Hell in a Handbasket

He smiled, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly as a pleasant and innocent gesture. He didn't want to seem suspicious. "I'd really appreciate it."

He made a move towards the back of the truck. There was something about her that didn't seem right, but he didn't know what. What he was certain of was her distrust. Whether it was that she flat out didn't believe his story or doubted his ability to handle himself in a strange new town, he didn't know.

He would have to stay alert.

"Where are you from, then, Leo?"

"Minnesota," he answered with a wistful smile. It had been his last place he had lived on Earth, and had been the state that Jackie had been called home. It only seemed fitting to continue the story where it had been left off. "I live in a small town on the edge of Lake Superior, though I did spend a few years in Minneapolis."

"Sounds like a nice place." What isn't he telling me? There's something he's hiding...I can feel it in my bones. We need to keep an eye on this one.

Yi has a weird feeling.

His smile remained. "It is." He gestured at the back seats of the truck. "Is there a specific side I should sit on?"

"Nah, just sit wherever," she answers. "So you just came here as a tourist? Pretty remote for a sightseer."

"Y-yeah," he replied, climbing into the backseat. A nervous little laugh left his lips. Lying should have come as second nature to him, but the lies he fed the people of other worlds never needed to be this detailed. It had been a long time since he had to convince someone from Earth of his honest.

He buckled the seatbelt. "It was one of those random ideas, I guess? I needed a change of scenery and I have some family in this state."

"Do they live up here?" she starts up the car and turns down the music so they can continue talking. He was definitely hiding something: her instinct was screaming that. This stranger was dangerous.

"Other end," he replied.

He went to tap the part of the car door that bordered the bottom of the window, only to draw his hand back. The percentage of iron was small in a car, and iron was the lesser of two evils. But it still was painful to touch; he had grown too accustomed to the lack of steel alloy in The Lotus.

He stared down at his feet. He had to ignore the pain. It would be only a short time before they arrived at the destination, and he had dealt with worse. The ache grew all the more noticeable as he waited for the opportunity to leave the truck.

She eventually parks, getting out and leading the way within the small, cozy bed and breakfast called "Lochy's Bed & Breakfast" - not the most catchy name, perhaps, but in a town this small there wasn't much competition.

He followed her into the small building. It was a quaint little place. If he had come here years ago, he would have made a vacation out of staying here. The scenery was beautiful, and the townspeople seemed nice - although they were certainly hiding some sort of secret.

As they approached the front desk, he pulled his wallet out from his trench coat. It was stuffed with as much money as he could possibly put in something like that; a withdrawal from the bank in the other direction had been a wise idea. Leonardo Cartwright hadn't hurt for money.

His fingers brushed up against a blank piece of paper. He doubted he would need a form of identification in this town, but a little illusion over the paper would make the perfect driver's license.

"Got a sightseer in town," Rowan says to the woman at the desk who spins around.

"Ah, Rowan, I heard Lochy was acting up," she smiles.

The other woman shrugs. "Dunno, we dealt with it for now. I guess I'll just have to feed him more. We'll see. Might also just be breeding season - maybe he just grew up."

"I remember when he was barely out of the egg," she reminisces. "You weren't even born then, Rowan."

She shrugs again. "Everything grows up. Can he get a bed?"

She turns to Leonardo. "Unfortunately I'm out. I only have a few rooms and they're already full. Quite rare for me, should have one open tomorrow."

"It's alright," he said, though he was worried about what he would do for the night. He needed somewhere private to sleep - a place where people wouldn't ask questions about his lack of sleep. He turned to Rowan. "Is there anyone else I could possibly stay?"

She ponders it. "If you're willing to work you can bunk on the couch for tonight," she answers. "Just don't do anything stupid or the dogs might get amped up," she tells him, implying quite heavily that if he tries anything dangerous her dogs will hurt him.