by Shay Collins
I was hungry, so I drove to The Burger Shack to grab a burger and some fries. I knew my friend Cindy Clark was working that night, so she would hook me up with a discount.
Plus, it didn’t hurt that it was on the other side of town.
The long drive really gave me some time to clear my head.
As I stepped out of my car, I had this eerie feeling; like someone was watching me.
I hugged myself tight, taking a quick once over of the parking lot as I quickly raced into the restaurant.
I had never had that feeling before.
I didn’t like it.
I was happy to see Cindy at work. She always seemed so happy to don her orange and red uniform. I was happy that Cindy had a job. Not everyone was as fortunate as me.
She smiled when she saw me.
“Hey Jen, what’s up?” she greeted with a smile, “where’s Brad?”
Funny she would ask that.
Brad and I were always together. We were virtually inseparable. So, it was obvious that people would ask where he was when we were apart.
“He’s at home. We decided to do something different tonight,” I lied. I didn’t want to tell Cindy the ugly truth.
“Oh, well, what ya eating? It’s on me”
I smiled.
“I’ll take a cheeseburger combo.”
I watched as Cindy placed my order, all the while still having the feeling that I was being watched.
“So, what ya’ got up for the rest of the weekend?” Cindy asked, snapping me back into the present moment.
“Oh, probably catch a movie with Brad, or do some shopping. How about you?”
Cindy shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ll be here the rest of the weekend. It’s not so bad though. I have my eye on a new phone.”
“Well, you know what you want,” I told her, staring around the restaurant in search of anything out of the ordinary.
“Jen, what’s wrong?” Cindy asked.
“Oh, I was just trying to remember if I turned on the alarm at home or not. You know how my parents are.”
Cindy giggled lowly.
“Yes, you’re right. I do.”
Cindy and I had gotten the police called on us quite a few times because of my forgetting to program the alarm.
My parent’s house had motion detectors around so in the event the alarm wasn’t set, the motion detectors would automatically pick up foot traffic. And since I would always miss curfew, the motion detectors would let the alarm company, my parents, and the police, know it.
It would be a few more minutes before I would get my meal.
I couldn’t wait.
I hadn’t eaten a thing all day and my stomach was crying for food.
“We really have to get together soon, Jen. We haven’t hung out in a while.”
I nodded my head.
“You’re right, we haven’t. But we definitely need to.”
I got my order, waving to Cindy as I made my way back outside.
I reached into my purse to get my keys.
It was what I would see when I got to my car that would literally make me pause in my tracks.
I nearly fainted at what I saw.
Spray painted on my car in big black letters were the words: I WILL KILL YOU!
I dropped my bag of food.
My drink fell to the ground.
I was sure that I was going to pass out.
I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t say anything.
Tears starting pouring down my cheeks.
Who would do this?
I didn’t have to think. I already knew.
Brad.