//------------------------------// // Arrival // Story: Nothing Left // by Captain Obvious //------------------------------// "I can't see shit out here," Bruce said as he climbed out of the truck behind Tom. Tom just turned on his phone's flashlight app and motioned for Bruce to do the same. "Yeah, I left mine at home," was Bruce's response. Tom stared at him for a moment. "Why the hell would you do that? "I didn't think I needed it," was the answer. Tom really wanted to slap the stupid out of his brother sometimes. "You didn't think that three people, one of them a fourteen year old girl, wandering for a few days in the woods, with GUNS I might add, would ever require some type of quick communication with emergency services in case one of us shoots ourselves in the foot?" "You got your phone, so I don't see why you're bitching," Bruce shot back. "God dammit Bruce," Tom muttered, shaking his head as Jenny came out of the truck. "I have mine, Dad, but it's not gonna do us any good," she said, handing him her phone. Tom looked at her phone and just sighed. The screen was completely shattered. "Fucking hell." He handed the phone back. "At least it's insured. Put it in the glove box." While she did that, the two men went to the back of the truck. Tom held the phone for light as Bruce rummaged around for the lantern and flashlights. Jenny joined them back there as Bruce found the lantern. After a bit more searching, he pulled out the three flashlights they brought, as well as one small can of propane. He handed the flashlights to the other two before screwing the propane can to the bottom of the lantern. He then took out his lighter and ignited the lantern before going around front and placing it on the hood of the truck. He then grabbed his flashlight while Tom turned the app on his phone off. "So where the hell are we?" Bruce finally asked. Tom was bringing up Google Maps. "I'm checking, gimme a sec." No Signal. Of course. Tom sighed again. "Should we call Mom, or something?" Jenny asked. "Yes, we should, there's no signal though, sweetie." "Well then," Bruce stated, "I'm going back up to the highway to see if I can flag someone down." When Bruce left, Tom lit a cigarette and decided to finally check out the damage to his truck. He grabbed the lantern and stood in front of the vehicle. The left side was completely smashed in, the headlight on that side shattered, and the bumper was gone. He went around to the passenger side, and saw the truck had slammed into a large tree, which was now sporting quite a large horizontal crack across the trunk. The right side of the truck bed was smashed, wrapping around the trunk. The rear tire was flat. The insurance company would total it out, he just knew it. Jenny walked around and stood next to her father, looking at the truck. "Wow, Dad. That's, um, it's..." She couldn't come up with the right words. She knew how much he loved that truck. "It's -" "Fucked." Tom finished for her. "Yes, I know. I can see it from here sweetie." Jenny decided it was best not to say anything at all at that point. Her father was irritated. She didn't want to make him angry. She watched him go into the back seat, reach under, and pull out a small black bag. Tom pointed to a spot under the tailgate. "Shine your light over here," he ordered while pulling a long bar out of the bag. While she held the light, he located a small hole to insert the bar, and began turning it counterclockwise to lower the spare tire. After pulling it out, he raised the cord that held the tire up. He didn't raise it fully. He was going to put the flat tire there, so there was no point. There was no way he could change the tire where the truck was at now, so he just put it, along with the bag, in the back seat. The process took about ten minutes. Afterwards, he pointed his flashlight up the hill. "Where the hell is your uncle?" It took a few more minutes before he saw Bruce coming down the hill, dragging something behind him. "Head's up!" Bruce called as he let go of whatever he was dragging, Tom stepped to the side just as his front bumper slammed into the side of the pickup. At least he had it back. "I hit the end of the tracks, but there's no road, highway, or anything," Bruce said while helping Tom throw the bumper in the back of the truck. "I don't know where the hell we are, but it sure as hell ain't near where we should be." "The hell do you mean, no road?" Tom asked "Exactly what it sounds like. The hill just keeps going up at the end of the tire tracks." "Are you fucki-" Tom started to say, before he saw his daughter looking nervously at the two men. "Sweetie, wait in the truck while we figure something out, ok?" "Okay..." Jenny replied as she climbed into the truck. Tom turned Bruce away from the truck and spoke in a softer tone so they didn't upset the young girl. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Bruce sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, It's a big joke. I just dragged your fucking bumper around the goddamn woods for fun. You think I like being out in Bumfuck, Nowhere, with a wrecked-ass truck?" It was Tom's turn to sigh. "Okay, so it was a dumb question. So, what do you think?" Bruce looked around for a moment. "Well, I think we should sit tight til' it's light out. We can head back up the hill then." "Alright, sounds like a plan," Tom said before the two men turned and got back into the truck. Once inside, Tom relayed the info to Jenny. The three decided to just nap until daytime.