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THE car was moving. mariah was sure of it. she heard the engine, saw the passing streetlights, and felt the imperfections of the road. someone was driving her car, and it wasn't her.
peering out from under the blanket, she saw it was a man. he was wearing glasses, and had a scruffy face. his hair was a dark, dark brown. that was all she could see from the passing lights. the rest of everything else was dark.
it had to be early morning, from how the sky was beginning to light up. she couldn't have been sleeping for more than four hours.
the memories from pulling into the motel parking lot came back to her, and she regretted not taking at least five minutes to buy a room. maybe if mariah did that, she wouldn't be here. in her own hijacked car.
most likely, she thought, he wasn't aware someone was in the backseat. he was probably just looking for something to steal, and she happened to be in the wrong moment at the wrong time.
logically, she could just sit up and ask him to turn around and drop her off at the diner. he could keep the car, whatever he wanted. there was no way this dude stole a car without a weapon handy anyway.
but if all she did was sit up, he could freak, pulling out something and killing her instantly. she didn't want to go without fighting for her life, it was a bad idea.
there was a buzzing noise coming from under her seat. she recognized it instantly. her phone.
the guy in the front seat didn't seem to notice, the tires passing along the road were loud enough. but that didn't stop her from holding her breath. she was sweating under the blanket, and too afraid to move.
although her body wasn't moving, that didn't mean her eyes weren't. they searched for a weapon, something sitting on his lap or hooked to a belt loop. she couldn't see anything over the center console, and leaning forward would spook him instantly.
mariah figured if she bent back at just the right moment, she could maneuver her arm under the seat to grab her phone.
she could look up where she was, and call the police. simple.
