I'll Take The Dirt Road Novels & Stories

“Please, I need a bath! I smell like shit!” There’s no response still. I pause, taking a breather before commencing again. Pounding hard on the door. “Pleaseeeeeeeeee!” I’m trying to be as annoying as possible. I suck in a deep breath now, prepping my lungs. “I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road, I’m gonna ride till I can’t no more. I got the horses in the back, horse tack is attached, hat is matte black…!” The door beeps just as I’m getting to the good part of 'old town road' and the gears begin shifting within the door, unwinding every lock before it clicks open

"We can't take the main road. If they’re coming from the highway, they’ll have someone watching the exit. We use the old dirt track behind the barn. It's mostly mud right now, but the truck has four-wheel drive." "Give him to me," I added, reaching out. She let me take him. Eli was soft and heavy with sleep, his breath smelling of the warm milk she’d given him before bed. I held him close to my chest, using my hand to cover his eyes from the rain as we stepped out the back door. The cold air hit us like a slap. We ran across the wet grass, our boots sinking into the black mud. The garage door was already open, the dark shape of my old truck waiting inside.

I smile just enough not to ruin the moment, but I don’t say anything, because the truth is different, because I don’t want to be her best friend, I never wanted to be just that, even if I’ve pretended for so long that it was enough. But I also didn’t have the guts to do anything when I should have, when I still had the chance, and now it’s too late, now the best girl I know is with an idiot. And there’s nothing I can do about it. ⸻ The house shows up at the end of the street and for a second I think I got the address wrong, but no, it’s not a mistake, it just doesn’t look like a house, it’s a damn mansion, huge, lit up, music blasting from everywhere, cars lined up as far as you can see and

Danielle I stared down at my dashboard console and willed the check engine light to stop the infernal red glow. How I got where I was, I had no freaking clue, which meant I had no freaking clue how to find the freeway entrance to get home. “You are an idiot, Dani,” I whispered out loud. As if on a mission from the devil, my nineteen ninety-nine Honda shuddered, then back-fired, slowing to a crawl as I inched forward down a non-descript side street. Why Portland didn’t have better signage was beyond me.

At the fork in the road, Chris turned on the local radio station, keeping the volume low. Fiona seemed intent to hold Saint on her lap and look out the window at the impressive nature that whizzed by, and he could swear he heard her humming along to the music. He kept both hands on the steering wheel as he navigated the used Jeep through the potholes and ridges on the dirt road leading to his house. This was yet another item to put on his renovation list—gravel to fill in the cracks and maybe rent a backhoe to

Dami‍a‌n grow‍ls behind me. I do‌ not stop as I‌ circle the car, my boots crunching ag‌a⁠ins⁠t gravel as I head down the‍ dirt road without a‍ny real di‌rectio⁠n⁠. I do not eve‍n kn⁠ow where⁠ it l⁠ead⁠s, I just know I need to get away from him but I d‌o n‍ot make‌ it far.

he says with an air of certainty that takes my breath away. “You never asked me.” He just chuckles and flicks on the indicator, taking us off the main road and onto a worn out little dirt path. “Where are we going?” This time, I can hear a smile in his voice when he says, “You’ll see.” The SUV bounces on the dirt road. On both sides, we’re surrounded by the woodlands park where people come to hike and camp over the weekends. It gives them the illusion that they’re not in the city anymore.

On our way there, as we drive along the long road, my favorite Wheatus song, 'Teenage Dirt Bag' comes on and surprisingly Scott loves it too and he sings it out loud before I join in on the chorus. "Cause I'm just a teenage dirt bag, baby! Yeah I'm just a teenage dirt bag, baby! Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me, ooh," I sing along to the chorus and wait for Scott to jump in on the second verse. "Her boyfriend's a dick. He brings a gun to school. And he'd simply kick my ass if he knew the truth. He lives on my block. And he drives an I-Roc..." He says the name I-Roc loudly and it hits me, Blake drives an I-Roc. Goodness! Scott is referring to Blake, he's not just singing along. Even thoug

It was super weird. He took the left turn, and then we were on a dirt road. Not gravel. Dirt. The squad bumped over tree roots, rocks, and uneven patches. “We’re almost there,” he said. “I think it’s at the end of this… whatever this is. Road? Driveway?” “O-Okay,” I managed to choke out.

They know what to do when someone is torn apart by teeth and fury. The next breath he takes is so faint I almost miss it. I tap my finger on the wheel again. One. Two. Three. I turn onto the forest road. The asphalt gives way to dirt. The car bumps harder. Branches scratch lightly against the sides as the trees close in. The sun breaks through in thin, soft beams and I watch dust flick through them like slow glitter. Ryan breathes again, but the sound is faint and whistling. I cannot take it anymore. I glance back.