“Or Wan Hill,” PinkQT added. She gave Elisabeth a dark look.
“We… must’ve made a wrong turn,” Elisabeth said weakly.
Suede mused, “I don’t even have my passport on me.”
“Thank you, mister,” Linz sighed. “I guess that Mt. Dew will have to wait another hour.”
The bell above the door jingled.
“Hi, Pat!” a girl’s voice called. “I just put ten liters in.” She paused. “Hi, there.”
HPA looked the girl up and down. “Kris?”
The girl’s left eyebrow lifted. “How did you know my name?”
HPA’s face lit up. “Hey, guys, it’s Kris! I’m His Polished Arrow–you know, from the forum? It’s a good thing you posted that picture of yourself.”
“Wow,” said Kris, “I never expected to meet any of you here!”
“Neither did we,” PinkQT muttered.
“You’ll have to give me your names–”
“Linz.”
“Elisabeth.”
“BurntIre”
“SuedeKnight, HAHA!”
Kris gave him a puzzled look.
“PinkQT. We were headed for Texas, but SOMEHOW we ended up in Wisconsin, and then here.”
“Texas, huh?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Want to tag along?”
“That might be fun… sure!”
Arms linked–Suede walked behind us–we headed back down the highway.

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