Starting Over

Part 1

     Things were definitely not going as she planned. Monique stood on the side of the dirt road, the wind sending chills down her spine despite the intense heat. Smoke billowed up from the engine of her now useless car. She leaned over the engine, trying to get a better look hoping to salvage something, but without success. The mountains grew darker as the sun began setting, she was running out of time. She was in the middle of a desert and no one knew she had left. No one was going to find her, and she wanted to make sure of that. Reluctantly she made her way to the back of the car, retrieving her belongings. Tossing her bag over her shoulder she began to walk, hoping to find someone who could give her a ride to the nearest motel.

     Several hours passed as Monique walked. "I must be on the most deserted road on the planet," she grumbled. She was exhausted and her phone was nearly dead, meaning she would have no light to guide her way. She'd walked for several miles, the stinging of blisters had numbed to a dull ache as she trudged on. Even though it was late at night, the heat was intense. Sweat was beading on her forehead, making her black hair stick to her face. Her legs were screaming at her, begging her to stop. She reached a crossroads, leaving her with three options. She could turn left, right or just keep going straight. But which way lead to help? Abruptly her phone's flashlight went out, plunging her into the dark. She couldn't see a thing other than the silhouette of the mountains against the sky. With a groan she sat down, her decision made. She would wait until morning, or until someone came down the road. Leaning against her duffel bag, she stretched her legs out in front of her. Her aching muscles welcomed the relief as she began dozing.

     The crunch of dirt caught her attention, making her sit up and look around. A man was walking down the road towards her. He held a lantern in his hand, letting Monique make out his features. He was tall, with dark hair and a handsome face with bright blue eyes. He was well dressed, wearing a business suit that seemed too clean. He flashed a smile when his eyes landed on her. "Hello. What brings you here?" His voice was low, with a calmness that made it seem like he'd expected this. Monique swallowed, a lump forming in her throat. Her blood seemed to freeze as the man approached her. Something about him seemed off, but she couldn't figure out what that was. She stood quickly, ready to run if she needs to. The man stopped, just inches away as he asked again, "What brings you out here?"

     Monique felt her heart race, the man seemed to pull the answer from her with just a glance. "Car trouble." she shrugged. It wasn't exactly a lie, but she wasn't going to tell him why she drove out here in the first place. He smirks, sending a chill down her spine.

     "What a coincidence. I have the same problem." He pointed in the direction he'd come from. "Ran out of gas about three miles back. Decided to try and find a gas station." Monique raised an eyebrow. His story didn't make any sense to her. How had he kept his clothes so clean if he'd been walking for three miles? She was filthy after one mile of hiking through the dust, and that had been several hours ago.

     Arms crossing she narrowed her eyes, "Who are you?" He gives her an amused look, setting his lantern on the ground, creating eerie shadows on his face.

     "I'm a businessman. I was on my way to meet a client." He reached into his pocket casually pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. "Do you smoke?" Monique quickly shook her head, causing the man to shrug before lighting the cigarette, taking a long slow drag from it, "Now that I've answered your question it's my turn. Why are you running away?"

     Monique's jaw dropped as the man blew smoke into the air, "How did you know I was running away?" He sighs and gestures to her bag, still lying in the dirt. Blushing she nods, "Oh...Right. Well, it's complicated..." rubbing her arm she kept her eyes on the dirt between the two of them.