The Road

"Watch the road."
"I know what I'm doing."
"Joe watch the road!"

Joe looks up from the map and slams on the breaks as he comes to a stop at a busy intersection. A woman is crossing the intersection with a baby in a stroller and stops in mid-stride.

"Joe! You almost hit her!"
"But I didn't."
"But you-"
"I know what I did Luna!"
"You don't have to get defensive!"
"I wouldn't be so defensive if you weren't constantly nagging me!"
"I wouldn't have to nag if you would just give me the map!"

Joe crumples the map and throws it in Luna's lap.

"Oh that's mature!"
"Just take the damn map and shut up!"

After an hour of frigid silence goes by. The only thing moving in the car was the small dalmatian bobble head on the dashboard of their compact, blue, smart car. Luna looks out of the car window as they are trailing through the blazing red desert. The afternoon sun begins to lower making a dark outline of Joe's body as Luna finally decides to look at him.

"You hungry?"
"A little."
"I packed some sandwiches in the back if you want one."
"Sure."

Luna hands Joe a wrapped sandwich. Joe bites the plastic off the top spits it out in the car and takes a large bite.

"Joe.."
"I'll clean it up."

Luna leans her elbow against the window and gently rests her head on her fist as she sighs.

"What now?"
"Nothing."
"Your sighing."
"I can't sigh?"
"Other people can. But you can't just sigh."
"Okay Joe, what do you think my problem is?"
"I don't know. I figured that's why we are paying this lady two hundred and fifty dollars to tell me your problem."
"Don't act like it's just me. You have faults too."
"Oh I know. Boy do I know. You remind me every chance you get. It's just that every time I find fault with you, I'm wrong."
"We are going to Madam Reyes to help us fix our relationship. She's good at helping people find spiritual balance. You don't feel that we are out of tune with each other? Like we're vibrating on two different planes?"
"Nope."

The couple pull up to a tiny, dark, wooden shack. There are colorful wind chimes blowing as they hang from the roof of the shack. The couple get out of the car and walk to the front door. Luna pushes a lock of blonde hair behind her ear as she raps lightly on the door.

"Comiiiing."

As tiny old woman draped in colorful scarves opens the door and signals for the two to come in.

"Come in! Come in! Please sit. I don't have chairs but pick a pillow around the table and sit by the fire. I like to think this is more cosy than a conventional home."

Joe looks around the house puzzled. "Uh-huh."
Luna slightly nudges Joe in the ribs.
"Ouch."
The old woman ignores this.

"Would you like some tea?"
Luna speaks up. "Oh no ma'am, we're fine."
Joe raises a finger in objection. "I'll take whatever ya got."
"Lovely."

The old woman races off to the kitchen. Luna's fierce blue eyes immediately tear into Joe.

"What?"
"Why are you taking the woman's tea? You don't need any!"
"For two hundred and fifty dollars I better get tea and a full course meal."
"Which you will in due time."
The couple jump as the old woman silently returns with the tea tray and sets it on the table.

"I'm sorry Miss..."
The old woman holds a hand up to stop Luna. "No need to apologize. My fees are high but I believe it is worth every penny."
She sits in the on the ground with the couple. The old woman looks curiously at their faces.

"You are a very attractive couple."
"Thank you." said Joe
"Yes...yes. So very nice you are. Do you have children?"
"No ma'am. We have, uh, fertility issues." said Luna
"No, my sperm just finds your eggs too hostile."
"Joe!"
The old woman laughs.
"I can tell you love each other."
The couple look at each other incredulously.
"You do. And you will love each other more, the longer you stay. Come with me."

The old woman takes the couple into a large dark basement. She locks the door behind them. Luna stops.
"Oh, that's for...the air. It gets quite chilly down here."
Joe begins to stumble in his place.
"Are you okay my dear?"
"Fine. It was a long drive."
"Yes...of course. Why don't you sit."

The old woman leads the couple into a very sterile looking white room. There are metal trays on the counter, culture dishes, and a microscope lying out. The old woman pulls out a metal chair for Joe to sit on. Joe immediately collapses. Luna panics.
"Oh my goodness, Joe!"
The old woman then hits Luna over the head with a blunt object from the back.

As the couple wake up they are strapped down on two separate rollaway beds. Luna moves, but her back is in pain. She feels heavier and more tired. Joe tries to move his legs. But his knees feel a shooting pain.

"Well good morning sunshines."

It sounds like Luna's voice. But it isn't Luna. The old woman flips on a dim florescent light in the room.  As the lights come on Luna is standing by the light switch. Only it isn't Luna.

"What do you think?"
Luna/not luna spins around like a little girl putting on a show.

"What the?!"
Luna on the bed begins to panic. Her body is standing at the door. But she cannot figure out why she is still on the bed.

"Oh you want to see your makeover?"
The old woman grabs a mirror from behind her back. She puts it in front of Luna's face. Luna is old, wrinkled, and dry. A pair of beady, dark eyesLuna is the old woman. The old woman put the mirror up to Joe. Joe is a short, old, balding man with liver spots on his head. Luna has no energy to scream.

"Youth really is wasted on the young. You all never really appreciate your vitality, or each other. You waste so much time."
"What did you do to us?!" cried Joe
"Well, you all didn't care about each other so I decided to put your bodies to good use. I am now your wife, and you my dear have rejuvenated my late husband Paul."
Paul walks in with Joe's body.
Luna screams in horror as the lights go off.