Killer Yarns

Fill ‘er Up

Jessica had been driving for about an hour when the sun went down. Night driving had always been an issue for her made more difficult now because she had forgotten her glasses at home.  She continued to drive through the night straining her eyes to see past the blur of tail lights. By the time the sun came up again she was exhausted.  Her eyes ached, her head hurt and the nearest bathroom was still five miles away. 

Because Jessica’s full attention was on holding her bladder she didn’t notice that Mike was still behind her.  He had been there all night staying in the next lane over and a few cars behind.  He knew she couldn’t see into his car through the headlights but by midnight he knew exactly where she was going and didn’t see the need to take unnecessary chances.  He watched as she took her exit and made the sharp right that took her out of his view.  Mike stayed on the freeway.  He hadn’t been here in a while but he knew the area.  Jessica would follow the four lane road for ten miles and turn onto a two lane as she climbed the mountain another twenty-five miles to the cabin.  He and Jessica had spent a few weeks up here after her parents had died and left everything they had to her, including the isolated mountain cabin.  Another ten miles up the road Mike turned off the freeway.  He would double back and find a place to park his car until dusk.

Jessica ran for the bathroom at the gas station while the attendant filled her car with gas.  She couldn’t believe there were still places that offered full service.  Maybe that was life in a small mountain town.  On her way back to her car she looked around the parking lot and then up toward the freeway off ramp.  Chills ran down her arms as she realized she hadn’t paid any attention to anything around her on the drive up. Did he follow me?  No he wouldn’t. Don’t be a fool.  You have no idea what he would do.  You don’t even know who he is right now! He didn’t follow me I know; he didn’t have time to get to his car before I was out of site. She remembered hearing his voice yelling at her to stop as she ran into all the neighbors’ cars. 

She turned back toward her car and saw the gas station attendant was staring at her.  She couldn’t really blame him, between the bruises and the exhaustion she had to look awful. She thought he looked a little familiar, maybe a child or more likely a grandchild of one of her parent’s fiends. She paid him and headed toward the cabin.

Mike watched from behind an old barn across from the gas station as Jessica drove away.  On his way to find a secluded place to park he remembered that everything up here closed early and decided he better fill up his tank first.  He started to turn into the station when he saw her standing perfectly still, looking in the direction of the freeway off ramp.  He quickly turned his car back onto the road and pulled in behind the barn.  It was close; too close.  He would have to be more careful. 

It was the typical old time gas station, two pumps out front and two service bays with a small office attached.  The place looked well cared for though the signs of grease and oil were everywhere. Once he knew she was long gone Mike pulled back around and into the gas station.  He was getting out of his car when he heard the attendant clear his throat behind him. He looked over at him making note of his size as average and the red letters spelling out Bobby on the patch stitched to his blue uniform shirt.

“Help you? See you’re from the city, up here we fill the tank for you.  It’s a company policy.  ‘Course the company is really just old man Gates, but he can get mean as a three legged dog tryin’ to chase a bunch of cats so I pretty much do what he says.” 

Mike just nodded his head and handed him the keys.  “Not very talkative huh? That’s okay I can talk enough for the both of us.  Saw you start to pull in and then turn away.  Recognize you ‘cuz up here you just don’t see too many non-four wheel drives.  Lady was in here just before you in a two wheel drive too.  You two together? “

“No I’m alone and just passing through. Is there a bathroom I can use?”  Bobby pointed to the side of the building and turned back to the pump.  After he set the pump to fill the tank he walked back into the service bay.

 Mike could feel his eyes pulsing as he watched Bobby from his hiding place behind the car lift.

……To Be Continued

Join me next Friday, August 21 for the next installment of Deadly Medicine.

Dawnda Schaefer

http://www.killeryarns.com/