Skip to main content

The Warning


Endless.

Dark.

That was the road in front of me, stretching out farther than the eye could see in this inky blackness. Not a star in the sky tonight, and the moon seemed to be hiding from view as well. That was okay because I actually preferred the dark stretch- I found it calming to drive the narrow strip alone in the night.

It wasn’t often I had the opportunity to drive it and visit my parents is the country, and I was excited to see them. It had been a long time…too long. Being an only child, my parents had been devastated when I informed them I was moving to the city. With that being said, they of course supported me and invited me to visit often, which is how I found myself driving out after work. It was a long weekend, so I could stay Friday and Saturday and head back to the city on Sunday to have some me time.

The road had been fun when I was a child- the hills and bumps always had me lifted off my seat, giggling and shouting “wheee!” Every time we hit a large hill, my stomach would drop. I smiled at the memory, speeding up a little, intending to replicate the experience. The radio blasted a pop song, up way too loud to be good for anyone’s ears, but let’s be honest- it wasn’t like the music was that good anyway.

I checked the speedometer. I pressed a little harder on the gas, confident that I could maneuver this particular road with little danger. My car loyally leapt over the hills, bouncing me off my seat time after time. I laughed as my stomach flipped and flipped. I saw a curve up ahead and I started to gently hit my brakes. Just as I was going through the curve, a flash of blue up ahead caught my eye.

“Stop!” Someone screamed. My reaction to seeing a person standing in the middle of the road was to stop immediately to avoid hitting them. When I saw it was a young girl, I felt a wave of guilt crash over me. I almost hit that girl! I admonished myself. Her dress was a pale blue, torn at the hem and at the shoulder. The tear in the shoulder neatly matched the scratch on her arm, so I guessed she must have been running and caught a branch. Her hair was wet, matted down on one side, and she looked panicked. I felt sorry for her, but I was also scared. Do I help this girl? What was she doing in the middle of the road at this time of night? She stared at the car for a second, and then began screaming again.

“Help me! You have to help me! He’s going to kill me!” she cried, running toward the car. I had the doors locked, but her sudden movement had me reaching for the lock button. I glanced around but I didn’t see anyone else. Suddenly, I saw a man break through the bushes on the left. He was tall, with dark hair and a thick beard. Most importantly though, he was covered in blood and holding a knife. He seemed to look around for a minute, taking in the car’s bright lights, and then noticed the girl. He started in the direction of the car, obviously going after the young girl who was frantically pulling at the door handle.

“Please!” she cried, tears pouring down her face. More afraid of the bloody bearded man than the child, I pressed the unlock button hurriedly.

“Get in! Get in!!” I practically screamed, my heart racing. The man was so close to the car now, any second he was going to reach it and kill us both. The girl slammed the door shut and locked it just as the man reached the front of the car.

“Get out of the car!” he screamed, banging his fists against the hood. The girl cowered in the seat, taking in the environment of the car and stealing a glance at me. She didn’t respond to him.

“Get out of the car right now! It’s for your own good.” He said emphatically, banging his fists on the hood again, knife gleaming in the headlights and the glare momentarily blinding me. Suddenly, he began to move from the front of the car to the driver’s side window.

“Please get out of the car.” He pleaded, his voice a little different this time, almost begging for her to get out of the car. I looked at him and noticed for the first time that he was looking at me.

“Please get out. You’ve made a mistake. You don’t know what-“

I felt something hard and cold slide through my lower ribs. I cried out in pain and looked at the girl incredulously. With a malicious smile, she slowly began to twist the knife.

Me.

He had been warning me.

–
Credits to: krshann

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Wish Come True (A Short Story)

I woke up with a start when I found myself in a very unfamiliar place. The bed I was lying on was grand—an English-quilting blanket and 2 soft pillows with flowery laces. The whole place was fit for a king! Suddenly the door opened and there stood my dream prince: Katsuya Kimura! I gasped in astonishment for he was actually a cartoon character. I did not know that he really exist. “Wake up, dear,” he said and pulled off the blanket and handed it to a woman who looked like the maid. “You will be late for work.” “Work?” I asked. “Yes! Work! Have you forgotten your own comic workhouse, baby dear?” Comic workhouse?! I…I have became a cartoonist? That was my wildest dreams! Being a cartoonist! I undressed and changed into my beige T-shirt and black trousers at once and hurriedly finished my breakfast. Katsuya drove me to the workhouse. My, my, was it big! I’ve never seen a bigger place than this! Katsuya kissed me and said, “See you at four, OK, baby?” I blushed scarlet. I always wan...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hans and Hilda

Once upon a time there was an old miller who had two children who were twins. The boy-twin was named Hans, and he was very greedy. The girl-twin was named Hilda, and she was very lazy. Hans and Hilda had no mother, because she died whilst giving birth to their third sibling, named Engel, who had been sent away to live wtih the gypsies. Hans and Hilda were never allowed out of the mill, even when the miller went away to the market. One day, Hans was especially greedy and Hilda was especially lazy, and the old miller wept with anger as he locked them in the cellar, to teach them to be good. "Let us try to escape and live with the gypsies," said Hans, and Hilda agreed. While they were looking for a way out, a Big Brown Rat came out from behind the log pile. "I will help you escape and show you the way to the gypsies' campl," said the Big Brown Rat, "if you bring me all your father's grain." So Hans and Hilda waited until their father let them out, ...
2 comments
Read more

I've Learned...

Written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words. Rooney used to be on 60 Minutes TV show. I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows. I've learned .... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day. I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right. I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child. I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in any other way. I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I...
Post a Comment
Read more