Friday, October 4, 2019

Closing Time...Chapter 4



This is a continuation of a story began October 1, 2019. Find the first of the story on the right side of the page to read the story from the beginning.

Chapter 4

He never made it.

Amber watched Bret pick up his gym bag, then the light filtering through the sunroof of her Subaru went out, then returned. A black shadow flew directly over her car and raced straight at Bret. Amber watched in horror as the tall man was tackled to the ground, his gym bag flew through the air and hit the side of his Land Rover.

Amber's whole body began to shake. She looked out the passenger side window and saw Bret lying on his side, five feet from his truck. The black mist that attacked Bret rose from the body and hung in midair. 

Amber jammed the transmission into reverse and let out he clutch. 

The car lurched backward, tired squealing.

She jumped on the brakes, then threw the car into first gear and stomped on the gas. The front wheels spun and screamed in the cool night air. Amber looked in the rearview mirror to see if Bret moved, or showed any sign of life.

He did not.

"Get to the police station...get to the police station," Amber said to herself as she raced her Japanese import through the nearly deserted streets of the city. By her calculation, she had another three blocks to go. "Get to the police station." There was another reason why she kept repeating the same thing over and over--to take her mind off of several facts--one, the charming man she was just talking to may be dead, and two, she had no idea what in the world killed him, if he were actually dead.

Two blocks. Amber gunned the engine. She prayed a cop would see her and pull her over, then she could tell her insane story to the police all the sooner. Another turn--no cops. Why, she asked herself as Amber fought to keep all four almost-new tires on the pavement, why, when your harmlessly roll through a stop sign when absolutely no other cars are even close is a cop waiting on the other side of the street ready to pull you over and give you a ticket, but when you're flying through town, escaping a confessed killer and another unknown force may (or may not) have killed another man there's not a policeman in sight?

Maybe she should roll through the next four-way stop, then a cop would show up.

No need...she arrived.

Amber slammed on the brakes. Her car skidded to a stop a few feet from the police station's front doors. Through heavy breaths Amber realized her fingers were clenched around the steering wheel with such force, they'd turned white.

She made it.

Safe, at last.

Amber killed the engine, and jumped from her seat. She raced around the car when the door to the police station opened. She thought it would be a cop.

She was wrong.

Todd stepped out.

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