I didn't think about much of anything as I walked. My mind was pretty numb, and I felt really weird. It wasn't in a good way, but more in the 'I think I might die soon' kind of way. Not that I really thought I was going to die, but I felt kind of like I might have already and my brain just hadn't caught up with my body yet.

There was next to no traffic on the road. Though in this part of town, that was probably preferable. Still, when a horn honked behind me, I stopped and waited for the car to pull up and stop alongside me.

"Hey chica! You need a ride? You want some company?"

I peered in through the open window of a beat up white Sentra. The driver looked like a wanna-be gangster, but you never know. He was alone in the car, so maybe he was an unpopular one. Or he could just be a nice kid. I was in no shape to judge his character, and even in my severely clouded state of mind, I hesitated about giving him any sort of reply.

Tentatively, I gave him the street names of the intersection near my apartment complex and asked if he knew how to get there.

"Sure baby, get in."

I knew I shouldn't get in. But I didn't think I was going to make it the ten miles home on foot either. So I nodded and climbed into the car.

He looked me over now that he could see me better. I wasn't bad looking. Usually.

"You sick baby?"

"No," I offered a forced smile, which probably looked as forced as it felt. "I've just been walking too long. Uh, my car broke down."

He nodded, but I don't know if he heard what I said. Taking off down the street, mostly in the direction of home, he kept his eyes on me more than the road.

"You look cold baby, why don't you slide over here. I take good care of you, yeah? We can have some fun. Maybe I take you to my place and we can have some fun. I'm Hector. What's your name, chica?"

Each time he mentioned fun, something ticked at the edge of my mind. Something just out of reach. It made my skin crawl, and I clutched my purse to my chest. He was crazy if he thought I was cold. I was burning up.

"Can you just take me home, please? I need to get home."

"What's the hurry, chica? You like my place, I treat you real good."

I stared straight ahead, but the lights whipping by made me dizzy. I had to look away, so I stared down at my lap instead. "I can't, I'm sorry. My boyfriend is waiting for me."

"Aw, baby, no! Don't tell me that. He leave you at the side of the road, yeah? I treat you better than that." Hector reached over and placed his hand on my thigh.

I bolted upright and tensed, staring at his hand. It inched upwards.

"Get your fucking hand off of me." I growled.

He laughed.

"That's not friendly, chica, you..." He looked over at me and made eye contact. His face paled visibly and he yanked his hand away. The car swerved as he tried to get as far away from me as possible.

I gripped the dashboard and gritted my teeth, trying not to vomit.

"Demonio!" He screamed at me.

The car came to a screeching stop, then began to roll slowly as he crossed himself with one hand and dug in his jeans pocket with the other. I undid my seat belt, ready to get the hell out of there. Walking home didn't sound so bad anymore.

There was a click and then Hector had a knife in his hand, eyes wild. "Déjame en paz espíritu maligno."

Well. I had no idea what that meant, but it didn't sound friendly. It probably had to do with the five inches of blade he was waving in my face. I growled again, eyes glued to the knife. I knew I should get out of the car and run, but now I was pissed off.

"¡Fuera! Lo voy a matar!" He swept the knife towards my face, very narrowly missing me.

I licked my lips and tasted blood. My breathing was ragged, and my body trembled as outrage at being threatened turned into something darker that I didn't really recognize. I wanted to get out of the car, but instead I lunged forward and grabbed Hector's wrist. There was a loud snap and he screamed. And then all went quiet and very still.

- x x x -

I stepped out of the car, feeling much better than I had before, but my head was no clearer than it had been. I glanced into the car before shutting the door. Hector was slumped forward over the steering wheel, passed out.

Hector? Was that his name?

The car was parked a little funny at the side of the street. The engine was still running, and one of the front tires was up on the curb. There was no sign of any collision. I stood there, staring at the car, tears and sweat trickling down my face. I didn't know why I was crying.

I looked around, taking note of where I was. I was close to home. Maybe three miles. I took off down the street at a dead run.

- x x x -

When my apartment came into view, it was such a relief, that my entire body felt lighter. I smiled like an idiot as all my stress and anxiety melted away. Home meant safety. It meant Ben, a shower, bed, and not having to worry about... I still couldn't remember what I was worried about. But it didn't matter, because I was home!

I sprinted across the street, practically flew across the parking lot, and had my keys out of my purse before I reached my door. The lights were off in the apartment. But Ben was probably asleep. It had to be pretty late.

I dropped my purse and keys to the floor as soon as I stepped inside and headed straight for the bedroom.

"Ben?" I called out, flipping the light switch on. The bed was empty.

It figured. He was probably out with his friends. I needed a shower anyway.