by Jon Athan
Austin said, “Yeah, you know, don't worry about it. I wish I had a first-aid kit in the car, but we're out of luck. I don't really know what to do in this situation, either. I can pull over and get a rag from the trunk if you–”
Dante shook his head and interrupted, “No, no, no. I don't want to stop. We should just keep going. A rag won't do much better than a shirt anyway... I appreciate the offer, though. I really do. Thank you, friend.”
Chiming-in, Anna asked, “Do you know how much longer we have to drive until we hit the nearest town or hospital? You know, somewhere safe for all of us?”
Austin glanced at Anna and bit his bottom lip. He was nervous, but he didn't feel any danger. Although he understood her intentions, he feared Anna would aggravate a trivial issue. The words, the timing, and the tone could spiral the pair into madness. The slaughtered couple flashed in his mind, painting his retinas red with blood.
Dante chuckled, coughing and grunting between his clucking. He said, “Yeah, it probably doesn't feel too safe out here, does it? Not under these bloody circumstances, at least... I understand, though. I get it. We should be seeing a gas station soon. I think we can find some supplies there. Well, I hope so...”
Anna inhaled deeply as she stared at Dante. From the driver's seat, Austin could see she was planning her next move. He could read every crease on her brow and every twinkle in her eyes. His girlfriend was strategizing, maneuvering like a soldier at war. She was surely more capable than a 'bimbo' in a horror movie. Austin bit his tongue and moved aside, allowing her to take the lead.
Anna said, “Listen, Dante, I don't mean to pry, but... Were you involved in that accident back there?” Dante stared directly at Anna – he didn't require the rear-view mirror. Anna turned towards the back seat and said, “I think you understand my suspicions, right? The crashed wagon, the blood... It just looked so horrible and I need to know. I need some... some reassurance or something. What happened back there?”
Dante sighed, then he explained, “Yeah, I was part of that. It was just a really bad accident. If you saw it, then I really don't have to tell you what happened to them... It doesn't seem necessary to me, ma'am. They're dead. They're all dead...”
Visibly worried, Anna glanced at Austin. Austin clenched his jaw and kept his eyes on the road. He was bothered, but he refused to show weakness. Anna was rattled by Dante's demeanor. He seemed simultaneously sincere and devious – a breathing contradiction. Anna couldn't help herself, she felt compelled to delve deeper.
Anna asked, “What happened back there, Dante? It was more than a car accident, wasn't it? There was too much blood, too much violence... I know they're dead, but I don't know why they died. What happened?”
Dante gazed at Anna and said, “Well, you're right, miss. You're... You're very perceptive. It was not a normal car accident. It wasn't a bump on the road or a drunk driver. They didn't swerve to dodge a critter or a person on the road. No, it wasn't like that.”
“So, what was it?” Austin asked.
Dante nervously chuckled as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He absently stared at the dormant radio and explained, “It all started when we picked up a hitchhiker. A man. A big man. Some would probably call him 'eccentric' or 'weird,' but I thought he would be okay. I'm not the type to judge. My father raised me better than that. Unfortunately, this man took advantage of our kindness. We gave him a chance and he attacked us. He...”
Dante sniffled and shook his head, trying to contain his tears. He despondently stared at his lap, clearly ruminating. Austin and Anna watched him with narrowed eyes, examining his sorrowful demeanor. Despite the tears swelling in his eyes, the couple remained suspicious and vigilant. They refused to be duped by the charming hitchhiker.
Dante inhaled deeply, then he said, “Well, he stabbed them. He sliced them. He cut them up real bad. I barely got out alive. I... I heard them screaming, but I couldn't stop running. I told my body to stop, I really did, but I just kept going. Fear gets to you like that sometimes. It controls you. I was lucky you stopped, though. I was running out of energy and that man... That man is probably still out there somewhere...”
Anna gazed into Dante's pensive eyes. He was melancholic, a black cloud poured pessimism onto his head. Yet, she couldn't believe his tale. A campfire horror story, she thought, a hitchhiker's fable. She was profusely bothered by the disturbing event and their enigmatic guest. Austin sat in silence, minding his business and allowing his girlfriend to pry. He was equally curious.
Anna said, “You didn't mention who you were traveling with. A brother, a sister, a wife, a friend... Who were those people?”
Austin said, “Okay, Anna, maybe we should just leave it. We don't know them and we shouldn't rub salt in fresh wounds. Let's just sit in silence for a while. We should be hitting a gas station soon, right? Right?”
Ignoring Austin's question, Dante said, “They were close friends of mine for a while. They helped me get through a rough patch in my life. We were supposed to be enjoying a little road trip, escaping from... from civilization, I suppose. I didn't realize it would end up like this, though. It was supposed to be an innocent retreat. We just wanted to leave.”
Austin placed more pressure on the gas pedal. Although the hitchhiker sought escape, Austin simply wanted to reach civilization as soon as possible. Anna stared out the passenger seat window, mesmerized by the beautiful sky – tints of blue and orange painted on a soft canvas. Tranquility was welcomed with open arms in the sedan.
Seizing the opportunity to change the subject, Dante asked, “So, where were you headed?”
Austin responded, “Well, we're headed to Vegas for a photo-shoot. I'm a freelance photographer and I have a gig this week. It's a big step up for my career. Something to add to the portfolio, you know?”
Dante smiled and nodded – sure. He glanced at Anna and asked, “So, are you the model or the muse? You look like you could be both if you ask me.”
Before Anna could utter a word, Austin explained, “Anna is a tag-along. She's modeled for me before, but she's still in school. She's going to finish up, then we'll see where the world takes us. Hopefully a bright future awaits.”
“You're a student? What college do you go to?”
With a pinch of snark in her voice, Anna said, “It's a school. Just a regular school like every other campus in this country. Just a school...”
Dante could take a hint from Anna's dismissive response. He leaned back in his seat and slowly lifted his shirt. There were three puncture wounds spread throughout the left side of his lean stomach. One wound appeared deep and mutilated, the others were precise and clean – in and out. His chiseled abs could not protect him against a honed blade.
Anna held her phone up and checked for signal, but to no avail. The dead zone seemed endless. Austin fiddled with the radio, pressing buttons and turning knobs. He glanced at the oncoming lane with each passing second, hoping to encounter a passing car – any car. His hope quickly dwindled. The road was desolate.
Austin's eyes widened as he stared at the right side of the road. From afar, he could see a building. With each passing meter, the remote building grew larger. Anna lowered her phone as she caught a glimpse of the small structure. The trio approached a gasoline station. Civilization was a mere mile away.
Chapter Five
The Gasoline Station
The dazzling sun began to set, falling behind the craggy mountains. Slits of balmy sunshine penetrated the hills and doused the desert region for a moment longer. Directly across the entrance of the filling station, the black sedan rolled to a stop next to a green gasoline pump with a white frame. A sign on the building read: Otto's Auto Gas and Market. An independent gas station in the middle of nowhere was a rare discovery. The trio escaped a nightmarish experience at an everyday gas station.
Anna gazed at the building with hopeful eyes. Through the pristine windows, she could see the aisles filled with road trip meals, snacks, and magazines. To the left of the double doo
r entrance, a young man in a red polo shirt stood by a cash register. He was phlegmatic, patiently waiting for the end of his shift. Anna couldn't blame him – she did not expect a red carpet for her arrival.
Dante coughed, then he said, “You two go ahead, I'll wait in the car.”
Austin furrowed his brow and stared at Dante, astonished. He asked, “You... You want to wait here? Why?”
“Well, what do you think? I'm bleeding, man. I shouldn't be walking around and shopping. I'll wait here. Just... Just buy some supplies and I'll patch myself up. Then, we can get going. Hell, if you think you're going to be late, we can even drive while I operate. It won't be a problem for me. I've got good hands.”
Dante chuckled as he leaned back in his seat, delirious. Austin and Anna stared at the hitchhiker, then they gazed at each other. The couple were at a lost for words. Dante's shift in demeanor was alarming. His cordial, cooperative personality shifted with their arrival.
Anna shook her head and said, “I think you should come with us. I mean, we're not doctors. We don't know what you need or how you're feeling. I hate to say this, but we're not loaded, either. We offered you a ride, not a dip in our bank accounts.”
Dante stared at Anna with a deadpan expression. He huffed, then he asked, “What are you afraid of? You think I'm going to... to steal the car? You think I'm planning something 'underhanded?' What's wrong with you?” He turned towards Austin and asked, “What's wrong with her? Huh? Does she have some trust issues? Or some control issues?”
Austin responded, “There's nothing wrong with her. She's right. You should go in there and pick out your stuff. If you need a buck, I can cover for you, but you need to work with us. We're going to have to use their phone to call 911 anyway. You might as well come in now so we don't have to explain every little detail to the kid. We don't know those details anyway, you understand?”
Dante clenched his jaw, staring at Austin with sharp eyes. He asked, “You're going to call 911? And... what if I don't want you to call the police? What if I just want to keep going until we hit Vegas?”
Anna loudly swallowed the lump in her throat, like swallowing a golf ball. She was petrified by Dante's aggression. With her back to the windshield, she opened the passenger door, then she slowly shoved it open. She refused to take her eyes off the hitchhiker. The man was hiding his true intentions, slithering around their questions like a snake in the grass.
Anna asked, “Why wouldn't you want us to call 911? You were attacked, weren't you? We're in danger, right?”
Dante smirked as he leaned forward. He glanced at Austin, then at Anna. With a smug smile plastered on his face, he took a large whiff of the air. He could smell the fear lingering in the vehicle. He closed his eyes and savored the scent. Austin followed his girlfriend's lead, slowly opening his door and preparing his great escape.
With his eyes shut, Dante said, “Maybe I don't want to enter the store and call the cops. Maybe I'm a bank robber trying to escape, maybe I'm a psychopathic serial killer, maybe... maybe...” Dante dramatically paused as he glanced at the generous couple. He beamed from ear-to-ear and said, “Okay, maybe I have absolutely no money to my name and I have a warrant due to unpaid parking tickets. That might be the truth.”
Dante chuckled as he leaned back in his seat. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and he merrily simpered. He was pleased with his prodding, he loved to build needless tension and stroke fears. Austin and Anna simultaneously sighed in relief.
Anna glared at Dante and said, “That wasn't funny, you–”
Austin interrupted, “Come out with us anyway. I'll pay for everything. You're going to have to face the music for those tickets sooner or later anyway. I'm not a doctor, but I think you'll need one very soon with the blood you've lost.”
Dante chuckled, then he said, “Okay, okay. I'm sorry if I scared you. I have a poor sense of humor, I suppose. I'll go with you. Can you give me a hand?”
Anna huffed and crossed her arms as she marched towards the gasoline station. She was not in the mood to play games. Austin glanced back at his frustrated girlfriend and nodded. He wished he could do the same, but he opted to aid the ailing hitchhiker.
***
The door chime echoed through the small store, ringing down the narrow aisles. Austin lent Dante a shoulder, carrying him into the simple filling station. The photographer nodded at the confused cashier, then he led Dante to Anna. Anna stood near a magazine rack next to the entrance, browsing through the collection of printed media. She was immensely irked and frightened, but she veiled her dread with a fabricated nonchalant demeanor.
As the cashier turned his attention to a magazine, Austin said, “Anna, you should go grab something to eat and some drinks for the road. It's still a long trip.” He glanced at Dante and said, “Go ahead and find some band-aids and some sutures if they have any. You may be out of luck on that, though. Just find anything you can use. I'll go call for help.”
Before he could turn away, Dante grabbed Austin's arm and said, “No, no. You... You go ahead with your girlfriend and grab some food. Grab whatever you need for your trip, handle your business. I should call for help. They were my friends, they're my injuries. I should handle this. Go on. It shouldn't take more than a minute.”
Austin gazed into Dante's bloodshot eyes, examining the man's twisted personality. One eye sparkled with sincerity, the other eye spun with deviancy. The hitchhiker wore many masks, changing faces on a whim. The shred of genuine trust Austin harbored in his gullible heart was whisked away with his evaluation, blown out like a candle on a birthday cake.
Dante lurched towards the checkout area. He leaned over the red counter and smirked as he glanced at the young cashier. The young man wore a red polo shirt, black pants, and black work shoes – a simple uniform. He had scruffy brown hair, a muddy mop atop his dome. His brown eyes were kind and welcoming. A plastic badge clung to his chest. The name tag read: Hello, my name is Chris.
Chris furrowed his brow and tilted his head like a confused pup. Dante's peculiar leering was mystifying, but the blood was more worrisome. He cared for the well-being of the customer. Yet, the blood dripping onto the counter and white tile flooring was a larger concern at the moment. Cleaning was not a preferred chore for a minimum wage cashier.
Chris grabbed a white rag from the counter behind him and handed it to Dante. He said, “Here. I don't think we have bandages for... for that.”
Dante grimaced as he held the rag to his gushing lacerations. He nervously chuckled, then he said, “It must have been a boring day until we showed up, right? I'm sorry about the mess, kid. It's been a long day for me...”
Austin and Anna walked away from the foyer of the shop. Dante's trivial chatter was troublesome, pricking at their logical minds. Something was afoot and the trail was revealing itself with each passing minute. The couple sought refuge at the back of the store, standing between an aisle brimming with junk food and refrigerators filled with bottled water and cheap beer.
Constantly glancing at Dante and Chris, Anna said, “We fucked up, Austin. This is all bad. I mean, he's clearly some sick psychopath. He's... He's... Shit, Austin, we fucked up.”
Austin opened the fridge and browsed the bottled water – cheap or expensive, it did not matter. He said, “I know, I know...”
With teary eyes, Anna gazed at the cluttered bags of chips and said, “Those people were murdered. Stabbed and sliced, right? This man... Dante was stabbed in the stomach. I saw the cuts. What if... What if he was the hitchhiker from the story? Hmm? What if we picked up some deranged serial killer?”
“I don't know... I guess it's possible. I swear, someone was sitting in the back seat of that wagon, but I don't know if it was him. I thought it was someone else...”
Slothful, Austin grabbed a generic bottle of water. The photograph in the wagon's sun visor sprung into his mind, vaulting over the dark crevices on his brain. The young, innocent girl was missing in the equation. He couldn'
t help but ponder the girl's role in the event. Was she even in the car?–he thought. He didn't dare bring up the thought to Anna. He didn't want to terrify her any further.
Through the aisle, Anna glared at Dante and said, “Think about it, Austin. We didn't see anyone hitchhiking for miles before or after we found that station wagon. There was no one on the road and I doubt the killer ran into the desert in this weather. No, he was the only hitchhiker around.” She turned to Austin and said, “We have to leave him. No matter what he says, we can't let him back into the car with us. If you do, then you can leave me here. I swear, I...”
Austin nodded and held his hand up – please, calm down. He said, “I understand. I agree with you. We'll leave him here. We'll tell him we're splitting ways. Besides, it'll be better if he waits here for an ambulance and the police. He probably won't try anything with these cameras around, either. We'll leave him behind, okay? I promise.”
Anna sniffled and nodded, trying her best to contain her sorrow. She rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, wiping the tears before a waterfall of melancholy could erupt. Her legs wobbled and her body shuddered as she staggered into her boyfriend's arms. She buried her face in his chest and softly whimpered.
Austin stroked her hair and said, “Everything's going to be okay. I promise, everything's going to be fine, sweetheart.”
In a muffled tone, Anna said, “I love you.”
Staring at Dante with worried eyes, Austin whispered, “I love you, too...”
***
Austin and Anna reluctantly trudged towards the cashier, dragging their feet on the pristine floor. Austin held one water bottle in each hand, Anna gripped two bags of spicy chips in her right hand. The products were inconsequential, though. The grisly day had wiped their appetites. The couple randomly grabbed the food and drinks from the shelves simply to keep some semblance of control.