Part 3

uXqwAqL.png [https://i.imgur.com/uXqwAqL.png]

And nothing else happened till I got home.

I shook my head as I checked my bumper again. I gave it a hearty love tap and looked over the rest. Oh the junk in the back. I couldn't remember what most of it was, but it had begun to form a hulking mass which almost seemed big enough to bury a person under. There were empty bags from meals long past. Long promised to be removed. Some old books I read when I was parked somewhere without the use of my phone. Depleted boxes of tissue. Leftover papers of so many assortments. A massive (and half-full) jug of water. And a tennis racket, despite the fact I'd not played the sport for ages.

Looking away from the car, I watched the area near the tree, wondering if something might show itself when my back was turned. But there was nothing. I unlocked the door and slid myself in. With the door sealed, I felt much calmer, despite everything. I turned my key in the ignition.

The engine started roughly after a bit of hesitation. I worried about it flooding, even though I only had a vague idea what that meant. The car felt like it was wobbling. The engine was going, but it felt off. Like it was trembling. I slowly gave it a little gas. It revved but the shaking didn't lessen. I was parked on a bit of an incline, but I'd never had problems before. My mind raced with worry that whatever I had struck had done subtle but significant damage. Just as I could think this thought, the wobbling cleared and things felt normal again. There was still the constant rattling that went with a twenty-year-old car, but it was the rattling I'd grown used to. Leaning back into the soft fabric of the seat, I smiled and reached for the parking brake.

I looked back. I twitched and jerked on the wheel, even though it didn't do anything. After a moment of shock, I was actually laughing. The shadows of the tree had spilled over the tall, metal fence which none of us had even bothered to close since we moved in. Scared by some shadows, again? The laughs came quickly and cathartically. Smiling to myself, I slowly backed out of the driveway and onto the street.

I could see the end of the road easily despite the soft traces of lingering fog. It wasn't enough to make the amber streetlights turn into mottled balls, but the lines of the lights were accented. My headlights looked particularly harsh. Leaning back, I glanced at my phone. Still not too long past two. I reminded myself it was technically Halloween.

I smirked at that. My family never really celebrated it. There were some bits at school but the usual traditions went over my head. I adopted enough of the occasion for those who were more into it than I. To me, it pretty much just meant a lot more orange and black tinted stuff to unload and sort. Tucking my phone away, I drove down the road. Something shifted with a weighty thump followed by a sudden rush of water.

I immediately thought about the possible lump on the couch. I braked and turned around. Again, it was immediately clear to me what had happened. The jug of water had tipped over and was rolling back and forth as much as it could. I picked it up and took a long sip from the top. When I set it down, I made sure it was wedged between enough trash that it was sure to stay in place.

Chuckling to myself, I continued down the road. About half the houses in this area were dressed up in cobwebs and other decorations. There was even an old, faceless wizard standing with a black, empty bowl in his hands. The paper stuff looked a bit soft but the cobwebs were nicely dew-speckled. I made a left at the end of the street, maneuvered around a few small cul-de-sacs, and past a small, nice-looking elementary school my family once considered sending me to. It was too far a trip though, even with bussing.

I rolled the window down but not as much as earlier. I also kept away from the radio. Call it mere superstition, but I wasn't eager to do the same thing as before for quite a while. I turned left, away from a long, dark dirt road in the middle of the housing tract. Its end was so distant that the fog actually managed to gobble it up.

My road followed along the edge of the tract and crossed the nearest major road. The signal light was furiously blinking a bright, fuzzy red over and over. Drivers ambled through, barely stopping before puttering off. I waited long after a guy wove through lanes and made a right onto the road. There was a soft splash with my tires. I hadn't noticed any water and there wasn't any further up. I shrugged and pondered a bit of music but just listened to the wind crackling through the open window.

There were a couple choices for food. On my left at the corner, there was a hot dog place, but it was closed. The other restaurants in the little strip were also shut for the evening. I could go left and see if the town end of the old road had anything open. Sure to just be fast food places though. Turn left or turn right? It seemed like the sort of night for right.

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I chuckled at a house with glowing pumpkin people attached to the eaves. Just past a firehouse, I came to the main shopping center. The supermarket was shut, as were several of the places on this side. Slowing and pondering, I considered the hamburger place or the taco one. Both had long lines of hungry stoners and random insomniacs. But the taco one was just slightly shorter. I reminded myself they had hamburgers too.

I settled in at the back of the line and cracked my neck. It sounded like splitting a pencil in half but felt great. Glancing out the window, I noticed there were a couple of older teens sitting by the outdoor eating area of the taco place. One of them had a skateboard and was flipping it around. One yelled randomly for what seemed like no reason and another was bobbing his head. Then there was the one on the end. The girl.

It didn't seem like she was with the rest of them. She sat on the curb with her legs arching up and her head dipped down. Her face was hidden in the large, gray hoodie she wore. Her legs were covered by long stockings which rose up to her thighs in a regular black-and-gray banded pattern to a small, clinging pair of black shorts. Her shoes were a thin, glossy pair of dark sandals. Her breasts really showed despite the loose hoodie. A narrow drawstring dangled off one pinnacle. I tried not to stare too much. But I frowned when I noticed she had some blankets behind her. One of them was set on her shoulders and another was bunched up where she was sitting. What I noticed the most, however, was that they were the same type and color as the blankets on my couch.

My breath quickened before I was even sure why. There were tons of the same sort of blankets sold and Matt's blankets were just some rough cheapie ones he'd gotten somewhere during a sale. Nothing weird, just coincidence. They probably just looked like the same ones anyway. Although, these did appear a little wet in the same areas where I'd seen the ones on the couch wet. I grit my teeth, shook my head, and rolled my window back up. The car in front of me advanced a little and I moved as far as possible down the line. I needed some music now.

I searched through the stations, stopped on a classic rock one, and listened to some Queen. I relaxed and softly drummed the wheel. At the peak of the melody, I bobbed my head and added some heavier beats. But the taps suddenly sounded like they were in stereo. Right by my head. My head jerked to the left. A small, pale hand pressed against the glass. Her head was down, still buried in her blankets and hoodie.

My heart raced but soon settled. I lowered the window cautiously. She spoke in a very soft whisper which felt like no air was being used.

"Could…could you please please give me a ride? I need to get home. Please please."

Her hand drooped over the threshold of the window. Her fingers were so narrow they seemed like the legs of a spider. I coughed lightly. A car had slipped in behind me in line, so there was no way to drive off.

I asked her, "How far? I'm…just getting a late meal."

She bowed even more. I could see the side of her cheek. It was as pale as her hands. She assured me, "Not far. I could pay you. I just need to get home."

Chewing on my lip, I nodded to myself and unlocked the doors. She disappeared a moment before her hand appeared on the other door and pulled it open. The lights came on and the alarm sounded a solemn warning.

She moved slowly into the passenger seat, the bundle of her head leading first and her legs last. The alarm silenced but the light lingered when she closed the door. She had all those blankets with her.

I turned down the radio and looked over. She set her blankets at her feet and lowered her hood. I could finally see her face. Her eyes were gray too. Her black hair clung to the side of her hood. It looked like it had been caught up in the wind and she'd had to brush it by hand. It shimmered starkly in the overhead light till it shut off. She adjusted herself in her seat and tugged at her shorts. Her skin looked so pale that I wondered if she was sick.

I offered, "Would you like the heat on, miss?"

She brushed a matted lock of hair away from her eyes and said, "It's fine.…and call me Angie." I raised an eyebrow, but dismissed my random thought as a coincidence.

Angie bent one of her hands toward me. I touched it for a shake. Her flesh felt frigid as it made contact and left my hand feeling much colder when I let go.

I was about to tell her my name when she interrupted and murmured, "I'm so hungry…."

That was something I could easily believe. I offered to buy her some food, and she gave a slow nod. The line advanced slowly. I sighed and pondered whether to chat with her a bit. She didn't provide many openings, but I did ask her, "What would you like me to order for you?"

She told me, "Anything with meat."