FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The dashed line down the middle of the pavement was plainly visible despite the years since it was last repainted. The decades-old asphalt surface was worn and crumbling at the edges, and though it bore only a trickle of traffic nowadays it somehow managed to develop potholes. Behind the wheel of a late model sedan, an otter slowed to navigate his vehicle around a couple of them, allowing it to coast forward as he looked to his left at a couple of old buildings.

"How many miles is it all the way to the west coast?" asked the raccoon sitting in the passenger seat. "How many hours on the road?"

"2400 miles, give or take. It took us five days back then," replied Hank, the otter. "We'll be able to do the return trip in three if we drive all day and keep to the Interstates." He gave the two buildings a second glance before returning his eyes to the road just in time to see the warning sign that announced ROAD ENDS 1/2 MILE. "Too bad we couldn't get the kids interested in this when they were younger. They don't know what they're missing."

"Can you blame them for not wanting to spend days riding in the back seat? Besides, they have plenty of memories of the trips we made with them," answered Dee, the raccoon. As they continued forward, a soccer field appeared on the left. "Are you sure this is the right route?"

"It has to be. It followed along these tracks," he replied, gesturing toward the railroad to their right.

In the distance, a reflectored barricade stood where a bypass had been constructed some years earlier. They covered about half the distance to it before turning around at a gravel parking lot for the soccer field. As they headed back the way they came, they passed a billboard that was unreadable except for '3 Mi. Ahead' in the bottom corner. Sagging telephone wires paralleled the railroad track, and one could see further along where some of the poles were broken or missing.

Still avoiding the rough spots, they once again approached the two buildings. Hank steered the vehicle into the parking lot and shut off the engine. "This is the place, I'm sure of it," he said as he opened his door to step out.

Dee opened her door and emerged to survey the two buildings. The one on the left had obviously been a refueling station at one time. In the middle of the lot, the canopy that once sheltered patrons from the sun and rain still stood. The blue painted trim was faded, and spots of rust could be seen on both the support beams and the canopy itself. All that remained of the pumps were some capped off pipes extending a few inches from the pedestal. On the concrete pad along either side of it were oil spots left by countless vehicles. The building itself had been white with trim the same shade of blue. Through the faded uneven tint of the windows, some empty shelves could be seen on the back wall. "Not much left of it, is there?" Dee observed as Hank stepped up beside her, taking her paw in his.

"Nope, not much," he mused, shaking his head. "Mom took Petey and I into the restaurant to get a table for lunch, while Daddy stayed with the old rambler while an attendant refueled it."

"Attendant?"

"Back then you didn't pump your own gas."

"Ah, right! And they'd wash your windshield and check your oil."

Hank nodded. "Yep. Do you remember when stations like this had a hose across the lot that rang a bell inside when you drove over it?"

Dee giggled. "I used to jump up and down on them."

She turned to look at the other building. The large sign above the door still had electrode holes for a neon sign, but the tubes were long gone and the words 'Quality Tile' were painted on the backing. 'Kitchens, bathrooms, and more,' the sign continued in smaller lettering. Window frames along the front now held tile mosaics. Being merely closed for the weekend, it was better kept up than its neighbor, even if it was overdue to have the weeds pulled from the decorative rock along the front. "I don't think we'll be eating here today," she said with a smile.

Hank's smile was a sad one. They walked slowly hand-in-hand across the lot past the front of the tile dealership. "There were a lot more cars here that day, and a couple of semis parked over yonder. Dad joined us inside after a few minutes. I don't remember what kind of food they served, but I can still picture what the place looked like inside. And a funny story..."

Dee swiveled an ear toward him. "Oh?"

Hank chuckled took a breath. "Petey got up from the table, probably to use the bathroom or something. When he came back, he had a handful of money. 'Look, Mom, I found all this money people left on the tables!' Mom was furious! Once she calmed down she walked him around and made him put it all back while she explained to him about people leaving tips."

Dee let out a hearty laugh. "I could just see Pete doing something like that," she managed to say. "What was he then? Eight years old?"

"Yup. I was eleven. Later he told me he was mad that he couldn't keep the money to buy more souvenirs."

They reached the far side of the parking lot. The adjacent lot was overgrown with weeds except for patches of gravel and dirt, and beyond it was the soccer field. "I thought I remembered there being a play area here. There was a pool for otters like us to swim in, and a huge jungle gym for the climbers. We got to play for about ten minutes before we had to get back on the road."

"No trace of it now," said his wife.

"I might be misremembering where that play area was. Could be someplace else we stopped further along. Or maybe even a different vacation."

A train began rumbling past, three diesel electric locomotives pulling a long line of cars with double-stacked shipping containers and semi-trailers. "Did any trains pass while you were here?"

"I don't remember. I know we saw trains that day. Older locomotives..."

"Steam?"

He gave her a playful nudge with his elbow. "I'm not that old," he replied with a chuckle. He gave her a kiss on the lips and they started back toward their car, reaching it about the time the end of the train passed. "The trains still had cabooses," he said, watching the flashing red light on the rear coupler.

Hank opened the door, waited for Dee to arrange herself in the seat, then closed the door and walked around to get in the driver's seat. "Time to go find a restaurant that's still in business," she said.

"For sure. Someplace more memorable than fast food." He started the engine. "Then we can try to find that antique mall you wanted to see."

Before putting the transmission in gear, he took one more lingering look at what had once been a filling station and a diner. His paw came up to rub the suddenly damp fur beneath his eye.

"You okay, hun?"

Hank sniffed a little, and then smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

She nodded, studying his graying temples as he eased the car onto the road. Five more days at least this journey would take them, maybe six or seven. How many memories would it be from here to the west coast?