12. August 1975
The car passed by me, the wind blowing the skirt around my legs. I groaned, stomping my leg on the ground. Why were they not stopping?
I had to be there in exactly three hours. But with no car and no transportation, it's going to take longer.
I started walking by the road in the hope of someone driving past again.
Hitchhiking was never my thing, but since I started living alone, I had no other choice. I had no driving license and definitely no car. It was hard at first but I'm slowly getting used to it. Kind of.
It's not just me who hitchhikes anyways.
The sun was shining through the tall trees that were thankfully creating shadows in all different shapes and forms on the dirty ground. The tall, green trees decorated the road, making almost a wall of leaves.
I loved nature but walking here in the middle of August was not something I wished on myself. The bugs were everywhere and the hot weather was suffocating me.
I was not from here and I was not used to dealing with such weather.
Lifting my hands, I fanned my face and pushed my long blond hair behind my shoulders. The t-shirt I had on was glued to my body due to the sweat and the skirt was somehow still able to fan my legs while flowing around me.
The dirt from the ground was getting into my flat shoes and I had the urge to take them off and walk bare feet.
The bag was weighing on my shoulder and I stopped in place. I couldn't anymore.
Were there no more cars around?
I've never been on this road alone before. I crossed it with a car, with a few of my friends but never alone.
Was I scared? Maybe. Okay, yes.
I was a twenty-five-year-old girl after all. Anything can happen. Stuff that I should not be thinking of right now. In this situation.
Don't think about it, Abigail.
I crouched down and glanced at my shoes. I took one off slowly and winced at the pain. Shit, the side of my feet was bloody.
Taking the bag off my shoulder, I placed it next to me and opened it. Going through the inside, I grabbed one tissue and lightly dabbled it on the small wound.
Wincing again, I threw the small paper tissue into the bag and closed it.
I have been walking for two hours now and nothing. Two cars have passed and none of them stopped.
Couldn't they just help a girl in need? For how long do I have to walk? It's getting frustrating now.
I mean I know people are not entitled to take me with them but still...
Getting up, I straighten my posture and stretched myself while placing my hands on my back. Ugh, even my back started to hurt. I feel like an eighty-year-old grandma.
I glanced around and I saw a small figure in the distance. What was that?
Placing a hand above my eyes I squeezed them, in the hope of getting a better look. Could that be a car?
I waited for a few more seconds and I realized that indeed was a car. A relief washed over me and I whispered a yes under my breath.
I started waving my hands above me in the hope of the car noticing. Taking quick steps, I stood in the middle of the road. Please, at least this one.
"Hey!" The car was surprisingly beginning to slow down and I laughed out loud.
I jumped up and down.
The red car slowed down and I rushed to the door. The person inside rolled down the window and my breath almost hitched.
It was a guy.
A very handsome one.
His dark brown hair framed his face and he had sunglasses on. I couldn't see his eyes but I'm sure they are gorgeous. He had a light blue shirt with different patterns on and from what I could see brown pants were stretched around his legs. He looked about thirty-five.
The muscles on his arms bulged through the shirt and I noticed a small wristwatch on his left hand.
"Hello there, young lady." His thick, raspy voice filled the car.
"Oh, hey. Hello!" I waved at him, suddenly not knowing how to speak properly.
He took hold of his glasses and lowered them on his nose, his piercing blue eyes found mine. Eyes blue as the morning sky. There was something oddly strange about them.
"What are you doing here alone?" He spoke again. He took the sunglasses completely off and I analyzed his face further.
His eyes just didn't match his facial structure. It was like they were fake blue but there was no way contacts would look like that.
They were big and round, rimmed with thick dark lashes.
"Hmm, I'm supposed to be at a birthday party in..." I scrunched my nose and looked at my wristwatch. "In exactly three hours."
He studied my face for a while and then looked around. His eyes wandered over our surroundings and then I saw him quickly check the side mirrors. Was he looking if someone is around?
"I can take you to the Gate Mall. You know where that is?" He lifted one of his eyebrows.
I knew where that was. It was an hour away. I've been there with my friends and the place seems sketchy. It's in the middle of nowhere, only a motel nearby and a gas station.
But I didn't have any other choice but to go. Maybe I could find a bus there or something. Maybe someone else will take me.
"Yeah, I know," I said while bracing myself on the door with my elbows.
"Well then get in the car. I'll drive there and you'll probably find another person to drive from then on." I quickly nodded and grabbed the knob and opened the door.
It was an old car and the rich red color was peeling off. The leather seats were also cracked at some places and there was dust on the windows.
"Leather seats? I haven't seen them in these types of cars." I blurted out while closing the door behind me.
He chuckled and pressed a button on the radio.
"They are easier to clean." He turned his head to me and then took hold of his sunglasses and wore them again. It was like he was hiding his eyes or what was behind them.
I always like to study people and from what I could gather right now he seemed restless. Was he nervous about something? Was he anticipating something?
His hands tightened around the wheel and he started the car. The rambling noises of the engine filled the car and we drove off.
Slowly a song started to play on the radio and I leaned back on my seat. The car weirdly smelled nice. It was his perfume.
There was no other car on the road and he took his time. He was not rushing and driving fast.
I face him. "I'm Abigail by the way. I don't know if I said my name."
"That's a beautiful name." His lip turned upwards. "I'm John. Short from Jonathan."
I playfully rolled my eyes. "Well obviously." I chuckled.
"Yeah, you're right." I relaxed when I noticed that he didn't get angry. It was never good to joke with strangers because you never know who might take it as a joke or seriously.
This one time in high school we got a new classmate and she seemed like a nice company to have. She had dark hair and blue eyes. Blue eyes just like Jonathan here.
The first day after our second period, I came up to her and introduced myself. She smiled and told me her name. Ashley.
We started a conversation and I made a joke about her hair. It was nothing offensive, at least I think it wasn't.
Her face turned into furry and she lifted her hand and struck me against my cheek. I fell on the floor and him my head on the wall. She turned around and left. The whole school laughed at me and they all started calling me names and such.
Ashley began to hang out with some other girls and started with her bullying.
In the third year of high school, she didn't show up in school. No one heard from her, it's like she vanished.
No one knew where she was.
There were talks in our school about a serial killer going around and murdering young girls. People talked about a white van snatching away teenage girls. I never believed in those stories and then suddenly my neighbor Susan disappeared as well.
The disappearance of those two girls brought shivers down my spine and fear in people's homes.
"Do you know about the disappearance of those two girls? The Sunnydale terror." I suddenly brought up those incidents, and I don't even know why.
He tapped his fingers on the wheel and thought for a second.
"Yeah, I think I heard about it. It was years ago. Six or seven maybe?" It has been that long but it felt like more than a decade ago.
"I think you should be careful. You never know if the killer is still around." He said and my body stilled. He was right.
"Mhm." I just hummed and tightened the hold on the bag that was placed on my lap.
The hot air in the car became thicker and my breathing shorter.
I opened my bag and saw the mint candies I had. They were in different colors. I took the box out and pulled out one of the candles and exited my hand to John.
"You want one?" I quietly asked.
He turned around to me and looked at my hand. "They mint?" He questioned. I nodded my head and he took the candy away from my palm.
I watched his tongue dart out and he placed the candy right on the center. He closed his mouth and I noticed his Adam's apple bob.
"They are good. Where did you buy them?"
"At this small store back home. I know. Everyone always praises them. I don't think I've seen them in other stores though."
We continued with our ride and the road was still the same. The tall trees around and the dirt on the side.
I heard him crunch on the candy and I smiled. I always do that as well.
A few minutes passed by and I rested my head on the window. The sun was still high up in the sky and there were no clouds whatsoever.
Today really was hot.
My back got glued to the leather seat and I know I'll be leaving a trail of sweat behind me. Gross.
From the corner of my eyes, I noticed John loosen the few top buttons on his shirt. He was acting weird.
The car moved and we were now driving on the very side of the road. The rocks on the dirt made the car bump couple of times.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"I'm just going to stop for a second, is that okay?" I didn't know what else to say when the car suddenly stopped.
"Okay," I whispered.
He opened the door and got out. He was tall. At least from what I could see from my seat. He ranked his fingers in his hair and he started walking towards the trees. He stopped in his place for a second and I had to make sure that everything was alright.
I opened my door and left the bag on the seat. I gathered my long shirt in my hands and started walking towards him.
"You okay?" I asked behind him.
He crouched down and started to cough. His strong posture was not cowered down and his hands went over his chest.
My feet carried me to him with hurried steps and when I looked at his face my mouth opened in shock.
His eyes were red and there was a white substance coming out of his mouth and nose.
"Oh, my God." I placed my hands over my mouth.
"I can't.... I...breath... help." He barely grunted out the words. His hand went over his throat and there were strangled sounds coming out between his lips.
I nodded and quickly ran to the car. I don't even know what I was searching for.
There was another cough behind me and when I turned around, John was on the ground. His knees pressed to his chest and his arms lip around him.
With shaky legs, I walked towards him.
I crouched down and his eyes were wide open.
A small smile played on my lips.
"I'm sorry John but I really hate blue eyes. They remind me of that bitch Ashley." I said and let out a sigh.
"Maybe you shouldn't have taken me into your car." I shrugged my shoulders and stood up straight. I fixed my skirt and looked around. There were rarely any cars here.
That's why I chose this ride.
I tusked. Sad.
Maybe if he didn't have her piercing blue eyes, maybe he would really have taken me to the Gate Mall.
I bumped my shoe on his leg one last time. No reaction. He was dead.
I turned around and walked towards the car. I took out my bag and went through it. I pulled out the gloves and placed them over my hands. I made sure to clean every little fingerprint I left.
After I was done I closed the doors and made sure to look around. There was no one here. Even the car was parked in a place that was not so visible if you were driving on the road.
You did a good job, John.
I placed my belongings in my bag again and took out the notebook I carry everywhere.
I went through the pages and landed on the spot I was looking for.
Numer One - Ashley
Number Two - Susan
Number Three....
....
....
Number twenty eight - John
I marked my last number for now and placed the notebook in its place.
I started walking and I whistled my favorite song. In an hour the sun will start to set thankfully. It's too much for me.
I fanned my skin and I got far away from the car. I walked for about another hour when I heard a sound behind me.
I turned around and there were two lights. A car.
I went to the middle of the road and waved my hands above me. The car slowly stopped and I jumped up and down in excitement.
I looked closely and the window opened. It was an elderly couple.
"Hello," I said with a smile.
CHARACTER AESTHETIC:
ABIGAIL
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Thoughts on this one?
It was in my drafts and I decided to publish it.
Vote and comment!!