Between The Lines

2.

I remember being blinded by a bunch of light. I had first thought it was probably the light at the end of the infamous tunnel or something, but I thought about it more and realized it was most likely the stupid car's headlights. I don't remember feeling anything.

But, what I remember was that he and I were still in the middle of the street, clutching my bag. We weren't struggling anymore. Something had definitely happened, but we didn't know what.

There was no car. We were still standing in the middle of Orchid Avenue,. It was still dark. There was no moon. The lights were off in all the surrounding houses. I wasn't cold anymore.

We just stood there, dumbstruck by something we didn't even know.

I reached over to my bag; he stiffened. "Let me just... get something." I unzipped the top and rummaged around. I found the lighter, which felt cold, but I didn't think much of it. I just wanted it in my hands. "There." I let go of the bag. "Take it."

He just stared at the bag in his hands. He frowned at it, but all I cared about was that the bag seemed to be the only thing he wanted. It still unnerved me though, him just standing there in his denim jacket and jeans, Vans all worn out, so I backed away until I was at the sidewalk. I was about to take off running when-

"Hey! Wait!"

I turned to look, but I didn't stop walking away backwards.

The man didn't take a step forward. "Don't.... You don't notice anything?"

"Notice what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know... like... where's the car?"

"I already gave you the bag. Can you just leave me alone now, please?" I should've taken the phone and called Rafael, my mom's boyfriend. Or the police-more obviously.

He glanced down at the bag before tossing it onto the sidewalk a couple of feet away from me. "Okay," he said, holding up his hands. "Sorry." I watched him walk off down the street, in the direction where that mysterious car had come from. He never glanced back. I waited until I couldn't see him anymore to run over and pick up my bag. I checked once more that he was gone before running all the way home.