the forethought to put on black leggings and wear my sensible army green Chucks.
As I reach Lexi’s driver’s side, I check the back seat. If horror movies have taught me anything, it’s to always check the back seat before entering a vehicle. When I see the coast is clear, I open the door and settle into the car.
A sudden rush hits me as I get behind the wheel. I keep thinking about Alex and Unknown. Even after talking to her earlier tonight, I didn’t feel any more at ease about the whole situation. Buckling up, I pull out of the driveway and head down the road, probably a little quicker than I should be driving in this neighborhood.
Visibility is poor at best through the back roads that lead toward the club. There’s a lamppost about every mile, and each side of the street is covered by a thick wall of trees. I always forget how creepy it is out here at night, since I’ve only been to a couple of Alex’s gigs at this place. Usually I drive with her and Rory, but Rory opted out of going tonight. He’s still a little out of it. I’ve tried talking to him about what happened, but he changes the subject almost instantly every time.
The lights flashing on my dashboard pull me from my thoughts.
“That was strange,” I mutter while shifting my gaze between my dash, and the road ahead.
The lights flash again, but in a rapid succession this time. A weird electronic sound echoes through the car’s interior and all of the caution lights on my dashboard illuminate.
“No, Lexi. Don’t do this to me right now. Not out here, please?” I complain while petting the top of the dash like a dog or cat.
I pull off to the side of the road while slamming my fists onto the steering wheel in anger. Thankfully, I’m right under one of the few lampposts along this road. Shifting the car into park and turning off the engine, I sit there frustrated all to hell thinking about what I’m going to do. I grab my phone and dial Parker’s number. I’m only ten minutes from his college. The phone rings and goes to voicemail. I try again with the same result.
“Dammit.”
Chapter Twenty Four
Looking around outside, I can see nothing past the circle of light cascading onto the car. It’s pitch-black. My heart pounds at the thought of what or who might be out there. Fear slithers up the back of my neck once the feeling of isolation sets in.
I frantically scroll through my contacts list for someone—anyone—I can call. A name comes up that I’m hesitant about, but he might be my only choice. It’s either him or my dad, and right now, I don’t think my father’s the best option. Selecting Kevin’s name, I dial his number and anxiously wait for him to answer.
“Hey Dani, what’s up? I’m actually kind of surprised to hear from you.”
“Hi, uh, sorry to be calling you like this, but I have a monumental favor to ask.”
“You’re having Lexi troubles, aren’t you?”
“Maybe. How’d you guess?”
“What else would you be calling me for?” he asks, causing me to feel bad. “Where are you?”
“About ten minutes up Edgemount Road, heading toward The Brick House,” I reply. I wince as I realize how far out of his way he’ll have to come to help me. “I’m kind of stranded here under a light.”
He sighs. “All right, hang tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thank you so much, Kevin. I owe you big time.”
“Yeah, you do,” he chuckles.
The moment I hang up the phone, the sense of security I had while talking to Kevin fades. All that’s left is me, sitting in my car under a lamppost, surrounded by darkness. Every little sound has me jumping to see what caused it. The wind rattles my windows every time it passes through, no matter how tightly I roll them up. It succeeds in reminding me that I am, indeed, sitting inside an old POS.
A minute seems like an hour as I continue to wait for Kevin to arrive. I begin to see forms moving just outside the light’s reach, and wonder if it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me.
“Pull it together, Dani,” I say, trying to ease my nerves. “There’s nothing out there, nothing at all.” The words sound reassuring, but don’t seem to be working.
The cold from outside seeps through the gaps around my windows and doors. I shiver even