Get In
1150 Words
Hannah
North Dakota is far. Especially if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Most of the state looks like “the middle of nowhere” and I’ve been travelling for a while. My feet are numb, the heating isn't working and my fingers are like frozen twigs around the steering wheel. No car passes by and my phone’s dead.
It’s damn cold and I haven't showered in forever.
It can’t get any better.
My only option is to search for something- anything. I doubt anyone will steal my car- let alone the clothes I have in the backseat. So I get out of the car and search for a gas station.
It turns out there is one pretty close by.
The only two phones I put down on paper are
Dylan’s - who is not my best friend from high school but he is the type of guy you
want to call in case something goes wrong
And Gabriel’s - my uncle.
I get in the small gas station and glance around for a plug.
“Can I help you?” the guy at the cashier asks, placing his hands on the counter.
I have to be nice so I smile.
“Uh… I was wondering if I could charge my phone?”
He gives me an up-and-down look and doesn’t answer. The place is empty, I am pretty sure not a single soul has entered in the past ten hours- isn’t he supposed to be a bit nicer? He finally has someone to talk to at least.
Well, no because he speaks again.
“If you are not buying anything, the door's over there. “
“I need to call my uncle. “ I say quickly, “My car broke down, it’s down the road - it will only take a few minutes. “
He still doesn’t answer.
“Or if it would be faster- can I use our phone? A real quick call, I promise. “
The guy exhales heavily but eventually pushes his hand into the pocket of his jeans and passes me his phone.
I grin.
“One minute. I promise. Thank you. “
I dial and the guy at the counter gives me weird looks because I'm pretty sure he thinks I am a junkie who might steal his phone.
I do smell tough and I don’t blame him. Gabriel doesn’t pick up. I can’t call him uncle because he doesn’t feel like he is related to me in any way.
Please, please, please pick up… I close my hand around the phone when the line breaks.
The guy at the counter glares at me.
“Can I try one more time? “
More glaring.
“Okay, look - I will send a message. If he sees it, he will call. “
“Fine. But make it quick. “
“Thanks. “
My heart speeds up, the man working here looks like he is about to kick me out any second.
I mutter and send a brief :
Hey, it's Hannah. Your niece. My car broke down. Please call this number when you can.
I pass the phone back to the guy and he puts it in his pocket fast. Did he think I’d actually steal it?
“Can I wait here in case my uncle calls, or…”
“Get the f**k out of here. “ he says slowly and I instantly take a giant retreating step, lifting my hands up.
“Right.”
Yes. He either thinks I’m a thief, a junkie or that I’m homeless (which I am).
“I’ll be near,” I tell him on my way out, “please call me if anyone responds or whatever.”
He doesn’t even look at me, keeping his eyes on the security camera's screen when he mutters.
“Yeah.”
I return back to my car, sit in it and wait. It starts getting dark outside and I decide to go back to the station and check if Gabriel has called.
That’s when I realized I never asked the guy for any address to tell Gabriel where I might be.
Still - he might have called. But as I walk to the gas station I discover it’s dark. It’s closed.
How worse could this get? I run my hands through my hair, my fingers getting stuck in a few tangles and I groan.
I would scream but I am afraid my voice will echo down to Florida.
***
“Hello?” The noise comes from somewhere afar.
“Hannah?” My eyes snap open instantly and I sit up. The man standing opposite me is sitting in the passenger’s seat, watching me.
“Woah!” I push myself away and fumble with the door.
He starts laughing.
“You look like your mother so much. “ His voice is deep and raspy. I slowly turn to look at him. The man is somewhere around 29, or thirty. He is handsome- black hair and light blue eyes. He is wearing a long black coat that makes him look somehow intimidating. But the shape of his nose and chin are the same as my mother’s.
“Gabriel?” I gasp.
I take a better look despite the darkness - the only light comes from the car parked before us - it's a huge, black jeep. It looks bulletproof or I am hallucinating.
“Is that your car?” I stare, still processing the monstrosity of a car my uncle drives. My uncle who was supposed to be the bum of the family.
He doesn’t answer and instead opens the door,
“Let’s go,“
“But… Hey!” I get up and follow him. It’s damn cold outside and it’s super windy.
“I need my stuff. “
“Don't worry about it. You’ll get new things once you settle in. “
I pause and go back only for a small backpack- some things can’t be left behind. As for the rest - well, I won’t miss most of this, anyway.
“Wait, how do I know it’s really you?” I walk after him, trying to catch up, clutching my backpack.
“I'll show you my ID once we get in the car. “
“That’s exactly what someone kidnapping me would say. “
He rolls his eyes and gets in.
“I have to deal with enough smart asses like you on a daily basis, get in. “
“What do you mean?”
He starts the car and the engine roars in the quiet evening, the jeep taking me to a place where I may not stay very long. He drives fast, I lean against the seat and look out the window. It's so dark outside- it's never this dark in New Jersey.
At that time I didn’t know nothing would ever be the same from now on.
- Writer
