HANKERIN' FOR HENRIETTA'S // PETER YARNALL

The sun finally began to set below the horizon of the New Mexico Desert. Bill and George had been waiting for the great fireball in the sky to get low enough for them to be physically able to make some distance across land. They were lucky to find as big of a truck as they did to hide behind in the sun. George cracked open the canteen and drank some water. Bill drank from his smaller flask that he had brought for the trip to Henrietta's, the only place for miles, rumor had it, that served freshly cooked food.

"You think they got turkey?" George asked Bill. "The last time I had turkey was…man it must have been twenty years ago now."

"It's so ridiculous to even think about it," Bill slurred successfully. "Is ridiculous right? I feel like that's not a word."

"I think you meant redonkulous."

"…I don't think that's a word either. Who knows these days. I mean, shit, before the bombs dropped people were saying all kinds of words. You know, they used to make up words in songs, then figure out what they meant?"

"How is that possible?"

"…I guess they just came up with it, like ridiculous or redonkulous or however you say it right, and they made up what it meant."

"Yeah, I know, you just said that…You got any water in yours? I'm almost out."

"Huh? Oh, this is whiskey."

"What?!"

"Yeah, I know! Great idea! I wish I had thought of it before you took the big one for water."

"You've been drinking whiskey for two days straight?! Why on Earth did you do that?! We're in the desert! Wait…how are you even alive at this point? How is that possible?"

"Well, it's probably because I got a bitchin' liver-kidney-combo going on in this adonis adoral region you see before you, my fine furry friend."

"Abdominal."

"Huh?"

"It's not adoral, it's abdominal."

"…Really?"

"Yeah."

"Damn…who makes this shit up? Hey! Want some whiskey?"

"…Yeah fuck it," George said before taking a swig. "Seriously though, we really have to find water."

"We can get it at Henrietta's."

"It's so far away."

"What do you mean it's so far away? It's right over there." Bill pointed behind him at the truck and George cocked his head in confusion. Bill egged him on to look. George stood up with a slow, calculated pace. Could it be true? Could Henrietta's, the holy grail of home cooking, really have been just out of their reach? His eyes creeped just above the hood of the rusted out pick up truck.

"Ha! Made you look! It's a cactus!"

"Holy shit, Bill."

"I know, such a let down but, from my perspective very worth it."

"No Bill, look!"

"Yeah I know it's a cactus I made you look at the cactus…that's in front of Henrietta's Drive In Dive! George!"

"Bill!"

"George!"

"We made it!"

"We made it!…Wow…So we sat out here in the sun all day almost dying after a two day hike to sit outside of Henrietta's?"

"Yeah…kind of stupid now that you say it out loud. I was looking more for the silver lining thing but you took it right to regret town, population: us. Redonkulous."

"Bill?"

"Yeah, George?"

"Let's get a cheeseburger."

"Yeah…yeah! Let's do that. Oh wait, one second. Could you carry me? My feet are numb from drinking whiskey for two days straight." George gave Bill a look of distain, but sighed as he always did. It was the end of the world after all. They only had each other at the end of the day. At least today, they also had Henrietta's Irradiated Triple Bypass Cheeseburger with a side of whiskey and water.