The van screeched to a halt in front of Sam, narrowly missing the arm and pointed thumb she had absentmindedly left outstretched as she had ambled along the side of the road for the past god knows how many miles. No sooner had she snatched her hand back and began counting her blessings, and with relief her untouched fingers, when the passenger door flew open and screaming music spilled out onto the hard shoulder. The engine coughed and spluttered as it sat idly waiting for their prospective passenger as Sam sidled up to the open door. She peered into the dimly lit front of the van. ‘Tonight’s your lucky night little Miss!’ A huge grin, equally divided by teeth and gaps, shone out at her from the drivers seat. A mop of tangled greying hair sat on top of what reminded Sam of a Halloween pumpkin that had seen one too many candles and was beginning to turn. ‘You’re the first body we’ve seen in hours and that’s one more than any cars! Up you jump!’ The pumpkin said, patting the passenger seat next to him.

The van exploded back onto the road like a gunshot, a cloud of exhaust smoke trailing in its wake. ‘Names Mack.’ Boomed the pumpkin, just about making it above the frantic cacophony of guitars, drums and vocals that were pounding out of the car speakers. He lifted a plastic medicine tub to his mouth and peppered a number of colourful pills straight down his throat. ‘Back there is Mozart and Smokey.’ Sam hadn’t even clocked there was anyone else in the van, such was the time it was taking her to choke down her new surroundings. She turned round and stared furtively into the shadowy cave that was the rear of the van. Leaning against the wall with her legs crossed on the floor was a skeletally thin woman with short pixie cut hair. She was fast asleep. Her head lolling along with the movement of the van and a roll-up cigarette dangling precariously from her thin cracked lips, the burning tip gently illuminating her gaunt features. The cigarette smoke floated through the air towards Sam and stung her nostrils upon contact. She’d never smelt anything like it before. Like melting plastic sprinkled with potpourri. On Smokey’s(Sam had taken a guess assigning the names correctly) lap sat an orange cat who was staring straight at Sam. Eyes a brilliant green that seemed to dance around the black pupils nestled in their middle. ‘So that would make you Mozart?’ Sam mused to herself.

‘Where you headed then?’ Mack boomed, beaming over at Sam for what she felt like was a ridiculously long time for a driver to take their eyes off the road. ‘Nowhere really. Just far from here’ she replied, unable to return his gaze. Mack laughed, swinging his head and, much to the relief of Sam, his attention back to the road. ‘You’re in luck little Miss, that’s just where we’re.....