By the time that she arrived at the truck-stop, it was early morning and the café was open, by now she was so tired that she would have almost accepted a lift from anybody, so as to travel as far away as possible.
There were only two trucks there. One full of squealing pigs, the other seemed quiet. But when she got close, the smell was puzzling; she got up alongside and saw that this one had a load of goats. No! No! Definitely Not! Goats were related to Satyrs and Satyresses, weren’t they?
Hmm. It would have to be the pigs then. Just then the drivers came out of the café together. Peculiar! They seemed short and rather pig-like she thought, especially when they snorted in laughter about where their cargoes had come from. She saw the trucks were both marked with the name of the same firm.
Just then a car pulled in and a slim lady got out and went into the toilets and then into the café. She started back across to her car but had to stop when the pig truck drove slowly past her, she looked up into the truck to look at the pigs and suddenly stepped back as something sprayed out at her. She looked shocked, tried to spit out what gone into her mouth and wiped her face and neck. She turned and ran back to the toilets obviously to wash out her mouth and wash her face.
Sue stood back into the shadows and was glad she wasn’t nearer.
By then the goat truck had also left, so Sue was preparing to talk to the slim lady but it wasn’t a slim lady that came out of the toilets. A plump lady waddled out and made her way across to the car, just before she inserted herself in, she raised her snout and sniffed the air, then turned the car and headed off after the pig truck.
What now? Sue thought, is everything tainted?
An hour or so later, two girls drove in with a Motor-home and went into use the toilets. When they came back out, she approached them carefully to make sure they hadn’t picked up any taint or changes. At least they seemed OK, unless the changes were slow acting.
She managed to get a lift from them. Their names were Beth and Evie. They were going south to Florida to work there for their year off University. She sat between them in the front. The back of their Motor-home was loaded with what looked like most of their belongings, as though they were moving house.
Two hours down the road and they saw a better truck-stop, which had a Motel alongside and decided to make another break. This time they’d have a meal. As they pulled in, to Sue’s horror she saw the two same trucks with the goats and pigs. She tried to persuade them to go onto the next but Beth, the older girl said she was desperate for the toilet and for Real Foood and Drink, so they carried on in.
While Beth went for her bathroom break, Sue and Evie went into the restaurant and got their seats in a corner with their backs to the wall and where they could people-watch and see both inside and outside. With relief she saw the goat trucker go to his vehicle and drive away. Beth came in, saw them waiting, came over and sat down facing them. She decided she wanted to people-watch as well, so moved to the next table alongside. A waitress came and took their orders and brought them coffee.
The door from the Motel opened and to Sue’s horror in came the piggy man followed by his partner, the last time Sue had seen the woman, she had been thin but getting fatter. Now, she was really obese. The restaurant had started filling up, so they made their way across to the 4-seat table with just Beth on it. They asked if it was OK for them to join her? Beth as always the chatty one said “yes of course, your very welcome, make yourself at home”.
The waitress came over and took their orders and also brought them coffee.
Once the piggy people sat down, Beth had ignored the her two friends on the next table as though they didn’t exist,. Evie had smelt them when they got close and felt repelled and nauseated but Beth who was so much closer now seemed to be leaning across the table to try and inhale more.
Evie said quietly to Sue after a while, that Beth seemed to really turned on by the piggy couple. She heard the two women discussing clothes that the piggy women had bought and she wasn’t sure whether they suited her. Piggy woman said “while we’re waiting for food would she have a look at them?”
Beth agreed and with no further prompting got up from the table and followed Piggy woman out of the door back to the Motel.
Sue and Evie had both finished their meals, had a sweet and there was still no sign of Beth. By then over 45 minutes had gone by, the piggy man had dined alone as though not expecting company, then the Motel door opened, Evie and Sue gave sighs of relief when they saw piggy woman coming in followed by - by, no, that fat lump following can’t be Beth, the same clothes except they are untidy and stained with something, as was Beth’s face. Was that lettuce in her greasy hair?
What was that she chewing on with her mouth half open, dribbling and a vacant look in her eyes? Piggy man and Piggy woman conversed in low voices and grunts, then Evie gathered from that they had settled their Motel bill and were getting ready to depart.