A Bump In the Night

When I awoke the morning of November 10, 2009, I didn't know what I was in for. Like all Tuesdays, I was awake before the sun had risen and was preparing for my weekly fishing trip. I stacked boxes of tackle neatly into my pack and carefully inspected knots tied from the week before. Accepting the condition of my gear, I slid it into the back of my small truck before entering the vehicle and starting off into the frigid darkness.

As I bumped along the old country roads, eyes seemed to flicker in the ditches, with whatever creatures they belonged to retreating into the shadows before catching the full cast of the headlights. I sometimes wondered what it was like to be like one of these creatures of the night.

I continued down the road in silence, white mist cast across the ground. The river laid long ahead of me, brimming with trophy walleye and northern pike. Thoughts of these massive fish had nearly eclipsed my mind when I saw an unusual set of eyes along the ditch.

Along the side of the road was a large black Cadillac, and alongside the car near the rear right tire was a man. He was crouched down, but appeared tall and thin. He stared deeply into the headlights of my car, almost stunned by them.

Living in the Canadian north woods, this was a scene not all that unfamiliar. A traveler or tourist was passing through and had, not expecting the lack of civilization, ran out of gas or had gotten a flat tire.

"Hey there," I said, stepping from my car, "It's a cold night, and you shouldn't be out here. Can I help you with something?"

The man stood slowly. He appeared even taller than I had thought.

"Um, yeah. Flat tire. Spare in trunk." he said in a monotone voice.

The man and I glared uncomfortably at one for a few moments before he began feeling through his pockets. After a few more tense moments, the man produced a key fob and popped open the large trunk lid of the Cadillac.

"Grab it." The odd man exclaimed in a seemingly forceful voice.

I stepped forward and looked into the trunk. The spare had slid a long ways forward into the deep trunk, so I hoisted myself over the edge of the vehicle to retrieve it. Leaning as far forward as I could, I felt swift hands take me around the waist, propelling me forward into the trunk of the car.

I panicked. I laid on my stomach in the trunk of the large car with only my legs out. As I began to kick at my attacker, he slammed the trunk against my legs. Again and again he smashed the lid of the trunk against my legs, smashing the bones.

When I had lost all control of my legs, he shoved me deep into the trunk. I stared into his eyes as he smiled wildly at me, his prize.

He said nothing as he slammed the lid of the trunk. The last noise I would hear in a long time. A bump in the night.