Jade managed to grab the fresh can from the minifridge just before the door clicked shut. It was a practiced move, done countless times during long hauls on the open road, yet it always brought a small sense of victory. She could already feel the chill on her fingertips as the condensation began to drip down the sides of the can, mingling with the light sheen of sweat on her palm.
The truck’s cabin was stifling, the broken AC turning the enclosed space into an oven under the unrelenting Nevada sun. The air outside wasn’t much better, but the open windows provided the illusion of relief, the rushing wind scattering the illusion of heat, if only for a moment. She cracked the can open with a satisfying hiss and brought her gaze back to the road just as the vehicle rounded another curve.
The road stretched endlessly ahead, shimmering in the distance. The asphalt absorbed the sun’s fury, returning it in waves that distorted the horizon into a mirage of distant ponds. On either side, the landscape offered little variation: low, parched hills dotted with scraggly bushes and the occasional forlorn cactus. The silence of the desert felt heavy, broken only by the truck’s engine and the faint whistle of wind through the windows.
Her phone rumbled against the dashboard, pulling her out of her thoughts. With a groan, she glanced at the caller ID. Rick. Of course. She sighed, long and deliberate, as if the breath itself could convey her frustration. With a flick, she put the call on speaker and raised the windows, sealing herself into the sweltering cocoon of the cabin.
“Hey Rick, ‘sup?” she greeted, her voice flat.
“Yo, Jade. Look, I know what your first answer might be, but let me at least explain it entirely before you get mad, okay? I can hear you getting mad from here.”
Her grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. She glanced at the road, the shimmering heat haze blending the horizon into a surreal blur. “Alright, alright, bring it,” she replied, keeping her voice even.
“Look, my cousin Andrew just had a big problem with one of his engines and really needs the parts for the repairs.”
Jade rolled her eyes, already guessing the gist of what was coming. “And I suppose your cousin is not really on the circuit I’m actually driving on, but the opportunity is just too good to be true, and you thought of little old me because I’m one of the only mad drivers in the sector who might do it. How true am I?”
Rick chuckled nervously on the other end. “Damn, okay. Look, it’s not as bad as it seems, okay? You just have to grab the package at Mully and Molly’s in Carlin. At least it’s on your way back, you know? Andrew lives in New Creek, a few miles south. You’ll only be a few hours late getting home. He pays the normal fee, but he also throws in four crates of his produce, okay? The bonus we’ll get from selling it is yours for the inconvenience. He’s really screwed without those parts, and you’re kind of his only hope right now. These fish need their bubbles, you know?”
Jade let the silence linger, letting Rick squirm a bit on the other end. The truck hit a bump, and she steadied the wheel, her fingers brushing the worn leather cover. “Rick, you know I won’t get really mad. Just… send me the numbers, and I’ll do it. But you’ll have to apologize to Meli for me, okay?”
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“Oh, uh... yeah, s-sure. Will do. Just—sorry again. And thank you a lot for this. I know we all kind of take you for granted now, but it’s nice having someone we can count on nowadays.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Keep being this nice, and I might inform Jenice about this new person you really look up to now.”
Rick laughed, the sound sheepish but relieved. “Haha, okay, okay, no need for threats. Thanks again. Bye.”
The line went dead, and the cabin returned to its usual quiet hum. Jade reached for her phone again, dialing home. The ringing filled the space as her eyes wandered back to the desert, the hills passing in slow, steady waves. She was alone on the road, as she was most days. The exodus from these remote parts had left its mark, and it was rare to pass another soul.
When Meli picked up, her voice was bright, a beacon amidst the monotony of the drive. “How’s my favorite truck rider doing?”
“Well…” Jade bit her lip, trying not to let the smile creep into her tone, though she knew it was futile.
“You got another unscheduled delivery, am I right?”
“Yup. Rick’s cousin.”
“That little rascal... raahh. Oh, speaking of the devil, he’s trying to call me.”
“No, wait, don’t switch. Let him stew a bit. He’s already kind of scared of the consequences awaiting him for his transgression. We might as well let him shake in fear.”
“Oh, yeah. Let’s let him wonder with which sauce he’ll be eaten the next time I see his little baby face.”
Jade let out a laugh, echoed by Meli' soft chuckle, a genuine sound that broke through the tension of the day. “Hey, hon, I’m sorry, but his cousin lives in New Creek, a neo-settlement a few kilometers south of Carlin. I probably won’t be home before nightfall, so our movie night will have to be slightly delayed.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard, J. I’m kind of enjoying the desperate housewife role you’re forcing me into after all these years. I just need to find a new bottle of wine to drink all by myself, expecting your return, while you go on yet another adventure. I even found a nice window from which I can watch the driveway. Too bad it’s not raining.”
“Ha ha ha. That’s just hilarious. But seriously, I’m sorry for the delay.” Jade’s apology was cut short as the truck’s engine sputtered and died without warning.
“SHIT!” She tightened her grip on the steering wheel, keeping the truck straight as it coasted to a stop on the roadside.
“Babe? Babe, are you alright?” Meli’s voice came through, laced with worry.
Jade exhaled slowly, grabbing her phone. “Yeah, everything’s fine. The engine just went off. I guess this will add to the delay.”
As she stepped out of the cabin, the oppressive heat hit her immediately. She adjusted her jacket, stuffing her phone into the pocket as she approached the hood to check the engine.
She was peering at the tangle of machinery when Meli’s voice came again, sharper this time. “Uh, babe, are you seeing this where you are?”
“Seeing what?” Jade turned her head, scanning the horizon, and froze.
The sky above her had decided to go all in. Or maybe it had decided this was the moment to say, ‘Fuck this, I’m out.’ and had transformed into a kaleidoscope of color. The usual dull gray-blue of the Nevada sky at this time of day was completely gone. Deep blue stretched across the heavens, crisscrossed with broad, radiant bands of light in hues she couldn’t name as they were changing, . The entire web seemed alive, moving and shifting with deliberate slowness, like an ever-moving canvas painted by a cactus-dreaming artist. The world beneath the spectacle felt small, as if the desert was merely a stage for the sky’s grand performance.
“Well, that’s new,” she muttered, her voice barely audible against the vast silence of the desert, illuminated as bright as day by the strange phenomenon.