The Human Luna

Hit 'n' Run

"The drive to the hotel is 6 hours, so buy some snacks for the journey before we go." My mum and dad were wheeling the carts with all our luggage on, walking steadily behind us in the airport. When I asked my mum why she hadn't informed me that Jack and Katie were coming, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders before walking ahead.

Jack groaned internally at the time it would take to get there. "What are we travelling in? A three-wheel Spanish car or something?" He said frowning.

"We hired a car for the trip, it should be waiting for us outside right about now," my mum said. "You guys better go get some food now before it's too late." She gestured towards the small shack shop just outside the exit of the airport. Jack, Katie and I began walking towards the shop, owned by a small Spanish woman with glasses that magnified her eyes; but when we saw the two mysterious people buying things, we stopped short.

"Errm, that's weird," I said loudly so my mum could hear. "I no longer feel like I'm hungry."

Jack followed suit.

"Yeah, I mean, I have plenty of food in my rucksack," he gestured to the large bag on his back. "And if I run out of food, Katie's got me covered, haven't you Katie?"

Katie nodded immediately, smiling at my mum when she gave us all a suspicious look. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "Let's go to the car then."

I huffed out a breath of relief. The plane ride had been intense because whenever the man with the leather jacket got up to go to the toilet, he would look directly at me, his eyes piercing holes through my body. I wasn't about to experience that again.

Before I left the airport, I took one more glance at the shop, for God knows why; and felt a chilling sensation flow through me as I realised they were no where to be seen. It hadn't even been 10 seconds.

**********

"How long until we get there mum?" I called from the backseat, careful not to try and wake Katie up, who was fast asleep on my lap.

"About 1 hour left sweetie," she replied.

I briefly thanked God that there wasn't much distance to go, because I was slowly starting to piss my pants in the seat.

Looking outside of the car we were in, I couldn't help but assume that the hotel we were going to was in a remote place far away from the city. We had passed all the shopping precincts and the other busy hotels full of tourists from all around the world, and now we were driving through the countryside.

What kind of hotel was situated in the countryside?

I couldn't see in the rearview mirror, but I was pretty certain that we were the only car on the road. I didn't know what it was, but there was a weird eeriness about being alone away from the city in a foreign land.

"You missed the turning!" My dad exclaimed, turning his head out the window to where we were supposed to go. Katie didn't stir from her slumber, which I was thankful for.

My mum didn't say anything, but shook her head and continued down the rocky road.

"Keola, you missed the turning," my dad repeated, his voice dominating the air in the car.

Jack, who always loved my mum, took a stance behind her saying; "No offence Mr. Wilson, but I'm pretty sure Keola knows where she's going."

I gave Jack a 'are-you-trying-to-kill-yourself-look,' shaking my head at him in concern. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just committed a death wish.

"No offence son, but I think you're in the back for a reason."

Ouch!

"Honey," my dad said calmly. "You took the wrong turn. Where are we going?"

My mum still continued to drive, huffing in annoyance as my dad started to spread a map across both of their laps.

The shuffling dad was making made my head hurt, and very soon my mum started shouting at him.

"Close that fucking thing Nicholas, I don't need a map!"

"But you've taken the wrong turn Keola."

"Wrong turn my arse Nicholas, I know where we're going!"

"I don't think you do sweetheart," my dad started to sound calmer. "Here let me drive," my dad laughed trying to take the wheel from the passenger seat.

My mum screamed and jerked the steering wheel to the right, causing the car to skid sideway, until we were straight again. "What the fuck are you doing? Are you crazy?" My mum yelled. My dad was laughing.

"Ah I was only playing Ko 'u Aloha," (which means my love in Hawaiian).

My mum let go of the steering wheel, turned to my dad and slapped him on his cheek, and in that split second, something hard went underneath the car; jerking Katie, Jack and I forward violently.

"What the hell did we just hit?" Jack said, trying to twist round in his seat. Unfortunately, the car mum and dad rented didn't allow that kind of movement.

The car rolled to a stop, and my dad was the first one to jump out. I followed after him, ignoring Jack's calls for me to slow down and wait for him. My dad was crouched down on the floor, but nothing was there.

A small puddle of blood was visible, slowly spreading across the concrete road. A trail of small animal footprints dipped in red could be seen, but as soon as the footprints neared the forest that surrounded the road, they were gone.

"Might just be a small cat," my dad assumed, getting back up from his crouching position.

"Or it might be a wolf."

Jack, who was standing next to me made my dad look at him with confusion. My dad's eyebrow was raised incredulously.

"What?" Jack said holding his hands up in defence, "That paw belongs to a wolf, I know these things."

Just when I was about to make a comment on how ridiculous Jack was being, the scent of cinnamon and firewood invaded my nostrils, forcing me to stand still and close my eyes. There was a sort of pleasure that came with the smell, a feeling in the pit of my stomach that made me want to gasp in delight.

"What's going on Ailani?" Jack asked. "It's happening again isn't it?"

I nodded very slowly, scared that this time if I moved too fast the smell would disappear.

Jack chuckled and started to walk back into the car.

"I think you just ran over your mate."