At first the idea of taking the scenic route cross-country seemed exciting and adventurous, but now Alex was weary of corn fields and longed for a freeway.
According to the GPS, Alex was now in Nebraska. He plotted a course to Omaha and then started looking for a place where he could get some dinner.
In the middle of nowhere, he spotted a country store and pulled into the gravel parking lot. The store appeared to be empty, but Alex spotted a lunch counter and took a seat.
After waiting a few minutes, Alex called out. Eventually, an old man lumbered in. "Can I help you?" he asked. Alex studied the menu on the wall behind the counter and asked for a cheese burger and a Coke. The old man smiled and went back to the kitchen.
While the old man was gone, Alex looked around. The store appeared as if no one had visited it in years. Through a dirty window, Alex spotted something in the distance. It turned out to be an old drive-in movie theater long since abandoned.
The cheese burger was surprisingly good and Alex felt himself getting sleepy. The next thing he knew was waking up in his car.It was almost dark and Alex realized that he was now parked in the drive-in theater that he noticed from the store. An old movie was playing on the screen.
Alex left the car and began exploring. He quickly discovered that an electric fence surrounded the drive-in. Suddenly the light to the snack bar flicked on and Alex walked over to it. A meal was sitting on the counter, but there was no sign of the old man or anyone else.
While eating his dinner, Alex tried to think of a reason why the old man would keep him here. For a moment, he imagined what the drive-in was like when it was occupied by families and teenagers. Maybe the old man just wanted an audience one more time.
For the first few weeks, Alex tried to find a way out, but eventually settled into a routine of sleeping during the day and watching movies at night.
It wasn't such a bad life once you got used to it.
In the middle of nowhere, he spotted a country store and pulled into the gravel parking lot. The store appeared to be empty, but Alex spotted a lunch counter and took a seat.
After waiting a few minutes, Alex called out. Eventually, an old man lumbered in. "Can I help you?" he asked. Alex studied the menu on the wall behind the counter and asked for a cheese burger and a Coke. The old man smiled and went back to the kitchen.
While the old man was gone, Alex looked around. The store appeared as if no one had visited it in years. Through a dirty window, Alex spotted something in the distance. It turned out to be an old drive-in movie theater long since abandoned.
The cheese burger was surprisingly good and Alex felt himself getting sleepy. The next thing he knew was waking up in his car.It was almost dark and Alex realized that he was now parked in the drive-in theater that he noticed from the store. An old movie was playing on the screen.
Alex left the car and began exploring. He quickly discovered that an electric fence surrounded the drive-in. Suddenly the light to the snack bar flicked on and Alex walked over to it. A meal was sitting on the counter, but there was no sign of the old man or anyone else.
While eating his dinner, Alex tried to think of a reason why the old man would keep him here. For a moment, he imagined what the drive-in was like when it was occupied by families and teenagers. Maybe the old man just wanted an audience one more time.
For the first few weeks, Alex tried to find a way out, but eventually settled into a routine of sleeping during the day and watching movies at night.
It wasn't such a bad life once you got used to it.
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