Running Scared

Chapter 23:

 I stopped later that night to one of those one-night hotels... the sketchy kind. The balding man at the counter gave me a disturbing look, his eyes scanning my body as he handed me my key. I quickly gave him a couple twenties and scurried out the door.

Room 19.

My room was on the bottom floor, I was fortunate enough to park right out front. The room smelled like dust and mold. I dropped my pathetic bag on the chair near the door. I took one look at the bed then grabbed the comforter. I stripped it off and left it crumpled in the corner. Call me a germaphobe but I don't want to know where that comforter has been.

I headed to the bathroom and looked for the shower. It was dated, much like rest of the room, but clean. The bathroom itself was tiny, shower sink and toilet crammed into a six square foot room. It was amazing the constructors were able to accomplish it but the design wasn't practical.

The water was running and the already foggy mirror became impossible for its intended purpose. It was hard showering. I kept my elbows locked and arms next to my face while I tried to massage shampoo in my wet tangles. I shut the water off and hit the curtain out of my way. Wrapping a towel around me, a towel that barely covered everything let alone dry me off, and bolted to my bag. I changed into one of my two pairs of pajamas and sat down on the bed.

The TV was one of the few things that was updated. One step at a time, I guess. I flipped through the channels while towel drying my hair. The small alarm clock on the night stand notified me that it was near midnight. I needed to rest and get back on the road before anyone could find my car. I laid down and quickly succumbed to sleep.

My feet pounded against the cement, each thud sending shock-waves of pain up my legs. I was running fast yet faster still. But it was not fast enough. I risked a glance behind me. They were catching up. I begged my legs to go faster, pushing them. My muscles screamed in protest but the adrenaline kept their cries silent for now.

I rounded the corner and almost ran into a car speeding down the road. Somehow, I ran to the highway. Impossible. A car caught my eye. My car. I looked at it curiously and followed it with my eyes.

Like a silver bullet, it was going down the highway. Just like the night before, a black car was on its tail. What's going on? The brake lights lit up momentarily and the black car responded.

Unfortunately, the car sped right back up. I watched my car get close to the car in front of it. Their brake lights on.

All of the sudden, my lights went on seconds before the impact. The nose of the car crumpled and the back bumper fell as the black SUV collided. The black SUV pulled back and away, their front bumper loose.

I backed up, realizing what it was, then fell.

“I don't know where she went!” Audrey was in hysterics. Jessica took off with her car. No one knew the exact reason she was so spooked and took off.

“Ma'am, calm down please.” The nurse rubbed her shoulder while talking in hushed tones to the doctor.

“Audrey, it's going to be okay. We'll find her.” Eric tried to keep her hopes up.

“How?”

“I'm not sure but we will.”

The nurse and doctor were still speaking about Jessica's condition. She left without even knowing what happened to her. Eric picked up on words like concussion, faint spells, shouldn't be driving. Their words only worried him more. Jessica shouldn't have left and shouldn't even be driving. He knew he needed to find her but he didn't know how.

My head throbbed as I gripped the steering wheel harder. I didn't think they knew where I was, no black SUV in sight, but my dream the night before didn't ease me. When my phone alarm went off at seven, I hopped out of bed then fell over. I regained consciousness a few minutes later, wondering what happened. Assuming it was a side effect from the wreck, I got ready as usual.

The sun burned bright in the sky, blinding me. I was in Nevada driving by empty fields and busy towns. My phone was connected to the auxiliary port on its millionth loop of the same fifty songs.

I hated driving more than what I needed to in town. Staring at the road for hours made me want to sleep, reminded me of road trips when I was young, Dad. Now more than ever, when it seemed I was alone in the world, I missed him.

“Hey, Jessie. I spy with my little eye something... brown!” Dad said with a smile on his face. My face was pressed up against the grass, fascinated with the horses we drove by. Mom was asleep in the front seat. We got up early to drive to Florida and had been in the car for six hours already.

My eyes darted all around looking for something brown. “The sign!” I exclaimed.

“You got it! Your turn.”

“I spy...” I glanced around again. On the horizon I saw a red car coming from the opposite direction. “... something red!”

“Hmmm...is it that sign for the restaurant?” He pointed at a blue sign with multiple business names on it.

I giggled. “Nope! Try again!”

He tapped his chin. “Is it...that car?”

“Awh! You got it!”

We played back and forth until Mom woke. She joined in then suggested the license plate game. We went through multiple games until we pulled off in some little town in Texas. The next morning we drove all day until we reached Pensacola, Florida. Our, almost, destination. Only a few more hours away from Orlando.

I smiled as I reminisced. A strange feeling started in my head. I was hot and cold at the same time. My head started to feel too heavy for my neck and the edges of my vision started to blur. I pulled off to the side of the road in time to completely succumb to the darkness.

“Mrs. Martin, we've spotted your car.” The man on the phone alerted Audrey.

It had been a day since Jessica left with Audrey's car. They took a cab back to Audrey's house and Eric stayed until his mom showed up. Audrey called the insurance company to locate her car. Turns out it was successful.

“Thank you! Where is it?”

“Pulled on the side of I-15.”

So she kept to the same route. Where is she going?

“We can give the specific location but it looks like the car hasn't been there long.”

“She won't be there long, I know. Give me the location when she stops tonight because she will.”