Midnight Serenade

Chapter 7

I'm not sure how, but I knew all the right turns to take. I had no clue where I was going, but my instincts told me which direction to go and when to turn.

After about an hour on the highway, I realized that I was heading for the Black Hills. It was where my dad usually took me on those idiotic camping trips. I was surprised that the thought didn't make me want to change course, but I didn't feel the slightest desire to do so. Probably because I wasn't facing the prospect of spending time with my father.

Before long I passed a small sign that said, "Entering Hot Springs, South Dakota." I probably passed the town before, but I didn't remember the name. It was nestled in the valley of the mountains and looked very picturesque. Sunsets here were probably stunning.

Thinking of sunsets, I nervously glanced toward the clock on the dashboard and then at the sky. Night time wouldn't be too far away. Maybe a few hours. As much as I was enjoying this freedom, I really didn't want to spend the night in the car in a strange area. Besides, I was going to need gas soon. So I guess I'd be staying the night in Hot Springs.

I drove on and began to pass cutsie little boutiques and other small town shops like specialty chocolate and cheese stores. When I saw a large, slightly gaudy building up ahead, my stomach rumbled. The sign over the door declared it to be the Hungry Dog Diner, and at the moment, I couldn't remember a time when I'd been hungrier. I'd only had a small breakfast before I took that nap. My intent had been to snack as I drove, but I wasn't that confident in my ability to keep the car from spinning out of control if I wasn't totally focused on the road with both hands on the wheel.

Pulling the car into the large parking lot, I found a space and shut the engine off. With a quick visual sweep of my face and hair in the visor mirror, I headed to the shiny red door of the diner.

Judging from the parking lot, I hadn't expected the dining room to be very crowded. There were only a few other cars out there. But once inside, I saw that the spacious room was pretty packed. I guess in such a small town, everyone walked everywhere.

"Good evening." The girl at the counter smiled when I stood in front of her. "Just one?"

I nodded. "Yes."

She reached for a menu and then stopped and looked at me strangely. She tilted her head to the side a tiny bit, and was it my imagination, or did she just sniff the air?

In another second, she smiled again and said, "right this way, please."

Okay, that was weird. But since I was in a public place that was relatively crowded, I didn't worry too much. I followed her across the room and sat once she indicated a specific table.

"Someone will be right with you," she said before leaving me alone with the menu.

Immediately, I flipped open the plastic cover, though I probably didn't need to. All I wanted was a nice rare burger. But since I had to wait for the server anyway, and since I felt pretty self-conscious all by myself, I casually looked over the different items available.

As I sat there with my head down, I got the feeling I was being watched. Curiously, I looked up to find several pairs of eyes on me. They each hastily looked away when I met their gaze.

Feeling awkward, I bowed my head over the menu again. That was weird too, wasn't it?

But then, I was a stranger here, and this was clearly a very close community. Curiosity was to be expected.

Sure that I would find nothing remarkable, I made myself look up again. When I did, different pairs of eyes quickly looked away. I repeated the experiment twice more and each time I found that people were watching me.