Wicked Game

Prologue

A MONTH AGO. 

Something didn’t feel right.

Something didn’t look right. 

The small, yellow walled and cosily decorated diner was home to more then forty people. Instead of crowding around the TV, like usual, they sat in the cracked leather booths and chatted loudly, filling the diner with a strange, unusual warmth. 

But it wasn’t the amount of people in the diner which made Estella stop, and grip onto the windowpane until her knuckles, it was the leather clad arm under the warm glow of the streetlamp. She leaned further forwards, her nose almost pressing against the cool of the window, attempting to get a better look.

Estella stopped, turned back and looked into the kitchen as the orders came racing through and turned back eagerly towards the window. 

The figure was gone. 

Stepping back and collecting herself, she shook her head. Shaking the strange feeling from her head, but it didn’t leave. It stuck there, like a smoke in her mind. Her stomach churned and she shook the chills off.

Elbowing through the door again, she dropped more food at the booth’s table and left to handle the check out. 

Then she saw it again.

She had to squint to make sure that she was seeing something correctly. This time she saw half of a stranger’s body. Clad in leather and denim, they had their legs crossed over the other, but still Estella could see the long, almost hunting-like boots which slithered up towards her knees like a snake. 

Goosebumps prickled on Estella’s bare arms and she couldn’t shake off the feeling of terror which lingered under her skin. 

Giving up, she leaned her head into the kitchen. The cold chill bracing her skin refusing to budge. 

“Hey Dave,” Estella called, ducking her head into the kitchen as Dave, the cook with a large stomach and stained white cooking apron smiled at her, she smiled back warmly, “crowd’s dispersed, you think I can go home early tonight?” 

“What’s the time, love?” He asked lazily, Estella ducked her head back into the doorway and observed the time before pulling it back. 

“Ten.” 

“Yeah, go home. It’s almost time to close up anyway. Night, sweet.” 

“See you tomorrow, Dave.” 

After fumbling outside, dipping her fingers into her deep jean’s pocket and retrieving her keys she located her car. A shiny, black truck which blended into the darkness well, she slipped in and started the car. The golden cones of the headlights blazing light into the dark forest landscape before her.

She froze. 

There it was again, the leather boot, tapping impatiently on the ground, as if waiting for someone. She looked up, surprised to find more of the long, lean body in view. The headlights made the woman’s boots shine, and the jeans lighten in color. 

She was wearing a black shirt under her leather jacket, and this time Estella could see her long, wavy black hair which cascaded over her shoulders and her startlingly blue eyes. 

Estella found a hair tie in the glove case, tied her hair into a sleek ponytail and took a deep breath. Fingers on the door handle. Would she? Why wouldn’t she? She opened the door, not taking her keys from the car so the headlights stayed on. 

When she ventured out, the night’s air was heavier and colder. She tugged her plain black jacket around her tightly and walked to the tree line. She was sure the woman was there.