Experiment Five by Kaitlin_K Lyrics
Jim and Sally had been packing for days. Their suitcases were sprawled out among the tent poles and coolers, empty with the anticipation of lunchmeat sandwiches. The camping trip was their last hurrah before the summer ended and the cold winter hunkered down on their sleepy town of Vermont. Jim’s mother would be over soon to watch the kids for the weekend, but Sally wasn’t anywhere close to being packed and ready. This wasn’t the first time they had left the children, but it never seemed to get any easier.
The tearful kisses from mother to child ensued, and as Jim packed the last of the sleeping bags, Sally’s goodbye wave reflected off the passenger side window back to her. She had been so excited about this camping trip, but felt a pang of guilt for leaving her children with her mother-in-law as they drove away.
Soon, Sally was settled in for the road trip and looked out the window as Jim sped past dense layers of pine trees. The mountains were so beautiful and Sally knew that their spot was going to feel amazing in the cool summer evenings. She kept jotting down notes about the things she wanted to tell the kids and making shopping lists in her head for all the groceries she would inevitably need after the departure of Mrs. M-I-L. As her list grew longer, her eyelids grew heavier.
Sally awoke startled by what sounded like an explosion. The car lurched sideways and in the dark of the night Jim’s white knuckles practically glowed around the steering wheel. Sally’s shriek reverberated inside the car and Jim pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road.
“What was that?!” Sally practically wailed.
“I think our tire blew. There wasn’t anything in the road that I saw. I’ll get out and check,” Jim replied.
After what seemed like an eternity on the dark side of the moon, Jim climbed back into the car and confirmed his prior assumption.
“Can’t you put the spare on?” Sally asked.
“I could, if the coolers hadn’t taken up so much room…” Jim replied.
“You mean to tell me you chose turkey sandwiches over spare tires?! And on a road trip?” Sally was feverish with anger.
“We’ve never had an issue like this before. But I’ll just call AAA and see if they can send someone out.” Jim calmly stated.
“It’s the middle of the night and we’re on the side of a mountain, Jim. How are you going to fix this! We’re just going to have to camp out here.”
“This isn’t a very safe part of the mountain. There could be bears anywhere around here,” Jim’s protest appeared to be short lived as Sally hopped out of the car and popped the trunk.
“We’re camping here. If a bear comes I’m not afraid to outrun you,” Sally couldn’t bear to have any further discussion. She wasn’t sure they would survive the night in the woods, but she wasn’t sure a bear would be the cause.
The tearful kisses from mother to child ensued, and as Jim packed the last of the sleeping bags, Sally’s goodbye wave reflected off the passenger side window back to her. She had been so excited about this camping trip, but felt a pang of guilt for leaving her children with her mother-in-law as they drove away.
Soon, Sally was settled in for the road trip and looked out the window as Jim sped past dense layers of pine trees. The mountains were so beautiful and Sally knew that their spot was going to feel amazing in the cool summer evenings. She kept jotting down notes about the things she wanted to tell the kids and making shopping lists in her head for all the groceries she would inevitably need after the departure of Mrs. M-I-L. As her list grew longer, her eyelids grew heavier.
Sally awoke startled by what sounded like an explosion. The car lurched sideways and in the dark of the night Jim’s white knuckles practically glowed around the steering wheel. Sally’s shriek reverberated inside the car and Jim pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road.
“What was that?!” Sally practically wailed.
“I think our tire blew. There wasn’t anything in the road that I saw. I’ll get out and check,” Jim replied.
After what seemed like an eternity on the dark side of the moon, Jim climbed back into the car and confirmed his prior assumption.
“Can’t you put the spare on?” Sally asked.
“I could, if the coolers hadn’t taken up so much room…” Jim replied.
“You mean to tell me you chose turkey sandwiches over spare tires?! And on a road trip?” Sally was feverish with anger.
“We’ve never had an issue like this before. But I’ll just call AAA and see if they can send someone out.” Jim calmly stated.
“It’s the middle of the night and we’re on the side of a mountain, Jim. How are you going to fix this! We’re just going to have to camp out here.”
“This isn’t a very safe part of the mountain. There could be bears anywhere around here,” Jim’s protest appeared to be short lived as Sally hopped out of the car and popped the trunk.
“We’re camping here. If a bear comes I’m not afraid to outrun you,” Sally couldn’t bear to have any further discussion. She wasn’t sure they would survive the night in the woods, but she wasn’t sure a bear would be the cause.