Blacktop Wasteland

Bug wakes in abject darkness, thinking he must be blind. In actuality, it is still nighttime. He touches his arms, shoulders, and head in the darkness, discovering a flesh wound on his shoulder. He has a large knot on his head from where he hit a tree as he rolled to the bottom of the embankment. Checking his watch, he sees it is 2:30 a.m. Realizing what has just happened, he curses Ronnie.

Bug knows that without the platinum, Lazy will harm Bug’s family, just as he threatened. Bug wants to call Kia and warn her to flee with his sons, but the burner phone Lazy gave him is broken. He knows he must climb back up the hill, meaning he will see his dead cousin, who was also his best friend: “Grief as strong as an earthquake hit him, sending tremors throughout his body” (231). Bug is physically and emotionally overwhelmed at seeing Kelvin’s body. He vows to return and bury Kelvin properly. He retrieves the keys to the pickup truck from Kelvin’s pocket, only to find that Ronnie has slashed the tires on the pickup and the bobtail truck. Bug has seen nearby homes with garages and knows he must steal a vehicle.