Gerty… (10) !!

Daddy didn’t like me hiding in the closet. I was very small and could get behind the big boxes and the hanging clothes. Daddy never knew which closet I would hide in or under what bed. Sometimes daddy would give up but other times Daddy would look and look. I stopped crying a long time ago because Daddy didn’t care and crying made it feel worse and never better. Daddy also did not like the crying and mommy use to cry alot but now mommy was gone. Someday I will be gone but not like mommy’s gone. Daddy says mommy’s gone because she didn’t want me anymore. I was a dirty Gerty and mommy did not want a dirty girl. Daddy said that dirty girls have to do dirty things to pay for making mommy go away.
I have to go to the dark when it was time to do the dirty things. There was music and words that sang in the dark. It helped make it go away and then Daddy would go away….for awhile.

I have a place where I can go
you can’t come I told you so
I’ll be back and this I know
down the stairs dear daddio

bouncy bouncy bouncy ball
bounce dear daddy off the wall
down and down we both will go
down the stairs dear daddio

The closet is dark. I like the dark now. It is hard to find things in the dark. When the door opens it is not so dark. I can see the shadow from the light under the door. The shadow means the door will open. I don’t want my..

A raging scream pierces the night as Johnny is awakened to the shock of Gerty tearing the sheets off the bed in an effort to free herself from any covers. Gerty is on her feet in a blind rage of awakening from a nightmare beyond Johnny’s understanding. Waking himself he senses her panic and is frozen in a moment of shock. Gerty staggers over to the desk in their motel room and smashes the desk lamp to the floor with a swing of her arm.
Gerty growls,
"think again asshole."
Johnny decides to try turning on a light to get Gerty back to reality but chooses not to say a word. The quiet click the lamp switch gets Gerty to spin on her heels and face the noise. Gerty finds Johnny on the bed and with her eyes gives him a hateful leer. Johnny looks Gerty straight and deep into her eyes a still maintains his silence. Gerty’s fists are clenched white knuckle tight but slowly she seems to understand the moment and her eyes soften and her memory returns to this world. Gerty glances around the room and sees the disarray and what has happened again.
Gerty has fallen asleep. Gerty doesn’t fall asleep. Gerty doesn’t dream. Gerty realizes that being with Johnny has softened her world enough that she is finding a calm that has horrible consequences. Gerty cannot sleep because Gerty cannot dream. Gerty sleeps in Johnny’s arms so Gerty cannot lie in Johnny’s arms.
Gerty’s eyes comes back around to Johnny who remains sitting on the bed with those knowing eyes Gerty likes to look deep into. There is no daddio in Johnny’s eyes.

Johnny knows that these dreams of Gerty’s cannot go on as it will be the death of her. Johnny knows that Gerty will not talk about them without even asking so Gerty’s nightmare has become his. One thing Johnny does know is that there is a daddio out there who is going to have a very bad day unless something changes very soon.
Gerty breaks the silence and murmurs,
"I want to go now "
"Sure Gerty. Me too. Let’s head north for a bit to get off this straight track that we’ve been on just to make sure no one is putting the pieces to together okay?
Gerty is half in and half out of this world but eventually responds,
"Anything you say, J-Man."
Johnny did not like the feeling of being a J-Man again. Something has changed and it’s not for the better of anyone. Gerty gets dressed then rummages through her backpack while Johnny gets his few things together. The keys to the room were thrown on the desk on the way out and the two of them were off into the night.

For the first time since Gerty and Johnny met there is uneasiness between them with Gerty deep in thought and Johnny worried about the change in Gerty’s demeanor. The childlike and bubbly personality is gone leaving a brooding darkness that filled the cab of the truck. Feeling the need for a distraction Johnny thought maybe a little excitement could bring Gerty around to the real world and return a little bit of her old self.
"Gerty, I think that we need to switch out the truck for some new wheels. It’s Saturday night so most car dealers won’t be open until Monday so what about shopping up some new wheels at bargain basement prices?"
Gerty turned to Johnny and asked,
"You wanna steal a car Johnny?"
"Sure. Lets find a proper ride and ditch the truck. It has been too many places that may be remembered later on. We’ll get a couple days head start on anyone before they notice the car is gone.."
Johnny’s idea seems to be working as Gerty asked,
"Can we get a sports car, something fast and fun? Can we Johnny? Can I drive it too?"
"That’s the spirit "Johnny thought and assured Gerty he would do his best to make her happy.

It doesn’t take long for Johnny and Gerty to run across a used car dealership of the secondary highways they’re driving. Gerry’s Friendly Car Sales seems just the mark they’re looking for. A small manufactured building is all that housed the offices and importantly secured the keys to the late model used cars. A black 2011 Camaro caught Gerty’s eyes immediately and Johnny thought it would do nicely himself. Johnny pulled the truck around the back of the building out of sight of any passerby. Johnny found what he was looking for right away. A frosted window of medium size stood slightly cracked. It was the mistake of most businesses. Lock everything up tight but forget about the bathroom window that is left open for obvious reasons. The window was small but so was Gerty so she’s taking point on this caper.
Johnny and Gerty hopped on the bed of the truck with Johnny giving Gerty a leg up to tear out the screen and get the window the rest of the way open. The operation went smooth and soon Johnny had his hands on Gerty’s ass and was shoving her through the window. Gerty was laughing and enjoying Johnny’s unnecessary fondling of her behind. Eventually Gerty found her footing enough to tumble through the window without any injury. Johnny whispered up to the window
‘Gerty, you alright?"
Gerty cute smile popped into view and blurted,
"What next pervert?’
Johnny explained to Gerty to look for a wall rack much like a picture frame where keys may be hung on the wall. Gerty was lucky as the keys were not in a lock box but hung in rows with tags. In the dark Gerty could not see the writing so she started pushing the fob buttons to flash the lights until the Camaro lights flashed. Luck was their lady tonight as Gerty made no effort to watch for passing cars but they remained undetected. Johnny waived her away from the door as any alarm would surely be attached. Gerty left the same way that she came but this time it was to fall into Johnny’s awaiting arms. She remembered the motel and her dark thoughts but she also knew that J

ohnny truly was her keeper. Gerty realized one thing in that moment. Together they will live and together they will die.