Cutler, Maine
8 days ago
Rain pelted the pavement making driving nearly impossible. Late in the evening, the darkness was impossible all on it's own, but as the water attacked the windshield of the 2009 volkswagon beetle, the car pulled to the side of the road, lights looming forward then shutting off with the engine.
"There's absolutely no way I'm driving in this," the driver said, turning to face her sister in the passenger seat.
"It's a country road, Sarah. We're not in the city, you should be able to drive no problem," the smirk held the tale of an old joke between the two.
"Seriously, Mantha, I can't drive in this rain, and neither can you."
Samantha shook her head and rolled her eyes, reaching over to unbuckle her belt. She reached her hand to the handle, opening the door, and came around to the driver side. Opening Sarah's door, she jerked a thumb in a way that told her to shove over.
"You're nuts," Sarah said, shaking her head, and unbuckling as well. Still, she got out, holding her hands over her own black locks to attempt to shield the rain. It wouldn't help, though, and by morning her naturally curly hair would be a mass of frizz.
Samantha tossed her own red locks, before getting in the drivers seat. Taking a seat she placed her hands on the wheel.
"City driving, plus snow, Sarah. I can handle a little rain," she closed the door and waited for Sarah to make her way around and get in. Still, she tied her straight locks, the same length as her sisters, at the nape of her neck. Buckling her belt, and Sarah following the same, they both turned their near white blue eyes to the road as the rain continued to attack the car. They both paused.
"Honestly, I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you'd just wait until the rain slows down," Sarah said, frowning.
Samantha heaved a sigh and leaned back in her seat.
"We have no idea when that will be. And a bed is sounding amazing right now..."
"Nice warm bed?"
"Yeah...with a nice warm guy..."
Sarah laughed.
"This road trip isn't really turning out like I thought it would, Sis," Samantha said frowning.
"It's just rain..."
"That's my point!" Samantha threw an arm out toward the windshield, "It's been one hiccup after another. We've only been gone about a week, and we have a months worth of vacation left before we have to go back to stupid jobs in stupid cubicles."
Sarah sighed too and rested back in much the same way, "Are you saying you wanna call it quits and just go back?"
"Fuck that!" Samantha responded with a scoff, "No way in hell."
They sat for a moment, and Sarah reached forward to turn the music up a bit. The rain continued to pelt their car and Sarah rested her eyes against the door jamb. Samantha glanced back and forth along the road slowly, watching the rain. She was aggitated, and desperately did not want to turn back. First they'd popped a tire in New York, then they'd locked the keys in the car in Rhode Island. Now this rain was making it impossible to go any further. Every single time they made travel progress, something slowed them down. It was as if they weren't allowed to take this vacation.
Several minutes passed, Sarah dozing softly in the passenger seat, and Samantha reflecting on how much more she could take of this job. The radio was playing softly before, oddly, it began to hiss, static coming through. Samantha reached forward to the buttons and pressed a few, confused as to why the music suddenly cut out.
"Weird..."
"What is?" Sarah murmured without opening her eyes.
"The music cut out."
"Maybe the storm cut it."
"I guess..." Still, she continued to press buttons. Pursing her lips, she leaned back, arms crossed over her chest. Suddenly, the speakers started to squeal, high and loud. The windshield wipers began moving double time across the glass. Sarah jerked from her dozing position.
"What did you do?!" She yelled, attempting to scream over the squeal of the speakers.
"I didn't do anything!" Samantha continued to try to shut it off, turning the volume knob down until it wouldn't move any further. At that moment, the lights began to flicker on and off, as if the car itself had a short, and had lost complete control. The ground around them began to shake. They didn't even have time to look at one another, both momentarily scared out of their wits.
"Fuck this," Samantha screamed, and turned the key to start the engine. Pressing her foot to the gas, she sped onto the road, driving as fast as she could.
"You're gonna kill us!" Sarah screamed.
She continued to drive, caring nothing for the rain that pelted them or if she could see. All they could hear was the screeching in the speakers and she sped on.
"Slow down!" Sarah yelled again.
"You've watched enough fucking scary movies to know exactly what's going on right now! We need to move!"
They continued to speed across the road, wrecklessly. Samantha's hands tight on the wheel, knuckles white, eyes on the road. Sarah held to the bar above her door for dear life as they raced through, though she held another hand to her ear. Slowly, as they continued, the screeching began to quiet. Eventually, though they still drove, it quieted completely. The wipers slowed back to the normal speed, and the music resumed on the radio. Breathing heavily, trying not to panic, Samantha continued to drive, but now at a much reduced speed.
"Okay...okay...what was that back there?" Sarah was more talking to herself then asking.
"No idea. But I'm glad we're way the hell away from it..."
York Springs, Pennsylvania
2 days ago
"Wakey wakey Sunshine!"
Samantha poked her head from under the dingy pillow to glare. The sight of an overly happy, beaming even, Sarah met her sleep filled eyes. Behind her, the maroon and white striped wallpaper and curtains of the crappy motel room. She bared her teeth and growled, before pulling the pillow over her eyes to mutter from underneath it.
"If it's any earlier than ten, I'm going to shoot you."
Sarah laughed, pulled the covers away, and poked her in the side, knowing full well that she wasn't ticklish and it would only further annoy her.
"It's seven thirty, and all the weapons are in the trunk, because you forgot to bring in your bag last night."
"No logic until ten."
They'd driven until well after midnight before finally stopping off in the small town. They had been so tired they hadn't even cared to ask what town, only got a room and collapsed into the beds soon after opening the doors. It seemed, if they didn't travel at least a full four hundred miles without stopping, whatever it was making the car go insane, ended up finding them. Whoever, whatever, it was however, was not quiet about it's approaching presence, so they'd been able to outrun it every time it got close.
"I have coffee," Sarah responded in a sing song voice.
Sarah hated coffee and that fact alone roused Samantha from the last bit of sleep she'd wanted to hang on to. If there was coffee, it meant it was for her and she had to be nice. Ish. Sitting up, a grimace fixed on her face, she took the paper cup that was held out to her. Taking a sip, she fought the smile and pang of guilt. Spoon of sugar, splash of cream. It was nice to know Sarah remembered Samantha's likes, as much as Samantha remembered Sarah's. Now if only she wasn't such a damn morning person.
"So, what, pray tell, is the reason I'm awake before God?"
"God wakes up at dawn, goober."
"Sarah..."
"I got a lead," she waved a card at her, smiling ear to ear.
"You know," Samantha said, still not fully awake, "If we finally find these guys, IF they're real, they're going to think we're stalking them."
Sarah laughed. At seven thirty in the morning.
"WHEN we finally find these guys, they're going to be able to figure out why we're being chased across the Earth. So wakey wakey. We have some driving to do," Sarah rose and began to put on her shoes.
Samantha set the cup on the nightstand beside her and laid back down.
"You drive. I'm sleeping in the car."
