The Takers

Chapter 7

"So, you have to stab the ghost in the heart?" Chelsie asked.

I didn't want Chelsie to know how dangerous the task of getting rid of Amalia was, but she kept asking a lot of questions.

"And what happens if you miss the heart?"

"I don't know, Chelsie; can we talk about something else?"

All this chat about Amalia was making my stomach queasy. Chelsie just stared at me.

"You're hiding something, Frankie. Just spill it. What happens if you miss?" Chelsie frowned.

"Okay...well... it's possible that Amalia could take over my body or end up killing me trying to take it over," I spoke slowly, hoping to keep Chelsie calm.

I kept my eyes on the road.

"What?" Chelsie raised her voice. "There has to be another way."

"I don't know if there is one. This is my only lead."

"It's dangerous, Frankie," Chelsie stated sternly. "And how do you know this crazy Talia lady is telling the truth? Didn't you say that she saw it happen in a dream?"

"That's right. But weird as it sounds, I trust her. I have a gut feeling about it. I believe it will work," I explained, trying to instill some confidence in both of us.

I glanced over at Chelsie and could see her eyes brimming with tears.

"Chelsie, I know it's dangerous, but you must trust me."

"I know, and I do. I'm just scared. You're literally my best friend, and I don't know what I would do without you."

"I know...I'm scared too."

For most of the ride, we didn't talk much. I turned on the radio, and we sang along to the songs. The blue sky turned gray. Raindrops began to pelt against the windshield.

"It's starting to rain," I said with disappointment in my voice.

The drizzle quickly escalated to a heavy downpour.

"We can pull over at that gas station ahead."

Chelsie and I disliked driving in the rain.

We decided to take shelter at the gas station until the rain subsided. The gas pumps were weathered and faded. The paint on their metal frames had peeled away, leaving them rusted and worn. A few of the pumps were out of service, adorned with yellow caution tape.

I parked in front of the small convenience store attached to the gas station. There were bits of trash on the cracked pavement.

"Let's go inside! Looks like they have a slushie machine," Chelsie said.

"Yeah, I could use a snack."

We ran inside. My shirt was soaking wet. The store was small and dimly lit. We were greeted by the cashier, who looked bored.

"I'm going to get some chips."

Chelsie made her way to the slushie machine, while I entered the snacks aisle. I didn't exactly know what chips I had a taste for. I was walking down the aisle browsing the shelves. I settled on nacho cheese Doritos. As a picked up the Doritos, I looked at a mirror at the end of the aisle. I could see Amalia. I froze. This time I couldn't get myself to look away. I was intrigued. She opened her mouth and screeched "You're next!"

I squeezed my eye shut and dropped my Doritos and ran to find Chelsie. I was eager to leave the store.

The cashier was handing Chelsie her receipt.