Chained

Two

"What do you mean they'll hurt me?"

The silence is suffocating. My eyes drift from the car following us, over to Freddie gripping her knees, then to the darkness in front of us,

"Hey!" I say sharply. "What do you mean?"

"They want me back and they'll hurt you to get me."

"You can't just help every stray you meet, Jason, One day you'll get bitten..."

I shake off Emily's words. "Who are they exactly?"

"My family."

Perfect. Who needs to talk about horror movies? It seems I threw myself into one. But my irritation is mostly at myself—Freddie is clearly terrified. I have to stay calm for her.

"Listen, it's going to be all right," I try to assure her. "They aren't going to get us. As soon as we get off this road, I'll take you straight to the police."

"No." Terror fills her eyes. "You can't take me to the police. You don't...you don't know my family. If you take me there, they'll get me."

"I'm sure—"

She shakes her head, dark curls flying wildly. "Jason, they'll find out. And they will find out that you took me to the cops. And they...they will not be happy that you helped me."

I bite my lip. "I'm sure the police can protect—"

"They can't!" She hugs herself. "I...I'm so sorry. I never should have gotten into the car with you. I've ruined everything."

"You haven't," I assure her, even though it doesn't feel that way at all. "We'll figure something out."

But I've made up my mind to drive as fast as possible off this lonely road and to the authorities. She'll be upset, but what else can I do?

It is an uncomfortable drive. My eyes keep darting to the car that is following us. We're getting closer to my home. Part of me wants to head there and call the cops. I don't like being followed this way.

But it should be safer when we get to town. Easier to lose them than on this lonely road. And I certainly didn't want to lead them back to my home.

A chill tears through my body and I glance back. For a second, out of the corner of my eye, I thought that I saw someone on the side of the road, staring at us.

I inhale. I am letting the situation get to me. It's late, I'm tired and a bit scared. And I have the pressure of trying to stay calm for Freddie.

But I can't help gazing around nervously, as if I expect someone else to emerge from the woods.

"Not much longer," I say tightly, reassuring Freddie as much as myself.

"I'm sorry."

"This isn't your fault," I say fiercely. "Whatever happened...we'll work it out. It will work out."

Her face relaxes and my pounding heart calms. Everything will be all right.

Noises erupt from the car. My attention is called to the vehicle, but it dies.

It just dies.

We come to a halt in the middle of the road. Everything is too quiet.

She turns her head back and exhales. "No..."

I blink and try to sort out what to do next. The car is steadily approaching and we're stranded. The idealistic part of me dearly hopes that she is exaggerating the threat.

But who the hell tails someone with their lights off?

"Okay." I unbuckle my seat belt. "We're not too far from my house. It's to the left, through the woods. If we get there, I can call the cops."