Stranger in the Car

Shawna thought she was alone until she heard the click of the seatbelt in the back seat. She surreptitiously glanced in the rear view mirror. There in the back was a man, just sitting there. It was too dark to see much of his face, only that he looked relaxed. He was sitting with his eyes closed, arms crossed on the seat behind him, a smile on his lips. Shawna turned her eyes back to the road, fear making her dizzy.

She'd checked the car before she got in, like always. She was almost certain it had been empty. Then again, Shawna had been in a hurry to get into her car and go home. It was a cold night, and she had been anticipating the warmth of her apartment.

Now she drove, a stranger in her car, wondering what she could possibly do. There weren't any other drivers that she could signal for help. It was late on Christmas Eve and she was alone on the road. She was seriously considering unbuckling her seatbelt and jumping out of the car when the man spoke. His eyes were open now and he was leaning forward eagerly, seatbelt still holding him in.

"Hello." That was all. His voice was loud against the night, causing her to jump. Then he leaned back and closed his eyes again. He's insane, Shawna thought. Wanting more than ever to get away, she forced herself to slow down the car-even though her blood wanted her to speed up, away from him.

She looked in the mirror again. His eyes were still closed. Shawna readied her mind, and then quickly, before her fear overtook her, she unbuckled her seatbelt and unlocked the door in one motion. The next moment she was out of the car, rolling down the road in the opposite direction the car was going.

She stayed curled up on the road for a few minutes, breathing deep gasping breaths, until she heard the sound of the car crashing. It had gone off the road. Shawna waited a moment until she saw a person walking toward her from the car's direction. A single streetlight cast the features of the face into shadows, doing more harm than good. She saw a hand raised in greeting and heard a call of "Hello". Then she was off running.