A Walk in Action 2021

Round 3 - Bullet Mirror

"Right! Turn right! TURN RIGHT!" I screech at Jake, my fingers digging into the truck's chair.

Jake cursed, and yanked the wheel to the right. The truck jerked on the side, throwing me in the back. Scrambling up, I passed Gretchen who's hiding in the corner, typing furiously on her computer, and pulled myself to the front and stared. It was raining crazy, and we could barely see. I glanced down at Jake.

"Where's the nearest town?" I yell over the sound of the rain and the engine.

"Too far!" Gretchen screams back.

Fear overwhelms me. We can't stop at a hotel, it's too dangerous. We should stay driving like this all night. Well, I have no idea if it'll make a difference. There should be enough to keep us going, we have caffeine, we can take turns driving, but—

"We can't drive any further, we're running low on gas." Jake shout over his shoulder, as if he could read my mind.

I'm about to say we pack our stuff, and go as far as stealing a car when I realize that we got to stop. I look at the two. Gretchen's eyes are slowly dropping and Jake carries bags under his eyes. A pang of guilt hits me. It's my fault I dragged them into this.

Resigning, I stumbled towards Gretchen.

"Where's the nearest hotel?" I ask just loud enough for her to hear, forcing a positive tone.

"But what if—" She falters.

I smile weakly. "It's fine, I'll just put a hat on or something."

"But—"

"Nearest hotel?" I repeat.

She turns her computer around. "Fifteen minutes away. The Green Seashell. Are—"

"Jake," I turn to him. He nods at me, not taking his eyes off the road. "The Green Seashell Hotel. Straight ahead."

He must have sensed determination in my tone and nodded again.

I sit in shotgun, swallow the big lump in my throat and look ahead.

༺✮༻

"Hello! Can we have a room for the night?" Jake asks brightly, but I see his shoulders tense.

I pull my hat down hesitantly. My hair is soaked and tucked in in my sweater, sending rainwater straight in my wounds. I winced.

The lady gives us a weird look.

"One room? For all three of you?"

Way to make things awkward, lady.

"Credit card?"

He passes her his dad's card. I look up towards the TV.

"—three missing teenagers. They were rented a hotel room, but the next morning they disappeared, leaving bullet holes marked on walls, chairs, mirrors. They seem to have also been transporting weapons. Later today, a man called, saying three teenagers had robbed a store, then drove away, ignoring police's order to stop. The parents are very surprised by this."

The screen shifts, changing to a picture of us. I cringe. Seeing that Jake got the card, I hurry in the lift.

༺✮༻

When we arrive, Gretchen runs in, then frown at me staying back.

"Uh....mirrors?" I say

She forms a 'o' with her mouth and along with Jake, cover every mirror in the room. We put our stuff down, exhausted.

"Dips Shower" She peeks in the bathroom. Crunching her nose, Gretchen murmured. "I'm going down, bad service..."

After she slammed the door, I turn to Jake.

"Will they track us, since you used the card?"

He bites the inside of his lip. "We should have around one night ."

I open my mouth when the door slams open.

"Police. Downstairs." Gretchen says.

༺✮༻

"What?" I yell

"Just—" She lets out a frustrated noise, shaking her hands. Fact - When Gretchen gets frustrated, she starts stressing.

Without waiting, she runs to the window . Following her, I saw two police cars outside. Grabbing our bags, she rushes to the bathroom.

"What —" I ask

"The bathroom window leads to our truck."

"That's why —"

BANG. "Open this door!"

Jake  pulls me along in the bathroom, and slam the door.

Gretchen has already thrown the bags out. She's open the door, and is slowly climbing out. I'm about to follow when my heart stops. I scream, then cover my mouth.

In front of me is a mirror.

Jake looks back at me, curses, and yell.

"Come on! Let's go!" I'm aware that a crash indicates that the officer has broken the door, but everything is fading. Because I'm looking at a mirror. The thing I've been avoiding.

My reflection's lips stretch into a smile, and out of my —her— pocket, she pulls out a gun.

"You didn't think you could escape me, did you?" She laughs before raising the gun.

Things start to slow when she pulls the trigger. I duck on the side, and the bathroom door opens. A officer is standing there. But he's in the way.

Of the bullet.

I scream.