Hidden Gifts

Twenty-three

The city was... Dull– ish.

Or maybe it was because it was two in the morning.

The question was where would they go? Carter didn't know anyone else here except from his mother and he'd have to be possessed before he went there.

There were writings spray painted on the walls saying:

The Devil Is Watching You.

Honesty is a one way gate to hell.

There is only redemption in sacrifice.

As long as you are alive, you are not safe.

Carter rolled his eyes at all their sadistic bullshit and continued driving. Suddenly something, or rather someone, ran right in front of his car.

"Fuck." He cursed under his breath as he rushed out of the car. A girl lay in front of him with red hair and fair skin. She was bleeding but it was not because he hit her but because of several scratch marks. She looked battered and bruised and Carter could not just leave her there.

He sighs and scoops her up in his arms and places her beside Talia.

Was this what his life had become? Would he now be transporting unconscious girls from one place to another? It sounded so wrong.

"Where– where am I?" The girl slowly woke up as Carter adjusted his mirror to see her clearly. She looked Talia's age with dark blue eyes and freckles.

"Who the fuck are you!" She yelled as she started pounding at the windows. "Where the hell are you taking me! I am not going back there!"

"Back where? Look. Calm. Down."

"Calm down? You kidnapped me and you're telling me to calm down?! You–" she hit Talia by accident and it seemed like that was when she realized she wasn't the only one in the car. "There's another girl here?" She looked at him with her mouth agape and her voice was low. "You rapist!" She wraps her hand around his neck, choking him as the car swerved to the left almost hitting a fire hydrant.

"Are you insane!" Carter didn't hit girls but he hit crazy people who were trying to kill him. He grabbed her head and hit it against the head rest making her nose bleed.

"Look, you ran into my car looking all battered and bruised and I didn't have the heart to just leave you there but now I'm regretting that I didn't." He rubs his neck.

"Okay but what about her huh? Did she also happen to run into your car? And why are her clothes torn? Is she unconscious? Is she dead?!"

"No! Oh fuck. I guess this is what I get for helping someone." He mutters to himself. "She's my friend... Something happened to her."

"You're like thirty, how is Talia your friend?" She had asked but she knew it was a lie. He was very attractive and he didn't even look twenty, if they had met under different circumstances she would have hit on him. She did in a way; hit his car that is.

"Yes she's my– wait. How the hell do you know her name?" His voice was low for some reason.

"I'm her friend too. We go to the same school."

"Talia doesn't like people."

"I know that which is why I'm her only friend."

He sighs. "Okay, look. It seems like we have something mutual, that is we both are her friend, so can we please act civilized and not strangle the people that try to help us?"

"Yeah." She sits back with her arms crossed. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah, sorry about your nose. It's bleeding." He doesn't even glance back at her as he continues driving slowly to a destination only God knows.