Chapter 3
Darius pulled up to the old house. This was his last ride of the night and he was not looking forward to it; one of those weird requests. At least he didn't have to make small talk with anybody. Those were the worst. He just wanted to drive short distances and listen to his music. Why did people have to talk so much? He was an Uber driver, not an entertainer! He shook his head as he saw the doll outside with a note and some cash in its pocket. The address wasn't far, and this passenger was quiet, at least.
Marceline chose a Kate Bush vinyl out of her small collection and dug under her bed while it crackled and played in the background. She retrieved a small cigar box and plopped it into her lap. Chuckles purred and curled into his pillow on the floor next to her as she packed a small bowl, propped the window open, and blew heavy, skunky smoke out into the air. It was sprinkling just a tiny bit, now. The lightning was soft and the rain pattered her brain into a melancholy state. She hit the bowl again and held the smoke tight in her lungs while lighting a candle nearby. She puffed the smoke out and watched the flame flicker. She wasn't lonely, no, that couldn't be it. She was just, unsettled. She had to cut herself some slack, though, a lot had changed for her in the last year. She graduated, got dumped, started a new job, and watched everybody else quit over the summer, leaving her with nobody cool to work with and tons of extra shifts she was obligated to do. The summer just hadn't been all that fun, in her opinion. She was hoping this weekend would be different. The smoke trailed wistfully out the open window. Rain droplets cascaded down the glass, dripping onto the pane. The sounds of the empty space at the end of the record combined with the brewing storm were captivating. She felt bewitched under the spell of the smoke and simmering wind. She put the cached bowl back in its box and cranked the window down, not all the way, just enough to keep the rain out. She felt much better, more like herself. Stretching back and lying down on the floor, she closed her eyes and scanned down her body as a check in. Much better vibes, now.
The pink Uber sign glowed in the window of Chucky's ride. ETA 3 minutes. He could barely keep still. Darius was bobbing along to some mumbling rapper, he couldn't even tell what the song was about but it was starting to destroy his mood. He kind of wanted to slit this guy open like a pig and stuff his intestines into his own mouth, but now was not the time to get distracted. The car slowly creeped up to its destination. Darius put it in park and rubbed his eyes, still in disbelief that somebody paid to transport this ugly thing. Must be some kind of prank. He flipped up the collar on his jacket and reached into the back seat.
"HI," The doll snapped his head around.
Darius gasped. "Jesus Christ. What th-"
"I'm Chucky, and I'm your friend 'till the end!" Chucky held his laughter in, watching the guy losing his absolute shit.
Darius, breathless, started. "You TALK? God... damn. That's a strong nope, for me." He caught his breath and grabbed the doll, looking down at the piece of paper in the pocket of its overalls. "'Don't knock. Just leave on the doorstep. K THX'" Darius read the scrawling note aloud, cringing and eyes wide. "That's some none-of-mine business right there, creepy ass doll."