The forest road was pitch black. Endless abyss of darkness only further deepened by no sounds, other than the heavy downpour. Trees on each side, leaning menacingly as if threatening to break free of their root and step onto the asphalt. What little light would there have been on a clear night, was now swallowed up by the stormy clouds above. There seemed to be no end in sigh to this rain.

Jessica stood on the side of the road, leaning on the rusted and bent metal railing, looking across to the other side. Her blond hair messy, her make up ruined, her olive green dress clinging to her body, soaked with water.

Despite the disheveled look, the girl was there with a purpose. A simple goal, to be picked up by a passing driver as hitchhiker. Though that had proven a task more difficult that it seemed.

The stretch of asphalt she was on, that cut through the woods, no longer was the busy road she remembered.

A highway that was made not too far away, took the majority of traffic and people away from the winding roads.

But she did not mind, for the highway helped her. Like a sifter that separated regular sand from whatever larger chunk of rock one might find, the highway separated the mundane and tired people going between towns from the deviant and ill-intended people that still used the back roads.

The wait may have been longer now, but that only increased the odds of finding her next potential victim.

Her patience paid off, as a pair of high beams appeared around a curve. The headlights seemed to be swallowed by the darkness of the forest, barely illuminating much.

She moved from the railing and closer to the edge of the road, as the car pulled over in front of her.

The passenger side window rolled down some, and a voice of a man came from inside.

"Everything alright hun? Need a ride?"

Without a word she reached for the handle. Unlocked, how typical. Her victims always gave themselves away with their eagerness. Their fake desire to help her only working against their attempts to mask their true intentions.

She opened the door and sat inside the passenger side, before the car began moving once more.

"So, where to?" The driver asked.

The rhythmic squeaking of the windshield wipers masked her breathing.

"Just on the other side of the woods. I'll let you know when to pull over."

Jessica glanced at the man. He was dressed nicely, most of them were. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing tattoos on both arms, that started at the wrist and disappeared up the sleeve.

He had a few rings on, including a black ring on his ring finger.

Not much of a surprise, some of them didn't even bother taking off their wedding rings.

For when it came to the end result, it would not really matter anyways.

"For the next 300 meters, keep going straight." The GPS sounded off, breaking the silence for a brief moment.

"So, what are you doing all by yourself in this storm, in the middle of nowhere? That dress doesn't seem very waterproof."

The driver smiled slightly, attempting small talk.

Jessica felt her guts churn, her insider burning with rage. But she chose to keep her silence, not wanting to ruin her plans.

The man seemed to have picked up on the hint and kept on driving without another word.

"In the next 200 meters, turn left."

The rain was not letting up, the visibility still almost nonexistent. It felt to her as if the entire car was driven only by relying to the GPS.

"In the next 300 meters, turn left."

Another turn, now they were no longer on the main road that lead out of woods. The car was moving slowly, as the man kept following the GPS's advice, turning on narrower and narrower roads.

"You've missed my turn." Jessica said softly but sternly.

The man did not reply. He merely put the car in reverse, seemingly trying to get back to the main road.

"In the next 50 meters, turn right."

With a deep sigh, he turned off the GPS, before moving down another side road.

Soon dirt and mud replaced the asphalt and the car seemed to struggle to move through it, only moving deeper between the trees.

Jessica knew all there roads like they were hopscotch by now. She's been taken to each and every one of them, multiple times. She could remember every curve, every bend and bump, every oddly shaped tree on the side. Anger only seemed to bubble up inside her more, her hair standing on end at this point.

She's been there for years, waiting to get revenge on those who had confined her to these woods, to that very road, but they never showed up. So she's been taking care of others, men just like them, in hopes of saving other like herself from a gruesome fate she could not avoid.

The driver seemed frustrated too, driving like he was looking for something. Probably a spot where the rain would not be that much of a hindrance. Veins bulged on his neck and on the arm that was gripping the wheel, his knuckle turning almost white from how hard we was squeezing it. He did not speak, deep exhales giving away all she needed to know.

Her hair began to stand up on its own, her nail elongating, her skin turning pale and her eyes losing their youthful glow.

"You've. Missed. My. TURN." She said once more, unfastening the seatbelt, her voice sounding like a growl.

The man turned towards her, locking eyes with her. His expression took her by surprise. Sheer annoyance and frustration.

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"Bitch I KNOW." He said, pronouncing it quickly, in one breath, while pointing his right hand at her, as the car stopped.

The lights in the car, the GPS and radio, even the wipers and headlights began to flicker and crackle. Jessica was still stunned, but her determination did not waver so easily.

"You think I live in the middle of the woods? Do I look like Tarzan? I missed my turn too, obviously we're fucking lost." He continued, before pressing his palms together and against his face, inhaling deeply.

"Huh? What do..?" Jessica mumbled, fully confused at this point at his lack of proper reaction, her hair falling back down on her shoulders again.

"In 150 meters tu-"

"SHUTUP!" He smacked the GPS, turning it off again, before mumbling a few more cuss words at the device and taking another calming inhale.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I know how this might look, being picked up off the side of a lonely road at night by a stranger. Every woman's nightmare. I'm not taking any turns with nefarious intent, I just can't see shit and the GPS is making me drive in circles. I've been driving for half a fucking hour and I can't seem to find the exit. Having to rely only on the GPS cuz I can't see a fingers worth of distance in front of the car, ain't helping neither." Finally he leaned in his seat, running his hands through his hair, then pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. He put one in his mouth, offering one to her without a word.

She nodded and pulled out a cigarette from the crumpled box, as the cars electronics slowly stopped going haywire.

"So, how long?" The driver asked, lighting her smoke and then his, drawing a long inhale.

"What?" She asked, somewhat relaxing in her seat as the confusion began to die down.

"How long you've been dead?" He said, still looking at the roof of the car, listening to nothing but the drumming of rain against the exterior.

Jessica was stunned, caught of guard completely. The whole situation seemed surreal. Her victims screamed, prayed, tried to fight back, tried to run, but never this. A part of her wanted to open the door and run out into the night herself, back to the side of the road where he had picked her up.

The man did not repeat the question, but the silence told her he was waiting on an answer.

"About..." She paused.

"20 years, I think. Hard to keep track."

"Hmmmm, I see. They found you yet?" He continued, the calmness of his voice, like asking a kid what they've done in school, made her uneasy. The fact that she knew what each question meant exactly didn't help either.

"No. Wait, how do you know? Who the hell are you?" The ghost finally regained enough composure to ask.

"Sugar, I've been around the spooky block more than once. Who I am?" He paused, rubbing his beard as if thinking if he should answer or not.

"Doesn't matter."

"So, what now? I mean, sorry, this is uncharted waters for me. Do I go back to the road side? Do you exorcise me? Do we sit here and smoke?" She sighed, giving up on the idea of trying to make sense of the situation.

"Now I call triple A and get someone to tow us out this mud and back on the main road. Then, if you do not mind, you show me where your remains are. So I can do you right by this world, at least." He pulled out his phone, before looking at with a sour frown.

"Of course no fucking signal here."

"Oh, that's me. Sorry." She reached over, something she had not done in over 20 years, and gently tapped the phone, making the device work properly again.

The driver wiggled the phone as if saying "thanks", before sending his location to the tow company.

"We gotta wait for the rain to stop or at least die down before they can send anyone here." He said, putting on his coat and opening the driver side door.

"So how about a little nightly stroll ay? Show me where they left you."

Without waiting for confirmation, he walked over to her side of the car and opened the door, while holding an umbrella.

"Here, you've been rained on enough."

Jessica got our of the car, stepping under the umbrella, feeling an odd sense of warmth inside. She's never been this close to a man, since that horrid day, without tearing them apart in fury.

The two made their way deeper into the woods, the man letting her lead the way. All she could think of was that perhaps now, her rage will finally see its end.

***

Rattle of the keys woke up Boogie and Woogie, as they ran over to the front door barking and snorting.

"Hey boys, you've been good?" Miles said, walking in after trying to wipe his muddy shoes on the doormat with little success.

He bent down to pet his two dogs, before taking off his wet coat, as well as the remainder of his muddy and rain soaked clothes, leaving them as a pile on the floor for the bulldogs to sniff on for a bit, while he went and poured himself a drink.

"What a night." The naked man mumbled, sitting down on his couch and checking his automated answering machine.

"You have... 7... missed calls from.... Detective Anthony."

"Uuggghhh fuck." Miles groaned, getting up and walking over to his discarded pile of wet clothes and rummaging through it until he pulled out his cell phone.

Walking back to the couch with a glass of booze in hand, he kept the phone pressed against his left ear.

It didn't take more than 4 buzzes before someone on the other side picked up.

"Heey, Ant-man. What's up?" Miles grinned, addressing the man on the line.

"Don't call me that." Said the tired voice.

"Where have you been? I've been calling you all evening."

"Oh you know. Ran into a girl. You know the drill." The naked man replied.

"I see. She found?" Anthony asked.

"She is now. I'm sending you the location right now."

"Good. I'll send someone from the department there tomorrow."

"That can't be the only reason you called me 7 times." Miles continued.

"Right. Listen, we've got a case down in Waco. I could really use your... expertise on the matter." The Detective said.

"Now, what skills could the homicide department need from a horror novel author?" Miles cackled a bit, taking a sip and finishing with an exaggerated lip smack and exhale.

"Cut the bullshit Miles, it's way too late for this. You want to help, or do I gotta find another nutcase that can talk to corpses?" Anthony replied, his tone of voice going from tired to annoyed.

"Okay okay, don't get your badge stuck between your ass cheeks Detective. I'll be at your office tomorrow, as soon as my car get cleaned."

The writer said before handing up the call and tossing his phone on the nearby cushion. He finished his drink, sighed and leaned against the couch, looking up the ceiling, the events of tonight still fresh in his mind.