Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,25

I forgot. I have to pay first. Watch this for me, will you?”

Without waiting for my reply, he rushes off into the building, leaving the car hooked up to the gas pump. “Watch this for me, will you,” I mimic under my breath. As if somebody’s going to run up and steal the hose!

I lean against the side of his car and look around. A curving dirt road runs one way into the woods. On the other side of the gas station is the paved road I assume Rich used to get us here.

The gas station attendant inside is the only other person present. It’s quiet, serene. The wind rustling the branches above me is the only sound to break the stillness. I can imagine this station as lost somewhere in the far reaches of Alaska, serving lone truckers on their long routes through the unpopulated state.

The wind picks up, and I shiver. My sweater doesn’t offer much protection. I decide to hop back into the car.

My hand is on the handle when suddenly I see a dark reflection on the glass. Just for a sliver of a second, I imagine that I see the black Lincoln driving on that curving dirt road. I whirl around, heart racing, and see… nothing. The road is empty.

I give a nervous chuckle. Just my mind playing tricks on me, I think as I step through the door. Not enough sleep and too much uncertainty will do that to a girl. Just in case, though, I lock the doors.

A few minutes later, I’m startled by a knock on the window. I’d been so caught up in looking at the road to prove the black Lincoln had just been a figment of my imagination that I didn’t notice Rich approaching. I give a bashful grin and unlock the doors, letting him inside.

“Here,” he says. “I got you something to drink.” He hands me a lidded, plastic fountain cup.

I take a sip, and make a face. “Pepsi? It’s so sweet.”

“Sorry,” he says. “That’s all they had. We’re outside of Coke country here.”

I start to set it down, but he urges me, “Drink up. The caffeine’s good for you. I wouldn’t want you crashing when we get to my friend’s place.” There’s an odd, focused look on his face that accompanies the request. I don’t understand why it’s so important to him. But I don’t want to cause a fuss over a little drink.

I position the straw between my lips and take a longer sip. I feel a yawn coming on. Maybe he’s is right, I think. Maybe the caffeine will help me wake up. I draw on the straw again, feeling the bubbles trail down my throat. I frown. The Pepsi does taste awfully sweet.

I can’t stop the next yawn from escaping my mouth. I feel my eyes getting heavy. Rich is still leaning halfway into the car, looking at me intently.

“What…” I try to say. But, the word comes out mushy. It’s like my tongue doesn’t want to respond. My mouth feels like it’s full of cotton.

I blink, feeling dazed. I try to open my mouth to speak again, but a heavy languor washes over me. I try to focus, but my thoughts are sluggish. I can see Rich, still looking at me. Watching. Waiting. Like a hawk. Like a…

My eyes drift shut. My limbs go numb. I feel the drink fall from my fingers, but I don’t feel it hit my legs.

From some deep corner of my mind, I think I hear the words, “I’m sorry.”

All goes black.

Chapter Five

The first thing I know is the cold. Icy cold, seeping into every living cell of my body. It surrounds me, pressing down against my skin in its harsh embrace. My body feels weak and confused. My thoughts are… sluggish.

I try to remember where I am, but the memory won’t come. I know it’s there, hiding somewhere in the depths of my mind. Reaching it feels like groping about in a bucket of thick, viscous slop for the tiny pearl you know is at the bottom. Even if your fingers brush against it, the vile liquid is too thick for you to sense it.

A shiver runs down my spine. I draw a breath, and feel a sharp pain in my throat. It’s from the cold. Why is it so cold?

It’s also dark. So, so dark. Are my eyes closed? It’s hard for me to tell.

That’s when I know something is very wrong. I can feel something