ℝ𝕠𝕒𝕕 𝕂𝕚𝕝𝕝 - ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕆𝕟𝕖: ℝ𝕠𝕒𝕞 -
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𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 6,783
𝙰𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚎 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚛𝚞𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚛. 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚕.
𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 1 𝚘𝚏 ?
𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝙲𝙽𝙲, 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚎, 𝚙𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕/𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚎, 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚍. 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠(𝚒𝚜𝚑) 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚜.
Desire to leave- les and findnothing
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Are you sure about this?
A fuzzy interception of whatever local rock station comes through in static waves as you drive. The only lights out at this time of night are the distant homes of strangers as you drive down the interstate. Somewhere in the backseat a glass cup rattles incessantly in its box, clanking clumsily against your other dishes as you try and tune it out. You couldn't pull over and fix it even if you had the motivation to. Your car was piled so high in every crevice that you knew you wouldn't reach it or find it without unpacking everything.
Everything you owned was in this shit box of a car. Your dishes, your clothes in garbage bags, your childhood stuffed animal, your hobbies, your books, everything but what little furniture you did have. And of course your mattress... you'd have to buy a new one once you got there. Wherever "there" was...
You winced as you hit an unexpected bump, rattling the dishes in the back.
Are you sure about this?
It wasn't an easy decision, packing everything up and leaving like you did. But it also wasn't easy staying. Living in a house where the very air you breathed was suffocating. Walking on eggshells hoping for one more day of peace only to be mislead again. There was something evil in that house besides them, something contained within its very walls that seemed to contaminate everything within in. And at times it felt like it was seeping into you too. Blurring your morals and identity, corroding your sense of self until you were unsure what you believed anymore. Was he your lover? Or was he your tormentor? Can someone be both of these?
You wiped at your eyes harshly, eyes burning from the crying you couldn't help but do for these last ten hours of driving. He was going to come back home and see that you took it all and left. And then what?
He'll find you.
But how would he? You left no note, no indication that you were even planning on doing any of this. You told no one. This was between yourself and your own mind. It was safer that way to confide in no one. Even when you had in the past nothing changed. It never changed. It wouldn't change unless you left.
Are you sure about this?
You gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles before sucking in a shaking breath. Yes. You were sure about this. You had to be. Because if he found you- if you returned- he'd kill you.
The road was lonelier now, those distant houses of accompaniment long gone in the miles you trekked as you stared out into the vast darkness. Your headlight was yellow and clouded, the other busted from a deer the prior owner had hit and never bothered to replace. And neither did you clearly, still driving with limited vision and paranoid eyes for anymore animals that lay wait in the ditches.
You glanced down at your phone briefly.
Six Hours and forty five minutes to destination.
"Fuck..." You flipped your phone over in your lap and stared out at the never ending road. You sat silent for a long moment. This exhaustion might kill you if you don't find a spot to stop and get some food and coffee quick. The idea of stopping now made your insistence on leaving waiver. Would you be just as strong willed as you are now if you stopped the car? What would stop you from turning around and retreating, pretending this all didn't happen and going back to what was? If you stopped now, he still wouldn't know until morning that you were gone...
A faded billboard briefly illuminated by your single headlight revealed the word cafe. You watched it disappear back into the static blackness. You drove for several more minutes in silence, inter cut by the poor radio signal. When the exit came up, you turned your wheel and committed to it. Yes, you were stopping, but no, you were not revoking your rule. You were leaving. And you wouldn't come back.
The diner was dingy, that much was obvious. Faded yellow paint with chipped white trim along side a cracked outer sidewalk and pothole riddled parking lot. It was familiar in the way every dead end cafe and diner always looked back home. Somehow always looking on its last legs for the decades it managed to stayed open.
You parked your car a few dozen yards away from the entrance, scanning through the front glass inside. A few people sat at in a booth, quiet as they ate. Another few at the counter. You saw they had their own parking lot out back for the truckers, not surprised that even into this early hour there were still people needing some reprieve from the road.
Was it strange for a woman like you to come to a place like this? You thought suddenly as you watched the people inside. Men. They were just men in there. You didn't see the wait staff. Surely a woman working here would give you some sense of safety... Or were you over thinking this too much? What could even happen in a well lit diner? You cast a weary glance to your glove compartment, knowing the gun that was inside should bring you more comfort than that. You weren't stupid, you knew you'd need something for being on the road. But the idea of using it made you nervous nonetheless.
You sighed and flipped down your driver side mirror to adjust what hopeless updo for your hair you'd thrown together before you left. Your makeup was smudged from the crying so you wiped at it until the smears were then transferred to your sleeves. Great... Your eyes were swollen in the unmistakable show of grief. Your nose and eyes pink and stray hairs flying from your head. You looked a fucking mess. You stared for several more seconds before crawling out of the car and slamming the door.
Your legs were stiff as you stretched, fumbling with your keys and purse as you locked your car and headed inside the warm glow of the diner.
A chime cut through the soft jazz music over the radio behind the counter. No body responded. You glanced around yourself, looking for a sign to "seat yourself" when an older woman appeared behind the counter.
"Table for one?"
You nodded, taking in her black uniform and dirtied apron. Her blonde hair striped with greys as she pointed towards a row of booths to her left.
"Your pick, hon. I'll be with you in a moment." And before you could respond she disappeared behind double doors you could only assume lead to the kitchen.
Awkwardly you made your way over to your booth, sliding in and staring out the window into the dimly lit parking lot outside. Your car looked like it belonged here in this environment, with its busted up front bumper and rusted out fender. Past the parking lot a deepening dark row or trees and forest loomed ominously. You wondered how many deer and creatures lay in wait so close to this decrepit diner and yet separate in their own world. Of peace and quiet and dark seclusion. When you were a child you wished you could do that often. Run off and disappear. Be swallowed up by the woods and never return. Whether you were going to live within it or become a part of it you never cared, you just wanted to disappear. If you were honest with yourself you still wanted that. And maybe that's what you were trying to do now. Be swallowed up by these expansive highways and interstates and roads to never be seen again.
"Can I get you some coffee, hon?"
You jumped, spinning to face the waitress and her tightly drawn mouth as she stared down at you, sliding a menu your way. "S-sorry-" You mumbled, your voice hoarse from its lack of use. "Yeah, that would be great."
"No need to apologize, hon. Where you coming from?" Despite the way she held her expression her voice was meaningful and genuine. It took some tension off your back as you scrambled to spin up a lie.
"Well, that's quite a distance from here. You been driving all night, have you?"
Your appearance must've made this obvious as you let out a small huff of a laugh. "Yeah, all night and more."
"Well I'll get you a whole pot of coffee then." Here she pointed down at the menu with a red acrylic nail. "Take your time and find what you want."
"Thank you..."
You scanned the one sided menu with little interest as she walked away.
A buzzing vibrated against your leg. A cold wash crawled across your skin as you flipped your phone over with quick and rushed hands.
It kept buzzing as you stared down at the screen. His name lit up as the buzzing didn't stop. You set the phone down, careful not to intentionally hang it up as you closed your eyes for a brief moment. You hadn't blocked him yet, you couldn't find the strength to do it. You knew you should've done it as soon as you started packing but some part in the back of your mind wasn't sure about any of this. But you knew that the longer you waited the harder it would be. Especially when he'd inevitably start calling you. You just couldn't put together why he'd called so soon.
Finally the call ended, only for a small ping to light up your screen once again. Unable to not look, you turned the screen towards you.
"Answer me."
The chime of the doorway broke your fixated gaze as you glanced up while setting the phone down.
Three men entered, looking about just as rough as you were. One wore a dirtied brown jacket, the other two hoodies with the hoods up. One a dark brown hoodie, the other a dirty, faded orange. Their boots were caked in mud, dragging in a trail behind them as the last one of them awkwardly tried to shuffle around the dirt they'd drug in. He was seemingly making sure that his gaze was focused on the ground and nowhere else. You could see tufts of brunette hair sticking out in awkward juts from beyond the dark brown hood he had up. The waitress was far quicker with them than she was with you, pointing to your side of the diner as they all glanced in your direction. Quickly you ducked your gaze back down to the menu in your hands, just now noticing the stains that littered it. The last thing you needed to do right now was draw attention to yourself.
As they made their way over to your booth you concentrated on the menu in front of you. You swallowed as another ping sounded off from your phone but you didn't look. You needed to ignore it. Just for now.
"Move"
A gruff voice made you look up in front of you as the three seated themselves. The one who spoke was the first to walk in, slipping his jacket off as he had his back towards you while he sat down.
"Jack ass..." The one will tufts of hair said before sitting down across from him, followed by the other. You couldn't quite place it but the energy coming from these men was something that was different from the rest here tonight. You couldn't help yourself as you watched them with silent interest.
"Here's your coffee, hon."
You tensed up, resisting another embarrassing jump as you gave a small and hesitant smile.
"Thanks..."
Your behavior was suspicious no doubt, acting so fidgety, so on edge. But you couldn't help it. Your phone pinged again. With silent and quick fingers, you shut your phone down. Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow...
"Find what you wanted to eat?"
You panicked, picking the top menu option after not using your time to properly read through it.
As she took your menu you held the cup of steaming coffee, the pot sitting on an old and ragged pot holder to keep from burning the cheap vinyl table. Not that it wouldn't of mattered, considering ghost markings of past waitress mistakes littered it regardless. You took a small sip, coaxing yourself to drink slowly instead of guzzling it like water. Your body and mind was exhausted, the stress only shutting you down further and further until you'd be past the point of no return. That is, if you didn't have the saving grace of coffee here.
"When are w-we getting t-there?"
You stared down into your cup, eaves dropping into the conversation happening a booth away as you added cream to cut the bitterness of the cheap coffee grounds.
"We get there when we get there." You recognized the voice coming from the one facing away from you. Out of the corner of your eye you could see his hair was messy, tussled and wild but nothing like what you suspected the other hooded man's hair to be. He was the one asking all the questions. How far of a drive it was, what route they were going to take, if they were making any more stops. Each question was met with a further hint of irritation and annoyance. And each question having an unmistakable slight stutter somewhere within it. At some point the waitress returned with their coffee to which the one asking questions gaze down intently at the table. There was a moment of silence between the three before she left once again with their orders.
"Toby, how about you just shut the fuck up and drink your coffee?"
The one who hadn't spoken yet, the one in the dirtied orange hoodie, gave a small huff of amusement. But he said nothing more.
You stared down intently at the swirling creamer and coffee, pretending to enjoy the view of the parking lot and haunting forest outside as you listened to them. They were traveling just like you. Strange, in a lot of ways, considering how they looked. But someone could easily say the same about you and your clearly unkempt appearance.
Toby started to grumble too low for you to hear before seemingly doing exactly what was demanded of him. There was a brief moment of silence before he started again.
"What if they're not t-there?"
"They will be." The stranger strained as he poured more coffee into his cup that he must've already drank in a hurry. "Stop bringing it up."
What if they're not there?
Were they meeting up with somebody? Taking a long road trip to see a friend or relative? It could most certainly be, but something about the way it was delivered, a hint of something sinister in the way he said "they will be". It seemed odd, the conversation as a whole. Had none of these questions been asked on this long car ride they'd surely been on? Or was it that they hadn't been on a long car ride at all? Maybe they were locals... strange locals who would come to their local run down diner on a weekday, early in the morning, to have breakfast... after walking through the woods...? Where else would you get so muddy?
With a sneaking glance, you steeled yourself in hesitancy and let curiosity win as you looked their way.
You had a proper look at them now, or at least the two that were facing you. The one on the left was the silent one, wearing that dirty orange hoodie that looked sun faded to a pale version of its former glory. He had his hood down now, his hair similarly tussled to the other two but kept within reason because of its length. He was handsome in a daunting way, a strong jawline with scruff and deep brown eyes that looked black in this dingy lighting. Despite his hoodie being so filthy, his face was unscathed. You watched as he took a sip of the coffee, suppressing a grimace at the bitterness and continuing to drink.
The other one, (Toby, as he was apparently called), dumped packets and packets of sugar into his drink. You could barely make out his face, it being shrouded by the hood he had tightly pulled over himself. You squinted, a sliver of light catching his face.
Eyes suddenly locked onto you from the depths of the hood. A jolt of shock shot through you as you sat rigid and frozen in place. Your grip tightened around your mug as you stared back at the penetrating gaze the two of you were locked in. Slowly a smile crept across his boyish face, white teeth grinning in a slow sinister crawl as you watched. A nauseating sensation came over you as you stared at that smile and then the prominent, horrid gash that accompanied it. His teeth were white and glimmering through it like a canine barring its teeth, a predator flashing its fangs to its prey. A horrid, overwhelming sensation began to grip you. A powerful sensation that you saw something that you shouldn't of, something you wished you'd minded your own business about. You watched as he went to say something.
"Here ya go-"
This time you did jump as the plate was set before you. You stared down at the eggs and toast with a racing heart and shuddering exhale. You were right, those men weren't like the rest here. They were something sinister... Something abnormal...
You barely managed to squeak out a "thank you" before she walked the rest of the plates she had to them. You stared down intently, barely shaking hand grabbing your coffee for a refill. You needed to eat and leave, quickly.
You picked at the sloppily made breakfast, grease pooling in the corner of your plate not helping your increasing nausea. Anxiety was pooling in your stomach and settling there like you'd swallowed a stone.
They ate quietly, the sounds of clinking forks the only thing to break the silence. You steadied yourself, trying to block out the gash in the man's face across from you and how many missed calls were probably piling up on your phone as you ate.
At some point you were done, the nerves getting the better of you as you flagged the waitress over. "Can I get the check, please?"
"Sure, hon. You need a box-"
"No- thank you..." You cut her off, offering a weak smile as you reached for your last few sips of coffee.
She paused suspiciously while she watched you.
"Miss, are you feeling alright? You are stopping somewhere tonight to sleep, I hope?" Her tone was very maternal, kind and worried despite the way her eyebrows were furrowed in irritation. "You're looking like a deer in headlights."
"Of course- I'll be fine. Thank you, I... appreciate it." You hoped you sounded sincere despite your awkward and jolted delivery. She stared down at you for a moment longer, her thoughts unreadable to you before she nodded and turned back for the check. You traced your finger over the power button on your phone, passing over it again and again before shoving it in your purse. It was staying off. No turning back now.
As you paid for your food you dumped a wad of crumpled bills that you half way attempted to straighten for the waitress. You were overly cautious to not draw a single glance towards the men next to you, not sure if you felt like you were imagining their eyes on you or not. But you weren't the one to find out if that was the case or not. Without another glance or pause, you got up and left the diner.
The parking lot felt darker than it did before. Stop imagining everything worse than it actually is... You dared not look out into the forest that lay behind your car as you unlocked your car, sat in your drivers seat, and all but slammed your door closed with finality. A sense of relief washed over instantly, this miserable little thing being your only sense of salvation and familiarity now. It probably would be your main and only source for a long time to come...
You put your key in ignition, turning it only to hear the slight whirring of the engine before it choked, sputtered, and died.
"What?" You hissed in complete shock as you tried it again, the same desperate sounds as you engine turned over again and again with no start. "Are you fucking kidding me?" You could feel the strain in the back of your throat from the frustration building. The type of anger and stress that built up into a cataclysm of tears and desperation if the situation didn't resolve itself. You knew you should've replaced this shitty ass battery months ago, but there's no reason it should've died...
You stared up at the now burnt out light surrounding your mirror you'd used to fix your makeup.
"You fucking idiot..." You could feel the tears pricking at the corners of your eyes as you gripped the steering wheel in a suddenly powerful wave of anger. You complete fucking idiot... You were now stranded in the middle of nowhere until morning at least. And then what were you going to do then? Who would you call? Who would come? You complete fucking idiot.
"Fuck!" You slammed a fist into the steering wheel, ignoring the searing pain that ripped through your hand and wrist before covering your face. You'd started crying before you could stop it. Maybe this was all a sign, God or whatever was in power was telling you that you made the wrong decision. Or maybe it was all just a sick fucking joke done to make whatever was above get a quick laugh at the girl who thought that she was stronger than she actually was. Maybe this was how you'd be put in your place.
A tap on your window made you gasp as you jolted upright. You stared wide eyed at the man outside. It was the man who'd had his back to you in the diner. He stood, one hand in pocket, the other still near your window as he glanced down at you. When he saw your face he put both hands up in a sign of peace, taking two steps back.
"Whoa, just seeing if you need some help?"
You let out a shaky breath, eyes still wide in fear as you stared out past him. A few feet away stood the one in orange. Behind him was the other one, his gash hidden away under the darkness of night and the hood that he still wore up. It was beyond suspicious. It was dangerous even, being out here with these three men who were already sinister to begin with.
You cast a quick glance over to the diner. It was only a few yards away... patrons were still inside. The waitress was too. They would hear you if something happened, wouldn't they? You thought of the gun then again, wishing you already had it on you. It was too late now to reach for it...
You cleared your throat, wiping away at your obvious tears in embarrassment before you cracked your door open ever so slightly. But by then you realized that if they were going to do anything to you, you'd already opened your door for them. So instead you committed and stepped out of the car.
"My battery died..." You tried not to sound so miserable and weak but you were doing more than just a poor job. You looked the part too, with your hair a mess and your face still wet with tears. It felt humiliating as you cast a weary glance towards the man who'd knocked on your window.
He stood tall, watching you with a quick, analyzing eye. His demeanor wasn't off putting per say but it was serious. A sort of "take charge" persona that emanated from him as he nodded his head in response. He had a strong nose, scruffy sideburns adorning his face. And he was clearly strong, built in the way a man who had done physical labor was. You could feel the mounting fear of "what if" creep back into your consciousness he glanced past you and to your less than perfect car. He could do whatever he wanted right now... could you stop it?
"You got jumper cables? If not we got some- we can jump it if you'd like?" His voice was still that same low, gruff voice he'd used inside, but without the clear irritation that was in it before. It wasn't inviting, not too kind sounding or too harsh. But he was clearly trying to tread lightly, at least you got the impression that he was. And you knew why. You were a crying woman, alone, looking desperate. You looked as much like the word pathetic as you could. Again, embarrassment colored your face as you swallowed down your pride and hesitation.
"That would be great, I... I didn't pack any..." You muttered this last part and then offered a small, weak smile of gratitude. You hoped that it would cover the obvious fear in your eyes. But something told you that he could practically smell it off of you. It was in the way he looked at you, a look in his eyes like he was watching a scared animal in a cage.
"Must've been the only thing you didn't pack." Here he motioned towards your heaps of items Tetris stacked in your cab. You offered a small, albeit nervous laugh and smile. "It's a good thing that you were here then..."
He hummed, glancing over you again in a brief moment of silence. "Sure thing. I'll have 'em bring the truck over."
The "truck" barely scraped by on the scale of "functionable", just like how your car was. Except by default it was better by the mere fact that it ran and yours currently did not. It was a patina chipped red single cab, the exhaust loud and echoing off the trees in this desolate location as the one in orange popped the hood.
"Where's your lever for your hood?" You whirled around to face him again, looking down at his hand already on your car door handle. You stared for a moment, faltering before clearing your throat. "Under the um.. to the left if you reach down low enough you can feel it-" As you were explaining he opened your door and and felt around. You watched in mounting uncomfortable silence. You absolutely could've just popped the hood yourself... And having a complete stranger rooting around in your car was by no means something you enjoyed or wanted. But you had a feeling you had little say in that matter.
Before another second passed the hood popped and the other one got to work. You had a quick jolt of fear run through you as you realized you didn't know where the other man was until you looked up into the cab. He was there, the one with the gash, behind the wheel, watching you. That same toothy grin with too many teeth grinning back at you.
You turned away, attempting to grab your door handle and get inside before a hand stopped you.
"No worries- I got it-" And before you could wager, he'd slipped into your driver seat and started to turn the key. You were completely out of the equation now entirely. It was fascinating, and jarring, how quickly they'd completely taken over the situation. Like this was some type of job that they'd all been tasked with and could work in perfect synchrony in any situation. It was fascinating, but also unnerving. They didn't seem to mind at all taking complete control over you and this "problem", despite being strangers and despite owing you nothing. Or maybe that was the point- to put your guard down and act like they were helping you instead of luring you or trapping you-
Your car suddenly turned over, the lights flickering on. You let go of a breath you didn't even know you were holding. Thank god... now I can get the hell out of here-
"Where you headed?"
You all but jerked your head over towards the last man who had yet of spoken out of the group. His voice was similar to the same man who'd offered their help, deep and gravely. Now he stood beside you, casting that same up and down look that the other one had given you. Analyzing you, but for what purpose you didn't know and you didn't care to find out. You swallowed, trying to rid yourself of the awful dryness that refused to leave you mouth.
"I'd prefer not to say..." You cringed inwardly at your own response. Anything would've been a better response than effectively admitting that these men were scaring you... But you were never very quick on your feet when it came to things like this.
A grin, slow and amused, spread across his face to reveal a small front tooth gap. "Smart girl." You swallowed again before giving a small laugh and turning your attention once more to the car. Please just leave, please just leave-
"You moving by yourself?"
You stared down at your feet, kicking a small rock near you as you ignored the prying eyes that watched you. You could feel them from not just his gaze, but from the one behind the wheel of truck too.
"I'm ... meeting a friend." You sounded so unconvincing you could've laughed at yourself if not for the situation you'd found yourself in.
He chuckled then. The sound made your skin crawl. "Oh? Moving in with them?"
"Yeah..." You said quietly, refusing to give any thing more. You wondered why he hadn't said a single word when inside the diner, but now was chatting with you like you were in the line at the grocery store. Maybe this was his way of trying to lighten the mood despite his very unorthodox way of going about it...
"Are you feeling alright, miss?" You cast a weary glance to him as he looked at you, an odd look in his eye as he stared you down. You swallowed, unnerved by the eye contact as you offered up a small smile. "Just tired is all, had a long day..." A pause. "I really appreciate you guys helping me out... thank you." You wished you sounded more sincere.
He smiled, a small grin that made you squirm. It didn't feel friendly. It was almost a sneer, a look of unnerving amusement as he looked down at you. "Sure thing, honey."
"It's all ready to go." You jumped as the other man stepped out of your car finally.
"Thank you so much-" You immediately turned away from the conversation, finding any reason to escape his odd line of questioning and that condescending look in his eyes. You gave a genuine smile of relief. "If you weren't able to help me I don't know how long I would've been stranded..."
"No worries, sweetheart." He muttered as he walked around to the hood and slammed it shut with finality. You watched as he spoke to the one in the drivers seat before throwing the cables into the bed of the truck with a clang.
"You don't need anything else from us tonight then?" He wiped his hands off on his jeans before fumbling in his jacket pocket to produce a packet of cigarettes. You shook your head. "No, thank you I really appreciate it."
He hummed, almost like he was barely paying attention to your gratitude as he fumbled around for a lighter. "Sure thing, sweetheart-" He then found one, lighting his cigarette, the end glowing in the darkness. You watched uncomfortably as you nodded before clearing your throat.
"Okay, well, thanks again." You then grabbed your handle, opening your door and going to shut it when he called out to you. "Drive safe." He said simply. You nodded once before getting in your car and driving away, ignoring the following eyes that watched you leave the parking lot and disappear down the highway.
-------
It wasn't long before you had to accept the fact that you weren't going to make it very far. First it was the fluttering of your eyelids as they grew heavier and heavier. When the loud music didn't help you rolled your windows down, blasting the cool night air through the cab but it did little to resist you from sleep. Only when you had closed your eyes and cross into the other lane did you realize that you needed to pull over. You were angry to admit it, but you needed to sleep, even for just an hour. Then you could get back on the road, find a place to rent, and sleep in an actual real bed... but until then, you were sleeping on the side of the highway tonight.
You'd wake with a start to the beeping of your alarm. You scrambled to find it, heart sinking as you saw the dozens and dozens of texts and phone calls littering your screen. You closed your eyes, shutting it off as you stared up at your car ceiling.
You got this. No turning back now.
Before you could dwell anymore on it, you were down the road again.
Trees lined the road you took, now off the highway and back onto country roads. Your phone told you that this was a faster route and you had your doubts but decided to trust the satellites above and follow blindly.
The road was cracked and jagged, unkempt and unforgiving on your lack of shocks as you bumped along. At this rate every dish you'd packed would be shattered glass...
Suddenly a deer darted out before you. You gasped, slamming on your breaks and veering off to the right, narrowly missing it as you came to a screeching halt.
"Jesus fucking Christ..." You muttered under your breath as you let go of a shaky breath. Just about lost my other headlight... You sighed, pushing back hair that you'd taken down long ago when you paused. Slowly you leaned forward, chest against steering wheel as you stared out ahead of you. There in the distance, dimly lit by your yellowed headlight was the tail end of someone's car in the ditch. The dome light was on, soft yellow glow like a beacon in the night. Your brow furrowed as you creeped your car along, straddling the ditch and the road until you came up to the car entirely.
It was inconspicuous on the surface, just a gray car parked crookedly in the ditch. If it was the season you could've easily assumed that it was a hunter who'd parked there to walk out to his stand. But it certainly wasn't the season. You stared longer. No headlights out from deer, no rumpled bumper... You glanced around it, seeing dirt and grass frayed up in tell tale signs of skid marks. Did they happen to have swerved just like you'd done for a deer and lost control?
You saw no one inside, just the dome light illuminating the empty interior, much to the stark contrast of your own car. You glanced behind you, the dark and ever expansive road stretching beyond with not a headlight in sight. No one was out here... and if someone was stuck out here who knows when the last time would be if they would get some help. Maybe their car was having issues and couldn't start and they had to walk somewhere to get someone?
You shook your head, tearing your gaze away from the car. No, this was not going to be your deal, you'll call the cops and have them take a look-
You stared down dumbly at your phone. No signal. SOS.
Slowly, you lifted your head back up to look at the car outside. With a mounting fear crawling up your throat, you grabbed your gun, opened your door and got out.
The night had significantly cooled down since you were in the diner parking lot. Goosebumps littered your arms as you held them, phone flashlight in hand as the measly beacon lit your path. Quickly, you checked to make sure one was in the chamber as you fingered the safety on multiple times to make sure, then stuffing it in the front of your pants. You started down towards the ditch, gasping as you slipped on the dewy grass and fell down it. Fuck...
You cleared your throat, looking past the car into the wood line before you. "Hello...?" Your voice felt hollow, swallowed up by the expansiveness around you as you tried again. "Hello? Is anyone out here?" Silent wind pushed through the pines as you stared with increasing worry down each end of the road. Maybe you were right and they had started walking down the road to find someone... Driving further on might mean you'll see them.
You went to turn, to head back up to the safety of your car that you were desperate to reach when you saw it. In a crevice between the start of the forest a license plate reflected back to you dimly. You stared in confusion and dread at the patina pickup shoved almost completely into the wood line, but not quite. Not enough to hide from someone like you walking around in the ditch that is.
What the hell are they doing out here...? You could feel dread tightening in your chest as you stared out into the haunting darkness of the wild. Something was off about those men... The questions the one had asked you, the mannerisms of the other. You struggled to swallow with your dry mouth as you remembered the smile of the man with the gash in his face. Or the odd line of questioning that befell you before leaving.
Before you in the inky blackness a single scream resounded. You froze eyes staring like a wild animal as you listened to it bounce off of the trees before being swallowed back up in the whispering wind and silence. Dread, unlike anything you'd felt before seared though your veins. You could feel the hairs of your body stand on end, feel the electric pull to run thrill through your legs. With little thought, you turned and ran up the slippery ditch and into the safety of your car.
You scrambled into your seat, hands now caked in dew and mud as you slammed the door shut and gripped the steering wheel. You started fumbling for your keys in a fearful rush when your hand brushed across the butt of the gun. You stopped, catching your breath as you stared blankly ahead of you.
That person was out there... that must've been them. And they needed help... and you had a gun... You took a shaky breath, desperate to calm your nerves as you closed your eyes. Whatever those men were doing out there, maybe they weren't bad people. They helped you after all, despite their odd behaviors. But something didn't feel right, something was wrong with it all entirely. You found your phone and stared at the lack of signal with clenched teeth.
You have a gun...
You gripped the handle, closing your eyes and sharply exhaling before opening your door once more and stepping back out into the cool night.
"This is so stupid-" You caught yourself before almost slipping down the ditch again as you held the gun firmly in both hands. You were wishing right now that you had a flashlight mount on it but situationally, you wished a lot more things were different. Like how you wished you didn't have to be the one to go out here and look for whoever was lost out here. Or if only your phone could catch a signal.
You stared silently out into the depths before you. You practiced controlled breaths, rocking from one foot to the other as you attempted to calm your nerves. Ever since you left nothing has gone right. Was this the universe telling you that you'd made a mistake? Or was this all your own undoing? Maybe it didn't matter right now and all that mattered is that someone needed help. You gripped your gun with steady hands. With finality, you crossed the threshold of the tree line and went inside.
-⊗-
Thanks so much to anyone who ends up giving this a shot <3 I've been writing a lot in my spare time and felt the need to just start up a smaller series here and see where it leads... I have a solid plan for this one and I hope y'all like a possessive, cruel, asshole, group of men because that's what you're gonna get lol
