by Adam Kunz
It’s been about two days since I’ve received a text from Unknown, and to say the least, it has me worried. I keep anticipating the next message, with each scenario getting graver as I play them out in my head.
It dawns on me that Alex has her gig tonight. I had completely forgotten with everything that’s happened. My stomach churns at the thought of her being Unknown’s next choice. I decide I have to find a way to get to that concert.
“Shit, she said we had to wear a costume to this thing.” I wonder what I may have stuffed away in my closet that might do.
Alighting from the bed, I hurry over to the closet and throw open the door. Clicking on the light above my head, I proceed to shift clothes around on the racks, searching for my female sheriff’s outfit—complete with dark green hot pants. That one has always been a crowd-pleaser.
After finding all the pieces to the costume, I drape them over my desk chair and proceed to plop down on the bed, realizing it’s still five hours until the concert.
The next hurdle will be convincing my dad to let me go. This will probably prove quite difficult, especially since he’s spent the majority of the morning at the station finishing all the paperwork that’s accrued due to the recent cases. He probably won’t be in the best of moods when he gets home.
I start to feel antsy and, against my better judgment, decide to call him at the station. The first time I dial, the phone just rings and rings, but never goes to voicemail. The second time though, he picks up on the third ring.
“This is Sheriff Marks.”
“Dad, it’s me.”
“This must be important if you’re calling me here, right?” he asks, and I can tell his day has been as annoying as I feared.
“Actually, it kind of is. Remember how you said I need to clear my mind and relax?”
“Yeah,” he replies.
“Well, it turns out that Alex’s band is performing tonight. And before you say ‘no,’ I think it might be a great way for me to let off some steam.” I anxiously await his reply. The grumble that follows isn’t very promising.
“Where is this gig?”
I’m surprised when he doesn’t immediately shoot down the idea. “The Brick House.”
“What time will you be out ’til?”
“Wait, so does that mean I can go?”
“Depends. What time will you be out ’til?”
“What time would you like me home?” I ask, feeling proud that I turned the line of questioning around on him.
“Midnight, at the latest,” he answers.
“Thanks, Dad. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Midnight, Dani. I mean it. I’m trusting you with this,” he says and I can hear his parental tone loud and clear.
“Thank you.”
“Okay, is that all? Because I have a mountain of paperwork to get through.”
“Yep, that’s it. Thanks again, Dad.”
“No problem. Hopefully I get to see you before you head out.”
“I’m sure you will, since I won’t be leaving until around seven or so.”
“Good, see you at home then.” I can hear his smile come through the phone. “Oh, and Dani. I love you.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
I almost don’t make it out of the house on time due to my father wavering over my costume selection. I never knew that he thought the lady sheriff outfit was too revealing. He says it’s the hot pants that have him unsure about the whole ensemble. I have to remind him that I’ve worn this several times before. I wonder why he’s showing his displeasure now. He finally caves, and with that, I grab my keys and give him a kiss before he has a chance to change his mind for, like, the fifteenth time.
Running to my car, I throw on my sheriff’s jacket to fend off the cold night wind. Thankfully I had the forethought to put on black leggings and wear my sensible army green Chucks.
As I reach Lexi’s driver’s side, I check the back seat. If horror movies have taught me anything, it’s to always check the back seat before entering a vehicle. When I see the coast is clear, I open the door and settle into the car.
A sudden rush hits me as I get behind the wheel. I keep thinking about Alex and Unknown. Even after talking to her earlier tonight, I didn’t feel any more at ease about the whole situation. Buckling up, I pull out of the driveway and head down the road, probably a little quicker than I should be driving in this neighborhood.
Visibility is poor at best through the back roads that lead toward the club. There’s a lamppost about every mile, and each side of the street is covered by a thick wall of trees. I always forget how creepy it is out here at night, since I’ve only been to a couple of Alex’s gigs at this place. Usually I drive with her and Rory, but Rory opted out of going tonight. He’s still a little out of it. I’ve tried talking to him about what happened, but he changes the subject almost instantly every time.
The lights flashing on my dashboard pull me from my thoughts.
“That was strange,” I mutter while shifting my gaze between my dash, and the road ahead.
The lights flash again, but in a rapid succession this time. A weird electronic sound echoes through the car’s interior and all of the caution lights on my dashboard illuminate.
“No, Lexi. Don’t do this to me right now. Not out here, please?” I complain while petting the top of the dash like a dog or cat.
I pull off to the side of the road while slamming my fists onto the steering wheel in anger. Thankfully, I’m right under one of the few lampposts along this road. Shifting the car into park and turning off the engine, I sit there frustrated all to hell thinking about what I’m going to do. I grab my phone and dial Parker’s number. I’m only ten minutes from his college. The phone rings and goes to voicemail. I try again with the same result.
“Dammit.”
Chapter Twenty Four
Looking around outside, I can see nothing past the circle of light cascading onto the car. It’s pitch-black. My heart pounds at the thought of what or who might be out there. Fear slithers up the back of my neck once the feeling of isolation sets in.
I frantically scroll through my contacts list for someone—anyone—I can call. A name comes up that I’m hesitant about, but he might be my only choice. It’s either him or my dad, and right now, I don’t think my father’s the best option. Selecting Kevin’s name, I dial his number and anxiously wait for him to answer.
“Hey Dani, what’s up? I’m actually kind of surprised to hear from you.”
“Hi, uh, sorry to be calling you like this, but I have a monumental favor to ask.”
“You’re having Lexi troubles, aren’t you?”
“Maybe. How’d you guess?”
“What else would you be calling me for?” he asks, causing me to feel bad. “Where are you?”
“About ten minutes up Edgemount Road, heading toward The Brick House,” I reply. I wince as I realize how far out of his way he’ll have to come to help me. “I’m kind of stranded here under a light.”
He sighs. “All right, hang tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thank you so much, Kevin. I owe you big time.”
“Yeah, you do,” he chuckles.
The moment I hang up the phone, the sense of security I had while talking to Kevin fades. All that’s left is me, sitting in my car under a lamppost, surrounded by darkness. Every little sound has me jumping to see what caused it. The wind rattles my windows every time it passes through, no matter how tightly I roll them up. It succeeds in reminding me that I am, indeed, sitting inside an old POS.
A minute seems like an hour as I continue to wait for Kevin to arrive. I begin to see forms moving just outside the light’s reach, and wonder if it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me.
“Pull it together, Dani,” I say, trying to ease my nerves. “There’s nothing out there, nothing at all.” The words sound reassuring, but don’t seem to be working.
The cold from outside seeps through the gaps around my
windows and doors. I shiver even though I’m wearing this heavy-duty sheriff’s jacket. I reach out to turn the key in the ignition with the hope that the car will start and I can get some heat going. The engine tries to turn over, but then all the lights flash and it dies again.
“This is just perfect. The moment I actually need to get somewhere, Lexi lets me down in the worst way.”
Movement in the rearview mirror has me spinning around to look out the back window. I don’t see anything. Instead, I hear an odd noise. It sounds familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Panic builds within me as I watch the trunk slowly rise into the air. The sound I heard was its lock disengaging. A gasp escapes my lips as I clutch the headrest and freeze in place. I feel like I can’t even move an inch still staring at the trunk blocking my view out the back window. There’s no way in hell I could have done that from in here.
I keep my gaze fixed on the back window while searching for the phone with my hand, slapping randomly at parts of the passenger seat where I tossed it earlier. When I can’t find it, I whimper and switch my attention to the seat and find the phone in seconds. I frantically press buttons until the phone redials Kevin’s number. When it reaches his voicemail, I throw the phone down in frustration and begin searching outside for any sign of a person.
A strange scratching sound comes from the back seat area. It makes me think of someone shredding fabric with scissors. Accompanying the sound, I see the center armrest in the back seat start to move, like something is trying to push it from behind. I lunge forward and press firmly on the armrest in hopes it will be enough to stop whatever’s on the other side from getting through.
The scratching noise ceases and the armrest stops moving. An eerie silence fills the car, making me nervous about what may happen next. My eyes grow wide when I notice the door to my left isn’t locked. I click down the lock and my eyes dart to each of the other doors to see if they’re unlocked, as well.
They are.
Springing to each door, I hit every switch as fast as I can before backing myself into the driver’s seat. I scream when I accidentally hit the horn on the steering wheel with my ass.
Now that my nerves are completely shot, I just wait for something else to happen. It’s all I can really do at this point. I figure I’m the safest inside of a locked car. All that’s left is to wait for Kevin to show up.
“Where the hell are you, Kevin?” I ask, my voice cracking from shivering in the cold.
The trunk door slams closed, surprising me, and all I see is the shape of someone standing there, framed in bright light. It takes me a few seconds to realize that someone is parked behind me and that person’s headlights are shining into the car.
“Dani?” I hear Kevin’s voice come from outside. I’ve never been this relieved to hear a familiar voice.
“Yeah, I’m here, Kevin,” I reply breathlessly.
“Why was your trunk open?” he asks, coming up to my driver’s side window.
I roll it down and peer out. “It opened by itself and scared the crap out of me.”
“Poor Lexi’s falling apart,” he jokes.
“You could say that. I was actually beginning to think someone was out here messing with me.”
He laughs. “Well, they’re gone now. I didn’t see anybody when I pulled up.”
“That’s good to hear, I guess.”
“So, let’s pop the hood and see what Lexi’s got for me this time,” he says, gesturing to the front of the car.
I pull the lever just below the steering wheel and hear the hood open. The sound the hood makes as Kevin wrenches it upward causes me to cringe. It’s such a harsh sound. The fact that I can’t see Kevin anymore makes me anxious. I hear him tinkering around in front of me, but I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Opening the door, I step out of the car for the first time since pulling over. I hesitate to leave the safety of a locked car, but I can’t let Kevin be out here by himself, especially since I know there has to be someone out here with us. That freaking trunk didn’t open by itself.
“Were you heading out to see Alex’s band play at The Brick House?” Kevin asks as I join him at the front of the car. The flashlight in his mouth makes him mumble his words, but I understand him.
“Yep,” I respond, and notice his eyes surveying my little costume instead of looking at the car. His light’s beam falls right on my cleavage and I scramble to cover the girls. He yells, “Crap,” when he drops his flashlight into the mess of cables surrounding the engine.
“Nice costume,” he comments, digging around for the light.
“Thanks,” I reply, pulling the jacket closed in order to cover up even more.
“Got it,” he announces.
“You fixed Lexi?”
He laughs. “No, I found my flashlight.”
“Oh.”
“It looks like you’ve got some loose wiring going on here, but I should be able to fix it up quick and get you on your way.” The smile he sends me is comforting and puts me a little at ease. As I look around at the darkness surrounding us, though, that ease is quickly diminished.
“Thanks again for coming all the way out here to help me like this. I really appreciate it,” I say as Kevin passes by me on his way to the truck to retrieve more tools.
“That’s what friends are for, right?” he answers while opening his driver’s side door.
“Yeah, that’s what they’re for,” I murmur under my breath. I feel bad that I’ve been such a crappy friend to him.
Some rustling from across the street causes me to spin around to see what caused it. “Uh, Kevin? Did you hear that just now?” I ask, still keeping my eyes on the area I was sure the noise came from. There’s no response from him. “Kevin?” I look over at his truck and see the driver’s side door open. His lights are off, and no one’s standing there. “Kevin?” My voice wavers with a twinge of fear.
“Found what I needed,” he calls out while popping up in the driver’s seat, filling me with relief. For a second there, I thought Unknown might have done something to him.
Kevin laughs as he approaches me. “I really should clean out my truck. I can’t seem to find anything in there lately.”
I grin. He can be so cute sometimes. Kevin has always been a happy-go-lucky kind of person, and it was always hard to make him angry. He’s like a handyman pacifist or something.
“Hey, so now that we have some time, want to talk about Janice?” he asks, beginning to tinker with some wires near the engine.
“What exactly do you want to talk about?”
“The fact that I don’t blame you for what happened to her,” he replies and stares at me intently. “I mean, I know you brought her to the party, but what you didn’t see was how crazy she got when you went off to chat with that Parker guy.” I can tell from the way he says Parker’s name that Kevin’s not that fond of him.
“What? Janice was being crazy?”
“I tried telling her to take it easy on the alcohol, but she kept drinking. I left the party completely ticked off with her. She was dancing all over guys and being a real…well, you know. It was like she was a different person or something.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Are you sure we’re talking about the same Janice?”
“Yeah. Hard to believe, huh? There’s really no telling what happened to her, or who’s responsible since she was pretty wrecked. I tried to get her to leave, but she refused. She went on and on about how her mom did this to her. I don’t know. I just wanted to make sure you knew all this. Maybe it might help in some way,” he explains with a saddened expression on his face.
I sigh. “Actually, it kind of makes me feel worse. I was her enabler. She was just itching to get out, and now look what’s happened to her.”
“You can’t keep blaming yourself, Dani. She made a lot of bad decisions that night, and though it may have resulted in a sad outcome, they were her decisions.”
“When did you b
ecome such a psychology major?” I ask with a halfhearted laugh.
“I’ve done a lot of thinking after what happened to Janice. I guess this all may be some kind of a coping mechanism for me. If you really want to get into it, I’m just as much to blame for her disappearance as you are. Yeah, it wouldn’t have been pretty, but I could have dragged her away kicking and screaming from that party, but I didn’t,” he says.
I can almost hear the tears in his voice. He looks up at me and doesn’t have to say a word for me to know exactly what he wants to say.
I wrap my arm around his shoulder and squeeze tight. “This whole thing sucks. I had no idea you were going through the same emotions I was. I’m so sorry, Kevin.”
“No worries. I’m stronger than I look.”
“That’s for damn sure,” I comment, making him smirk.
“So tell me about this Parker guy. I remember you two having a history, but I also know it’s a rocky one.”
“That’s actually a topic I’m not too keen on discussing at the moment. You really don’t want to open that Pandora’s box,” I reply, patting him on the back.
“Fair enough. I just hope he realizes what he has,” he says. I won’t lie, I did smile inside when he said it, but I also became hyperaware that he still has feelings for me.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out between us like you wanted, Kevin.”
“You’re not the only one,” he replies, standing up and giving me a peck on the cheek. “Car should be fixed.”
“Thanks again, for everything,” I say, giving him a kiss on his cheek, as well.
“Have fun tonight and be safe, okay? Call me if you have any more problems with Lexi.”
“I will, don’t worry.”
Sitting in my car, I look into the rearview mirror to see his truck lights turn on. I put the key into the ignition and turn. A huge grin appears on my face when the engine purrs. No flashing lights, either. As Kevin starts to pull away, I wave to him.
I put the car into drive and pull back onto the road. A sense of happiness comes over me because I finally talked to Kevin—like, truly talked to him. It was long overdue. Even though the subject matter wasn’t the most enjoyable, I was reminded of how much I do miss talking to him. I still don’t know if our conversation made me feel any less guilty over Janice’s disappearance, or that I don’t feel the same way toward him, but I think in an odd twist of fate, it brought us back to renewing our friendship.
