(Ok, so I am in between chapters in the story I am working on called Somewhere like Heaven and wanted to take a break and try a brief one-shot. Hope it's not too bad LOL.)

One Dark Night

Amber looked at her cell phone, the time read just passed midnight. At this point, she felt like she had nothing to lose and couldn't care less if she got in trouble for sneaking out to go to the Halloween party. As she walked alongside the vacant road, kicking rocks and leaves out of her path, she wondered if anyone noticed she was gone yet, she really didn't care if they had. With her dad busy at work late nights all the time and her mom more interested in trying to keep up with the rich neighbors, it seemed the last thing that mattered sometimes was her. Her mom had all the time in the world to host fancy parties and worry about her appearance and she bugged Amber all the time about the way she dressed and her grades, because how would it look to her rich friends if she had a daughter that wasn't successful. Amber shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the thoughts. The wind blew a cool, fall breeze and as the leaves scuttled along, blowing across the road in the moonlight, they almost looked like insects or even little creatures moving about. Amber pulled the hood of her sweater over her head to shield her ears from the cool air. Her eyes were starting to play tricks on her and she giggled a little out loud, trying to play off the uneasy mood and convince herself there was no one or nothing out here along this road but her.

The red and silver car winded around the curb with its lights dimmed. Amber looked back behind her toward it as it approached her and slowed. She briefly thought about how dangerous it would be to hitchhike to the party, but then thoughts of her earlier arguments with her mom cleared her mind of any apprehension. Her anger had not cooled much from those earlier conversations and she was feeling a little bit rebellious because of that. As the car slowed and the passenger door sprung open, Amber hopped in without a second thought. The inside of the car was warm after being out in the cold air and Amber exhaled a sigh of relief and looked to her left, opening her mouth to speak to whomever it was driving, only to find empty air where a person should have been.

Amber screamed, clutching at the seat belt that was now confining her against the black, leather seat she was in. Her eyes were fixed in horror at the empty driver's seat as the car drove itself along the dark road. "Lovely night, isn't it," the car asked in a smooth, self-assured voice. Amber opened her mouth to reply, but no sound would come out, her thoughts were jumbled and her mind felt dizzied, blackness closed over her eyes as she fainted.

Amber awoke to the sounds of soft music and warm air streaming out of the air vents in front of her.

"Rise and shine little skin job," the car spoke.

Amber clutched warily at the seat belt around her, trying to move as far away from where she thought the voice was coming from, but there was nowhere to go.

"Who…..are you," she asked hesitantly.

"The name's Knockout," the car purred, "and you are?"

"A….Amber," she replied, "What are you going to do to me," she asked fearfully.

"I don't know," Knockout replied, as if he were truly puzzled by the question, "right now we are just out having a ride, how bout that?"

"O…K," Amber replied, still staring wide-eyed at the console where the voice seemed to be coming from.

"I didn't expect to meet anyone out on a quiet, dark night like this, much less a little skin job like you, out all alone," Knockout crooned.

"Well, I snuck away, out of my house I mean, to go to a party….I hate my parents," Amber told him.

"Hmmm, I know the feeling," Knockout replied, "but your parental units can't be any worse than the nut jobs I have to deal with, Megatron and Starscream. I swear, if they're not fighting with each other, they're attacking me for something they think I've done wrong."

"Oh I know," Amber replied sympathetically, "my parents fight sometimes and then I try to get involved to stop the arguments and the whole thing turns on me."

"I just had to get out to some peace and quiet," Knockout told her.

"Me too," Amber replied.

"So do Megatron and Starscream always try to impress everyone and drive everyone crazy about it like my mom does," Amber asked.

"Oh Primus yes, Starscream has the biggest ego in the universe," Knockout told her, "always gunning to make himself leader of the Decepticons, even has us call him Lord Starscream when Megatron's not around."

"Ya, that's pretty awful," Amber said chuckling, "I guess my parents aren't that bad."

"Probably not," Knockout assured her. "Well, I think this is your stop," Knockout said as he slowed to a stop in front of Amber's house.

"Ya, "Amber sighed reluctantly, "I guess I should be getting back."

"Yes," Knock agreed. "You know Amber," he said, opening the passenger door as she climbed out, "you really shouldn't be out wandering around alone at night this late, you never know what might be lurking out here."

"I guess not," Amber replied as she watched him drive away. As his taillights faded into the distance, she was glad to be home and safe, wondering to herself just what kind of ride she had been on.