Chapter Text
I wake up to the sound of agitated voices. It takes me a second to realize where I am, the first thing my eyes lay upon is the late afternoon sun beaming down on the flat desert landscape swishing past my window. With every bump and pothole in the road my forehead smacks slightly against the car window, it's a small miracle I’d managed to sleep this long. I sit up straight, massaging my sore neck. The agitated voice belongs to Elena, who is currently berating her boyfriend Lucas for not knowing the first thing about reading maps, apparently. Lucas is muttering something back about shitty gas station maps, and Elena snaps back at him.
I look over to my fellow backseat companions. Tom is mindlessly flipping through a book, dark hair covering his eyes. He’s clearly more dialed in on the argument going on up front. Audrey is staring out of her window, watching the rocks and cacti cast longer and longer shadows.
“Where are we? How much longer ‘til we stop for the night?” I ask quietly, directing the question at Tom. Elena, unfortunately, hears it anyway. She whips her head around, frustration darkening her face. Her gaze softens a little when she sees it’s me asking.
“You tell me man, we have no clue where we are” she replies.
“That’s not true, we HAVE to be somewhere between this point and this one, I’m sure of it” Lucas defends his map-reading skills, pointing at the map. Elena pointedly ignores him.
“How you feeling? You’ve been out like a light since we crossed the state border”
“My neck is messed up but otherwise I’m fine, but I’m not gonna sleep a wink tonight. Do you know where we’re stopping for the night?” I say while trying to stretch as best I can in the confined space of Lucas’s car.
Elena’s annoyed expression comes back instantly.
“Dunno, I guess we’ll just keep driving until we find something or someone that can help”
Lucas begins protesting but Elena shuts him down immediately, and the car sinks into a tense, awkward silence. There isn’t much to do except watch the Arizona desert fly by, which is exactly what I decide to do. The landscape is beautiful, the jagged rocks and flat, arid ground bathed in the golden light of the dying sun. The gentle rumble of the car and its soft movements would’ve lulled me to sleep if I wasn’t wide awake and energized by my hour long nap.
I’ve been looking forward to this trip. It’s summer break and Audrey invited me on a week-long road trip, spanning multiple states and culminating in a two week stay at her grandparents’ cabin up in the mountains. I agreed instantly, anything to get out of our cramped little college town. I know Audrey fairly well, we went to the same high school and have had many classes together in college. We've gotten even closer after having a hellish biology class together, were we had little but each other to rely on. My roommate is friends with Elena, so I’ve met her and Lucas once or twice. Tom is Lucas’s friend, and while we haven’t known each other for more than a few days I’ve come to like the guy. We’re maybe five or six days away from the cabin, and with Lucas’s car being this spacious and comfortable I don’t particularly mind being cooped up with these people. I think about what landmarks we should visit on the way, I think I remember the route Lucas briefly showed me when the trip started.
Elena starts asking for directions and landmarks, and Lucas answers as best as he can. He still sounds a little on edge, probably from getting his ego hurt by his shitty map-reading. Elena, always the more hotheaded one, has started raising her voice a little and I sense an oncoming argument. Audrey does too, and breaks away from the window.
“Can't wait to get to the cabin, you're gonna love it. It's like, halfway up a mountain, surrounded by forest, honestly kinda resembles the cabin in Evil Dead” she distracts from the tension rising in the car, and gives me a nod, “you especially are gonna like it”
“Does it have the same creepy basement?” Tom finally opens his mouth after being silent for so long.
“Nah, not exactly, I mean there's a basement but it's tiny, nothing but empty shelves there. No Necronomicon for you, sorry”
Tom gives a faux exaggerated frown before returning to his book. Audrey sinks back in her seat, pleased with having dispersed the bad feelings. Elena looks calmer now, and even Lucas has relaxed a bit. I also breathe a sigh of relief, glad not to be caught in the crossfire of an argument. I continue looking out of the window, watching the rocks and dirt and ever-growing shadows of the late afternoon.
It's hard to tell exactly how long has passed when Elena’s hooting pulls me from my mindless watching. The sun is almost completely gone, casting a few desperate last rays over the horizon. The desert landscape cloaked in darkness. I look away from the window and spot what has brought Elena so much joy. There, rapidly approaching us, are the comforting neon signs of a truck stop. Lucas and Elena cheer, and we all breathe an internal sigh of relief. At least we’re not running out of gas on a lonely stretch of desert road in the middle of the night.
It's a small, slightly rundown truck stop, with a combined convenience store and diner. Elena pulls over by the gas pumps and Lucas, probably hoping to get back in her good graces, offers to fill up while the rest of us head inside. We all stretch our sore legs, sort out our bags and Elena gives Lucas a small peck on the cheek as a thank you.
The building is small and a little cramped, with a cash register, a few shelves with snacks and some essentials, a few tables with tired-looking truckers eating hamburgers and fries, and behind the register a door that probably leads out to the kitchen.
After a short discussion it is decided that we won’t eat here since no one really has an appetite or energy for eating greasy hamburgers and fries. We’ll ask for directions, pick up some snacks and be back on the road as quickly as possible. Tom goes up to the cashier to grill her for information, Elena heads to the bathroom while Audrey and I peruse the shelves for our preferred snacks.
I’m standing by the drinks’ cooler deciding between a Coke and a Fanta when the door is slammed open. I look over, expecting to see Lucas and preparing to joke about tearing the place apart. Instead, a group of strangers come pouring in through the door.
It’s a slightly odd group of people. First of all, there are many of them. A tall, thin man in his forties or fifties, holding the hand of a younger woman with bleached blonde hair. A man and a woman, maybe in their late teens or early twenties, also holding hands. Surprisingly, a kid of about ten or eleven, looking dower. And lastly, a man in his thirties wearing a leather jacket covered in badges, pins and patches. The last guy loudly announces his displeasure with this “grease-stinking shithole”. I look away before they notice my staring. Something in me isn’t sure I want any of them, especially the rude leather-clad one, to catch me looking. The group makes their way to one of the tables and take seat, the rude guy continuing to complain about the selection of food here. That dumbass hasn’t even picked up the menu on the table, I think to myself. Oh well, maybe I can just ignore these door-slamming assholes.
As I continue looking for snacks, I listen in on the new group. The kid had mumbled something that displeased the rude one, who is loudly berating this preteen for being a “whiny little shit”. The kid is roundly swearing back at him. I can’t figure out this family’s dynamic, the woman with bleached hair seems to be the mother of this kid, but she’s too young to be anyone else’s mom. Is the old man the kid’s father? I glance over to see the rude man ruffling the kid’s hair a little to violently to be nice, much to the kid’s protest. No one at the table takes part in the bickering, in fact they seem amused by the harsh words these two are exchanging.
A few seconds later the door opens again, and Lucas enters. I immediately see that something is wrong. Lucas walks over and beckons Audrey, who is the closest.
“I hope we’re not eating here ‘cause I’m getting some weird fuckin’ vibes from the guys who just came in” Lucas whispers. I spare a glance at the group. They seem to mostly be lazily looking around the room, it almost seems like they’re waiting for something. The fighting has stopped and has been replaced by an eerie quiet. I accidentally make eye contact with the leather-wearing one, and quickly look away, not before seeing a wide grin creep onto the man’s face. My gut twists after seeing those bright blue eyes light up. Something is definitely weird about these people.
“At least two of them are armed, I saw them outside. Leather Jacket and the old man” Lucas whispers. This isn’t necessarily a threat; it’s not entirely uncommon to carry around these parts. But still, no need to stick around and find out, “And they, I dunno, said some weird shit, I can’t really explain. Don’t think they saw me. Where’s Elena?”
“In the restroom, I’ll go get her” Audrey answers before turning on her heel and heading off to find Elena.
“No need to make a big deal, let’s just get back on the road” Lucas says, “I’ll pay for the gas and tell Tom. Hey, grab me some jerky, would you?”
I nod and we all part ways. I pick up my drink and a bag of chips and begin scanning the shelves for jerky, trying to seem unbothered. I'm about to reach for a bag when I feel an overwhelming sense of unease wash over me. I glance back and force down a yelp as I see the leather-clad man practically looming over my shoulder. I force a chuckle, that sounds much too nervous to be natural.
“Shit, you spooked me! Sorry, uh, am I in the way?” I step to the side, trying to put a little distance between me and the man. The man just grins down at me. Oily dark hair hangs down over his face and up-close I can see how beat up his jacket is, how stained his flannel and shirt are. I can also see the gun in its holster at the man’s hip.
“Naw, you’re good man, don’t worry” the man replies, showing off a toothy smile, “I ain’t lookin’ for jerky”
I don’t know how to reply to that. “Well, hope you find what you’re looking for” I say a little meekly. Something in the man’s sharp blue eyes has me rooted to the spot, not unlike a deer on a road in front of a car barreling towards it. This is not a comforting comparison, I curse internally. The man moves a little closer.
“Y’all on a road trip?” he asks, and something in me is screaming to not tell this man more.
“Uh, yeah, something like that” I answer. The man nods to himself. “What about you?”
“Yeah, somethin’ like that too” he replies. He’s so close I can smell not only his unwashed clothes but also his breath. It has that distinct smell of someone who hasn’t eaten in way too long, sharp and rancid. There is an undertone to the dirty clothes and foul breath, something strange. A smell like copper, or an old nosebleed. This motivates me to move back even further.
“Well, good luck finding whatever it is you’re looking for” I say, a little forcefully, finally tearing my eyes from his disconcerting stare.
“Oh I think I’ve already found it” the man smiles and in a blur of movement, he grabs my hair and pulls back my head. Before I have time to react, the man’s head dives down and I feel a sharp pain on the side of my neck. I gasp, the man has an iron grip on my hair and the other hand has caught my flailing arm. The pain increases, and suddenly I feel a horrible, suckling sensation. The man gulps, and something warm runs down the side of my neck. In my panic I can’t understand what’s happening, I let out a pained, panicked shriek and push against the man’s rock solid grasp. The man won’t even budge, just keeps gulping down mouthfuls of hot blood. The realization of what the man is doing brings a sliver of clarity to my mind, and I bring up my knee between the man’s legs as hard as I can muster. The man chokes and coughs and momentarily lets go. I fall backwards and manage to swipe at the man’s legs. He must’ve been caught off guard, because he comes crashing down, smacking his face hard against the floor. The man’s companions laugh heartily at the horror show taking place. I scramble to my feet as the man gets up a little unsteadily, and the only thing I can think to do is to shove the man as hard as possible. The man slips on the bloody floor and tumbles backward, earning another roar of laughter from his group.
I hear the others call out for me, I turn and begin sprinting towards the door.
“Go!” I yell at them, they set off out the door. Just as I reach it I hear a deafening gunshot and something whizzes past my head. I throw myself against the door, another shot and the glass next to me shatters. I almost lose my balance but stay on my feet and book it towards the car.
“What the fuck was that???” Tom yells, tearing open the backseat door and throwing himself in.
“I don’t know! Just go, go, go!” Elena replies and takes the passenger seat. I practically dive into the backseat along with Audrey and Lucas gets into the driver’s seat. He starts the car and steps on the gas, tearing out of the parking lot. A third gunshot rings out and something shatters but we continue, speeding off into the night.
~
“Oh my God, you’re bleeding a lot!” Audrey cries, tearing off her jacket and pressing it against my neck. We’ve put a good few miles between us and that hellish diner, and the initial panic is beginning to reside. The adrenaline is still coursing through me but when that begins wearing off, the pain, exhaustion and blood loss catches up to me. I half sit, half lay in the backseat, not sure what to say or even think about all this. My neck stings like hell, and my shirt is soaked in blood. How much have I lost? Am I going to bleed out?
“Who the fuck were those people?” Tom says, staring in shock at my bloodied face and clothes.
“More like WHAT the fuck were they” Lucas mutters. He is no longer driving recklessly fast but keeps glancing in the rear-view mirror. Somehow, I doubt these people would give into the chase, but none of us can be certain.
“Was he drinking your blood?” Elena asks me, and I nod, a little uncertain. Honestly, in the heat of the moment it was a little hard to tell, but the feeling of him suckling the wound, tongue laving against it, the loud, obscene swallowing noises. Those are playing on repeat in my head. Elena shakes her head in disbelief. I don’t blame her; I find it hard to believe myself.
“Did the cashier tell you anything, Tom? Are there any towns up ahead? Anything with a police station or a hospital?” Elena turns to him.
“There should be a small town not too far away, a 45-minute drive I think she said? It should have a motel as well”
45 minutes is close, preferably it would’ve been even closer but we reason I won’t bleed out that quickly. Audrey’s jacket seems to be working, the wound isn’t gushing blood anymore. Still, I’m not feeling great. Exhausted and a little lightheaded. I can’t fall asleep though, I have to stay awake until we get ahold of someone that can help us.
The drive is mostly silent, except for Tom remarking that something, probably the bullet, has taken out one of our taillights. The fear and exhaustion are thick in the air, and I can feel myself drifting off. I try to stay awake but soon not even the throbbing pain in my neck can keep me up. I’m slipping into an uneasy rest when Audrey speaks up.
“Are those headlights?”
I look out the back window where she’s looking. There, two tiny pinpricks by the horizon behind us. Those are definitely headlights.
“Oh my God, what if it’s-“ Audrey starts but Lucas cuts her off.
“We don’t know that, it could be anyone. There’s no need to panic over some headlights, we need to stay calm”
We all try to listen to his words. Really, it could be some other poor idiot fleeing the diner. It could be someone living in the upcoming town. Lucas is right, it could be absolutely anyone. Still, Audrey and I have our eyes glued on the far-off vehicle. It takes me a while to realize in my groggy state, but after a while it hits me: those pinpricks are growing.
“They’re getting closer” I mumble, feeling worry grow in my gut. Lucas glances back and furrows his brow.
“Damn, I’m going like, just above the speed limit, they’re fast”
The car is uncomfortably silent as we watch the headlights draw closer. Lucas is speeding up a little, probably subconsciously, but still, they grow larger. Fast. Within a few minutes they’ve closed several hundred yards of distance, and I can barely contain my fear. Lucas keeps repeating that we can’t know but when the car is only 30 feet away you can hear the fear cracking his voice. The car drives up next to us, as if it is trying to pass us. I anxiously try to peer into the windows but can’t see anything. Suddenly, the passenger side window rolls down. For a second I see a hand extend out, holding something before a bang shakes the car and the driver’s side window cracks loudly. Lucas slumps to the side into his girlfriend’s lap. Elena wails, and I see something dark pooling in her lap and running down her leg.
“Oh God! Oh Jesus!” she screams and I join her. The car, no longer being piloted, begins veering to the side, closing in on the car next to us. I’m too shocked to move, but Audrey acts quickly and leans forward, grabbing the steering wheel and narrowly avoids careening into the car beside us.
“Elena, get him out of the seat! I can’t drive like this!” she yells. Elena is wailing and sobbing hysterically, but manages to unbuckle Lucas and pull his limp body into her lap. She clings to him, trying to stop blood gushing from the bullet hole in his head. I think we all know it's too late.
Audrey manages to climb into the driver's seat, keeping her head low. When she's securely seated up front she presses pedal to metal. She pushes the car to its limit, trying to outrun the madmen hunting us. But they follow suit. The car keeps up. We are going God knows how fast and they are still right behind us or next to us. Audrey is a skilled driver, taking turns and keeping control as best as she can, but whoever is driving the other car is equally good. A loud crash, the car shakes and Audrey fights for control as they ram us, forcing us closer to the edge of the road. Tom is sitting shell shocked, keeping his head as low as possible. I think that through the roar of the engines and the screaming and crying of Elena and admittedly me as well, I can hear something from the other car’s rolled down window. Something that sounds like laughing. It sounds eerily familiar.
Another gunshot rings out, and glass rains over me. I keep my head low, but I know we aren’t going to make it much longer. The car is right next to us, drifting ever closer. I pray to whatever god is out there to please make this quick. A bend in the road comes up, and Audrey takes it as best she can at this speed. Then, bright headlights appear from the front. A split second, then an ear-deafening crash. I scream. It takes me a second to realize it isn’t our car. We keep driving, but the other car had rammed into the oncoming truck at an ungodly speed. I look back and see headlights shining at odd angles. They are gone. There is no way they’d walk out of a crash like that. We keep driving, hoping this is the end of it.