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It was a blazing hot day, too hot for even the dogs to be out. The air was soup; specifically potato soup if she was asked.
Before the card had finished processing, she opened the can and chugged about a quarter of the sparkling water; ignoring the burn of carbonation until it got too much and she needed air. The pressure in the bottom of her chest made her feel a little sick, but that would pass before she even made it to the door.
The card beeped and the tired eyed cashier shoved the snacks toward her.
“You want a bag?” His voice matched his eyes.
“Nah, I’m good,” She said as she shoved the bags of chips, beef jerky, and mini bottles of wine in her bag. She grabbed the 2 popsicles and headed out.
“See you next time,” She called behind, stalking back into the white light of the streetlamp and the neon gas sign.
The inside of the station was only marginally cooler than the outside but just as humid. The smell of salt and a little bit of sulfur clung in the air. It was an old blanket for her, and like the alligators stretched out in the sun, her cold body warmed. Turning her back on the setting sun, she walked into the curtain of cypress trees and Spanish moss with no fear of the bugs or critters that might bite.
She didn't have to walk very far, just out of sight of the gas station and its fluorescent lights. There it stood before her. Brighter than the sun when she first laid eyes on it but her eyes would adjust. Its many eyes fixating on the bag.
“DID YOU BRING CHARDONNAY, CHILD”
There wasn’t a mouth, but the voice rang in her head like a bell and wrapped her mind in several layers of wool. She had smoked enough weed for this feeling to be comforting.
“Hell yeah, I did. It’s your favorite and I quit drinking” She sat down on the fallen tree next to it and its many, many wings. She pulled the six pack of little bottles from her bag. “All yours, baby”
And suddenly, so many mouths.
Several hands take the wine bottles and the caps are no longer there. She takes a gulp of her water and takes the jerky out. Putting a strip between her teeth, she also pulls out a small jar and a pack of rolling papers.
“You’re the expert here,” She tosses them toward it and several hands catch. One of its mouths finished its drink, another swirled the contents and gingerly sipped, while a third mouth had finished chugging and was now chewing on the plastic bottle like bubble gum.
“YES, CHILD. I HAVE EXISTED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. I HAVE 6,000 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE”
“Is that how old the Earth really is?”
“NO. THAT IS WHEN I LEARNED HOW TO ROLL A BLUNT”
“Oh.” She rubbed her nose a bit and stared out at the horizon of now black trees against the pink sunset. “How old is the Earth?”
“FAR OLDER THAN YOU THINK” She raised an eyebrow.
“Older than 7 billion years?”
“MUCH OLDER”
One of its hands held a now rolled joint and another flicked its thumb out of its fist and the whole finger was engulfed in a small flame. Though she could smell burning flesh, it was not burning.
“I HAVE ALWAYS CALLED THIS HOME”
“What about Heaven?” All of its eyes turned to stare at her and blinked like a wave.
“HEAVEN IS HERE IF YOU WANT IT”
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and she took the joint.
“IT IS NOT IN MY WILL TO TELL YOU, BUT ONE DAY YOU WILL KNOW”
She didn’t feel like prying. Somethings, she believed, you just aren’t supposed to know yet. She guessed Heaven was one of them.
Letting the smoke leave her mouth like a prayer, she and her friend sat and watched the rose pink sky turn to lilac, then to navy freckled with stars.