The Grey Ghost

[Beach Boy]

Thomas eased his Peterbilt carefully off of the sanded freeway and onto the snow covered offramp. Immediately the big truck broke traction. Thomas was ready for it and he shoved the clutch in and countersteered. To drive safely in this sort of weather you had to have a load and preferably a heavy one.

The road into the Boomtown casino was icy as well so Thomas took his time and found a slot next to flatbed loaded with steel.

"Easy backin' in there Grey Ghost. It's a bit icy here" A mans voice came over the CB.

Thomas keyed the mic "I'm in no hurry. Thanks"

"Don't mention it... I'm CR England, on your right."

Thomas caught a glimpse of a hand wave before the driver disappeared into the sleeper of his truck.

The wind whistled outside and rocked the truck slightly as snow began coming down more heavily. The flakes swirling disorientingly in different directions. Thomas felt the same sense of relief that he felt every night during the winter when he finally shut down for the night.

He was tired and hungry, but the casino beckoned to him, however he had a phone call to make first.

"Hello, is this Bob Price?"

"Yes." A young womans voice replied. "But you can call me Bobby."

"I just got here... I actually...I thought you would be a man." Thomas chuckled ackwardly.

"Well, I'm definitely a woman." Bobby laughed. "I might as well come on down and meet you.."

Thomas took a seat at a booth in the empty but peaceful restaurant and waited.

A young pretty woman with long brown hair poked her head into the restaurant and gave Thomas a bewildered look. "You're not Tom, are you?"

"Yes I am."

"You don't...um..look like the average truck driver.."

"Well, I used to be an engineer.. But you know how that goes.."

"Not really." she looked puzzled and sat down across from him.

"Engineers are sort of.. uh.. hired help. I was an aeronautical engineer. Companies like Boeing get big contracts, hire a bunch of engineers, and then when the contracts are completed -- they lay them off...

Bobby studied Thomas curiously. "I thought engineers had really solid jobs... that paid really well."

"I wish." Thomas grinned. "I'll admit the pay wasn't bad. But it wasn't great.... You know... you don't really look like..."

"Like the average truck driver?"

"Yeah."

"Well.." She smiled "I guess I would say that I love traveling and seeing new places. I've been all over the world. I just got back from Australia. I like challenges and new experiences." Bobby eyed the snow falling quietly outside with a look of quiet determination. "I've been driving for four years now."

"Have you driven in the snow much?"

"Every winter."

 

[Beach Boy]

I'd like to try something a bit different with this thread. I'd like to write a thread that is largely dialogue. The characters tell stories, and relate intimate revealing details about themselves as they travel the country together.

There could be some action but that wouldn't be the main feature of the story. Regretably my beginning was a little weak. I wanted to show an incongruity between the truck driver, who doesn't look like a truck driver, and the truck with was named the "Grey Ghost" -- by the original owner (A story in itself perhaps).

Anybody interested? Wanna try a dialogue thread? I do!