AN/: Hello again! Thank you for the feedback of the last chapter. I realized it's not the best written as I noticed a lot of mistakes LMAO. I plan to go back once this story is done (which isn't for a while longer) and clean the entire story up. Including grammar, story fluidity, and some minor plot things that I got wrong. HOWEVER, this is the first chapter that features Ana and the main gang! That means that this chapter is the beginning of the end... as the title suggests. Shit is hitting the fan for real. Virginia was just the appetizer and this is the full course meal. I also made a mini playlist for Leland's road trip tunes! I'll link it on the archive version below but if you're reading this on the ffnet site or wattpad, then simply look up my username or even the fanfiction title on Spotify! Plus, I apologize in advance if the story takes a bit longer to update. I got a temporary job! I hope you guys are ready and also enjoy!

April 14th, 1973

10:31am

The Gas Station - Hours Prior

Song recommendation: "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver

TW: mentions of cheating and racism stereotypes/comments

Leland's Road-Trip Classics playlist: (not able to link on ffnet, go to my Spotify page)

The Beginning Of The End

Ana

-.-

The sound of Leland's tune's was making me have an ongoing headache. Normally, I don't mind his music as I was used to him blasting it almost everywhere. But ever since Maria and now Danny went missing, I haven't had the time or patience to relax. My sister has been missing for days. The last time I had spoken to Danny, he was severely upset at everyone. I can't blame him. He wanted to find Maria like all of us - except he wasn't scared to get his hands dirty. Danny tried to convince us to leave with him but everyone else was scared. We didn't want to get kidnapped like Maria, or more involved with the police, put our hard earned scholarships on the line, and many more reasons why. But Leland was the one who decided to step up and say that Danny was right. He agreed that we weren't being good friends by just sitting around, twiddling our thumbs, hoping for Maria and now Danny to come back. That if we would've gone with Danny, maybe he wouldn't have ended up in the same position that Maria is in too. Nothing but guilt consumed us once we realized none of us - not even his own family - has heard from Danny. He was declared missing too and the last time we saw him was when he was upset at us for sitting around - not doing a damn thing to help Maria. Now we were doing the same thing but with him too.

Despite being upset at Leland still, I couldn't sit around and not help anymore. Am I still upset at him for cheating on me? Yes. If he stopped having feelings for me and wanted to see other people, it still would've hurt but not as bad. I would've understood. But the fact he slept with Julie behind my back and confirmed he's had a crush on her way before me... it hurt. I've known Leland for quite a few years thanks to him and Maria being friends in high school. At one point, I viewed him as family. Our family already loved him because of how brotherly he was with Maria. But now, that reputation is tarnished along with my trust in him. However, I needed to trust him slightly to help find my sister and her own boyfriend. I still had feelings for Leland despite what he did to me. But all my mixed feelings for him had to wait because something else is more important than all of that.

Making sure Danny and Maria are alive.

Leland was driving his van - the same one he always drove around back in late high school and now. What once carried around his wrestling teams and equipment was now carrying the rest of us along with our bags and overall supplies. All of our school bags were packed with clothes, food, water, and what money we could scrounge up. There were also a few tents and blankets in case we needed to stay the night somewhere. We were all serious about this. It would probably take us a long time to find them - but it's a challenge we're willing to accept. We'd stop at gas stations and restaurants to make calls back to our family - letting them know we're all okay. Their professors think we're all sick or some type of emergencies are happening to allow us all to go. Once we run out of money, we'd go back to campus or home and try to save up or even steal enough money and continue where we last left off.

The white van with orange stripes shook slightly as Leland drove on some back country roads - letting us take in the natural scenery of some corn and wheat fields. We'd been driving for a while and it's mostly quiet except for the music Leland was blasting or small talk between Sonny and Connie. The three of us were sitting in the back of the van - trying to distract us from the reality of what was going on. Sonny and Connie were playing with a deck of cards as I stared out the large window on the double backdoors. The platform bed was comfortable to sit on and gaze at the white puffy clouds that rolled by. It's not my first time being back here, as Leland would often take us out and stargaze together - trying to find famous constellations until we fell asleep in each other's arms. Now I wonder if he also did that with Julie when I wasn't around. I squeezed my eyes closed at the thought - trying my best to not let my emotions control me. It's hard. Between what Leland did, me trusting Julie as a close friend, and now my sister and her boyfriend going missing... I'm struggling internally. Julie and Leland sat in the very front of his van. Julie was resting her head on the window as she wore her stylish sunglasses - trying to focus on the task at hand. She was still very hesitant about coming along which slightly bothers me. I understand why she doesn't want us to end up like Maria and Danny. However, we're stronger as a group instead of individually - which is how Maria and Danny unfortunately ended up in their situations. Then again, Julie was nothing but a ball of nerves. She was always anxious and trying to look out for everyone - even before what happened to Maria. Meanwhile, Leland was tapping his hands on the wheel as he mouthed the lyrics to the song he had on.

I hear her voice in the mornin' hour, she calls me.
The radio reminds me of my home far away.
Drivin' down the road, I get a feelin'
That I should've been home yesterday, yesterday.

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads.

"Do you have any seven's?" Sonny asked the red haired girl that sat across from him. Leland had a few chairs that could swirl around along with a table in the middle that the two friends sat at. This van used to belong to Leland's dad until the younger man turned sixteen - it being a gift after his dad used it for work as a repairman. Funnily enough, his son didn't acquire any of his skills. However, that didn't stop Leland from driving it around - repairing what he can - and then meeting one of his best friends who happened to love fixing up stuff. This entire van became a passion project between Leland and Danny. It took them almost a year to fix up but they had the blast. Danny would do any wiring repairs while Leland would gut the inside and decorate it how he'd like it. Julie, being the fashion and decor lover she is, would give her own input at times. The back of the van became a hangout spot for Leland - almost like his own man-cave on wheels. He'd take us to the movies, to his wrestling matches, or all of us would pile in and find a nice lake nearby to hangout at.

Now it's our one way ticket to find my sister and friend.

"Nope! Go fish." Connie smiled at Sonny who sighed. The pair had been playing the card game for a few hours now. Not much to do except small talk, listen to music, gaze out the window, and not think about the worst of this entire situation right now. Sonny picked a card off the pile before placing it in his ever-growing pile of cards within his hand. Connie snickered as she rested against the chair, "Have any three's?"

"Oh come on!" Sonny groaned out before slamming a red three of hearts card on the little wooden table. "This isn't fair! How are you so good at a simple card game? Are you some type of card wizard?!"

"I'll never share my secrets, Williams." Connie playfully winked at her friend.

"I'll take that as a yes." Sonny chuckled with a little eye roll. The two continued their card game as Leland continued to sing into the next song - drumming his hands on the steering wheel. I don't know how everyone can act so normal about this situation. My sister is missing yet here they are - enjoying music and playing little games to pass the time. We should be stopping often and searching around the area. This felt like a road-trip getaway rather than a search and rescue mission. I suppose they're trying to just not worry but how can you not?! Maria is gone. She's been gone for a long while now. Even worse, Danny is missing too after trying to find her by himself. How can all that be acted as if it's not a big deal?! They could be de-... in danger. Serious and life threatening danger.

"I need to pee." Julie sighed out as she continued to gaze at the road ahead of us all.

Leland's smile dimmed as he glanced over at her, "I told you that you should've gone before we left. Or even the McDonalds we stopped at for breakfast."

Julie shrugged, "I didn't have to go then."

Leland nodded with a sigh, "Fine. I'll pull over - I need to refill the tank anyways." Looking ahead of me, I saw a little run-down gas station on the side of the road. Leland swerved the van towards the left - pulling up beside one of the pumps. Connie and Sonny both set their deck of cards down as Sonny opened the side rolling door open. He hopped out followed by Connie and then me being shortly behind. Julie opened her own passenger side door as she got out still wearing her sunglasses. She looked around the countryside as her green eyes observed over the entire landscape. Around us were tree's, hills, cacti, and a wide open field of several wildflowers. The same kind that Maria would love to take several photos of. Texas bluebonnets, daisies, blue-eyed grass, some Indian paintbrush, blue curls, and even some black-eyed Susan's. This would be the place that would make Maria stop and snap photos for hours.

However, across the road where we were parked, was the gas station I mentioned. It's weird, this place was in the middle of nowhere. For miles, it's been nothing but the country-side and a couple farmhouses. Shit, I think I even saw a slaughterhouse and abandoned mill. But this little gas station was absolutely by itself - surrounded by nothing but the several flowers, hills, trees, and a wooden and wire fence that surrounded most of the flowered field across the road. The gas station itself was on the verge of collapse. The metal tin roof was discolored and needed some repair in some areas. The outside decor was mainly junk too. From wooden pallets, boxes, mismatched chairs, empty oil barrels, wooden panels, and even a few rusty old cars that seemed to have been there for a while. It's definitely a hole-in-the-wall type of place. One that definitely goes unnoticed a lot and probably doesn't get enough revenue to fix up and advertise.

"Smell that fresh air?" Leland beamed as he got out of the van.

"Smells like cow shit. Trust me, I know that smell is like the back of my hand." Connie groaned out in disgust, "I thought I left the farm life in Illinois. I just ended up walking right back into it."

"No, you walked into the smell of Leland's cologne." Sonny joked around.

Leland scoffed at his best friend, "Hey! I took a shower last night, so it isn't me!"

Sonny chuckled, "You're right. It's the dirty socks I found wedged between the cushions of my seat."

"Oh... those weren't crusty, were they?" Leland joked back. Sonny let out a groan in disgust at the subtle sexual joke that Leland implied. Connie chuckled between the pair as she made her way towards one of the front doors of the gas station. Next to the door was a red and white soda machine. It was an outdated one - probably from around the fifties or so. That's roughly twenty years back - which is around the age of all of us. Yeah, this place needed a serious remodel. Connie grabbed a dime from her front denim shorts pocket before slipping the silver ten cents into the machine. She pressed the metal handle down before releasing. The red haired girl smiled softly as she grabbed the glass bottle and walked back over to me.

"Hey, got an opener on you?" Connie asked as she gently swayed the Coca-Cola bottle back and forth. I nodded before rummaging in the front pocket of khaki-colored pants. I grabbed my few sets of keys before rummaging through it. I had the key to my family house, the one where mama and I stay at with my madre and Maria. I also had the key to our mother's car along with a backup key for Maria's car. The same one that they found somewhere around this entire area. It makes me sick that this was the last known place of Maria and there weren't many places that she would have run off to. What if Danny vanished around here too? I shuffled through my keys before landing on a little bottle-cap opener that was attached. Papa used to drink a lot of beer before he got sick and gave me one of his openers. It's come in handy a lot besides his previous drinking habits. Such as the time he accidentally forgot the keys to his car so Maria and I walked all the way down to a diner nearby. We used the phone to call mama before Maria bought us a bottle of Jarritos - the mango flavored kind. Plus hanging out with college jock and party fiend Leland has given me many opportunities to open a few bottles for him too.

"One day this opener is going to magically disappear." I told Connie before grabbing the bottle from her grasp. I slipped the cap between the piece of metal and began to gently pulled it up.

"That will be the day we all die from thirst." Connie chuckled as she leaned against a wooden pillar - that held the roof up - which was placed in front of the vending machine. I playfully nudged her with my shoulder before yanking the piece of metal up. The bottle hissed as the cap popped off and landed in my hand. I passed the soft drink back over to the red haired girl along with the cap. "Nice doing business with you, Miss Flores."

"Anytime." I chuckled softly.

Despite still barely knowing Connie, she seemed really nice and chill. I know she used to have a girlfriend back when she still lived in Illinois which was a little weird to grasp at first. Maria and I grew up in a strict Christian Catholic family where it's considered a sin to be with someone of the same sex. At first, I didn't fully like Connie based on that tiny bit of information Maria told me. But Maria insisted she was super sweet and slowly became one of her best friends. Which I hoped so since they lived in the same dorm and shared a few classes too. I went down to visit Maria and Leland - before he admitted his feelings to me - and was able to meet all of Maria's friends. My first physical impression of Connie changed my perspective of her. I let my family's beliefs control me and my first initial thoughts of her - which I felt horrible over. Connie is such a shy, sweet, but sometimes feisty girl who has brought Maria slightly out of her shell and vice versa. Sonny was next. He's such a sweetheart - always so polite and genuine. Sometimes quick-witted but always open minded and tries to speak the truth. Despite him being Baptist, Maria and I got along with him just for our shared religious beliefs. He has a girlfriend - named June - but I've only really talked to her recently due to Maria's vanishing. June and Sonny met over their love of sci-fi and fantasy movies and novels. He's such a dork but in the best ways possible.

Julie... Julie is in a tough situation. I thought she was a bit stuck-up at first because she's from California and always being so negative. But I came to realize that she's a bit skittish and always looking out for herself and others. However, that didn't stop her from getting with Leland. Her and I still have a lot to sort out but she and I used to be close. She loved it when I would swing by - offering me makeovers and doing my nails for me. I'm sure all of it was genuine and she loved hanging out with me at the time. But ever since I found out what her and Leland were doing behind my back... my image of her has changed once again. I'm sure she still means well. Maybe once we find Maria, we can all sit down and talk it out. I don't know if I'll ever be friends with Leland again. I don't know if I'll even be able to forgive him. But, he has always been there for my sister - including now - so maybe I can be civil with him. I just wish all this didn't happen. Him and I have barely spoken. I know he wants to but I've brushed him off several times or started to let my anger and hurt control me. Could you blame me?! He hurt me and now my sister is missing - the police doing nothing about it either. I've gone to the station and called them several times too. A cold case, they want to say. But they've been saying that for years with many other people who have gone missing recently.

I refuse to have Maria and Danny end up like those people too.

"How are you doing?" Connie asked me as she leaned against the wooden pillar.

"I'm here." I shrugged as I crossed my arms over my blue top. "I just hope she's safe, you know? Our mama is taking this hard."

"I know, Maria told me about your father passing away a few years ago. I'm so sorry." Connie's smile dimmed into a sympathetic one. She took a swig of her drink before shaking her head. "I just... I don't get it. Maria can be curious but she's not... not someone who would just run off. Same with Danny. They're not the type who would just up and disappear. I just hope they're both okay."

"Me too, Connie." I sighed out as I dug my shoe into the asphalt type of front porch of the small business.

"Hey, once we get them both back safely, how about we hang out? You, Maria, and I. Maybe... maybe Julie too.. if you guys want. I don't want shit to be weird." Connie rubbed the back of her neck before looking over my shoulder. "Have you talked to Leland about it all?"

"No." I shook my head, "We agreed to let it rest until Maria and Danny are safely back."

Connie nodded as she shrugged, "Listen... I know it's a touchy subject. I can only imagine. But Leland didn't mean it, you know? You obviously know him better than I do. He does care about you and feels bad."

"He cheated on me, Connie."

Connie nodded again, "Which is no excuse no matter what. I agree, he should've politely broken up with you and waited a while to get with Julie. They shouldn't have drank that much and did that to you. All of this... this entire situation as a whole is just fucked! I know nothing I say will convince you at the moment since we have bigger things to focus on. But, just know I'm here for you. Alright? Sonny too. Leland even wants to be there for you but fully understands what he did. Julie feels guilty too and I just-"

I interrupted the red haired girl, "Connie, I appreciate what you're saying but I would really like to focus on finding my sister."

Connie was silent as her eyes roamed up and down my body - trying to process my words and how I abruptly cut her off. Connie gave me a sad sigh before nodding - understanding. I do appreciate her trying to talk to me about everything. But it's still hard to put into words. What Leland and Julie did severely hurt me. It felt like I was walking around with a knife in my back. However, with Maria and Danny, it felt like that knife dug deeper and punctured my heart. I don't have the proper words to form on how I'm feeling or thinking about the entire situation. Leland did that to me and not even a day or two later - my sister drives off and nobody knows what happened to her. Now Danny is gone too after trying to go and find her. Not to mention how saddened mama is over losing papa a few years ago and now Maria is missing. She keeps saying that I need to come home before something happens to me too. But Leland was right - just like Danny tried to convince us a while ago - we needed to find Maria since nobody else was doing anything. It's up to all of us. I just hope mama will be okay through all of this.

I can't lose her too.

"Hey, look at this!" Leland beamed as he walked over to us. I shifted slightly away from him as he walked past me. Next to the pillar that Connie leaned against was a red metal cage. Inside were a few newspapers that were dated a few days ago. Leland slipped a dime inside before retrieving the paper inside. The Muerto Times, one of our local papers within the area. He cleared his throat before reading off the headline, "Law Enforcement have saved a cat from a burning building! Witnesses state that an older woman accidentally caught her kitchen apartment on fire - causing the residents to evacuate the property. Inside was a ten year old cat who was stuck underneath some of the rubble. One heroic firefighter saved the cat - whose name is Dave... the... the magical cheese wizard... from the flames! Dave has been reunited with his owners safely. Aww, how cute!"

"Yeah, how cute." I stated bitterly as I grabbed the newspaper from Leland's grasp before flipping through the pages, "Nice to know that police and the news can report useless stuff like a cat almost being cooked rather than my sister and her boyfriend being missing." Leland's smile dimmed as he looked over at Connie - who gave him a matching small sympathetic smile that she gave me earlier. I continued to flip through the pages as I sighed annoyingly. Sure, the radio broadcasts her disappearance too. But it also broadcasts many others that are missing too - almost overshadowing and making her case not seem as important. It's so stupid! My sister's life could be on the line and hardly anybody but us seemed to care. I saw a few mini articles about free animals, yard sales, coupons for the slaughterhouse down the road, and even a couple obituaries for some older folks who've passed within a few weeks. In the very bottom corner of one page was Maria's portrait - saying she's missing, what she was last known wearing, what type of car she drove, and so forth.

I scoffed as I showed the pair the discovery, "Seriously?! A cat in an apartment fire is more important than my sister?!"

Leland shrugged, "His name is Dave the magical cheese wizard. He's a wizard... that does shit with cheese. That's kinda groovy, right?"

"Leland, come on." Connie sighed out as she saw the frustration growing on my face. I balled the newspaper up before shoving it against Leland's chest as I glared up at him. Leland's playful smile dimmed as he noticed how upset I was - sheepishly avoiding my gaze as his own seemed embarrassed and ashamed of his playful banter. I know he was trying to cheer me up after everything he's done and what's happening with Maria and Danny. But I wasn't in the mood for stupid jokes. I was in the mood of trying to make sure my sister and her boyfriend were safe instead.

"Right, shit! I'm sorry." Leland looked down at the paper before turning it to the page where Maria's portrait was on. He read over the details that we all already knew about such as; her hair color, eye color, height, where we're originally from, and so forth. She was on the front page last week but now she's just considered old news. It won't be long before she's a monthly report, then once every six months, then completely forgotten forever.

"Can I help y'all?" A voice suddenly asked from behind Leland and Connie. The three of us looked at an older man who wore a white button down, khaki colored pants like me, a brown leather belt, with black little dress shoes. The wrinkles on his middle-aged face seemed to define the scowling frown that seemed permanent on his face. Something about him seemed... off.. but I couldn't quite tell. Just the way he randomly appeared and has this weird presence about him. His crows feet eyes scanned between the three of us before back at Julie - who was still admiring the flower field nearby - as Sonny was catching up with her. His indistinct chatter is a faint whisper compared to the mini crowd going on around me.

"Maybe!" Leland beamed happily as he straightened the paper out and showed the portrait of Maria to the older man. "Have you seen her around here before? We're her friends and this is her sister. We're looking for her - her car was reported last seen around here. Have you seen the model at all? Perhaps even her? Her boyfriend - Danny - hasn't been heard of for a little while now too." The older man squinted his already wrinkly eyes at the paper - trying to take a better look at the printed portrait. For a second, I could see his eyes widen slightly before he relaxed them.

The older man shook his head, "Nope. Don't recon I ever seen her around here."

"You sure?" I protested, "You seemed a little-"

He cut me off, "I said I ain't ever seen her." His voice was stern and growing a bit agitated. Leland and Connie looked at each other before back at me - who was now glaring at the older man. He seemed a bit surprised to see Maria's portrait and eager to shut the conversation down. Something didn't sit right with me. Leland noticed as he cleared his throat before looking back at the older man.

"Alright, well... could you fill my van up? We're eager to try and find her." Leland explained politely before gesturing over to his van with his thumb.

"Sorry, no can do." The older man shook his head with a sigh, "The fella who normally refills my tanks didn't arrive today. I can only supply diesel if that van of yours runs on it."

Leland shook his head, "No. Just gas, unfortunately."

The older man shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers, "Well I can suggest y'all stay in the fields nearby. Hope the guy comes 'round in the mornin'. My family and I cook up some nice barbeque that we can feed y'all. Perhaps that black fella of yours will appreciate some." Leland, Connie, and I looked over to who he was pointing at - it was Sonny. Sonny chuckled at something Julie said before looking back at the field in front of them. Wait, was this guy stereotyping Sonny? I turned back to the man who wore a wide toothy grin that sent a shiver down my spine. I glared at him as he held his wide - almost creepily proud - grin on his face.

"What did you just say?!" I asked him.

"That black fella of yours. They sure do like barbecues, don't they?" He repeated again. This time, Connie was the one who also glared at him. She bit her tongue, refusing to speak her mind, as the soda bottle touched her lips once again. Who the fuck does this guy think he's talking to?! We're customers! Or willing to be if he wouldn't be so rude to us. From being weird about Maria to that comment about Sonny - I just wanted to sock him in the face and keep driving away.

"Don't you think that's-"

"Right! Don't you think that's right." Leland cut me off. He placed his hand on my shoulder - causing me to grow tense. Leland flashed me a wide smile that seemed very fake before continuing, "Sonny loves barbeque! But not as much as we love our missing friend... right, Ana? Our friend and your sister is missing. So if we want more information on where she could be... we should be nice to those around us. Right... Ana?!" I glared up at Leland who was desperately trying to not-so-subtly tell me to shut the hell up. He must've caught onto how weird he sounded when we asked about Maria. We should probably be nice to him if we wanted to try and gather more information about him. The corner's of Leland's mouth twitched as he shifted his gaze back and forth between me and the man who worked at the gas station. I removed Leland's hand as I scoffed.

"Fine! I'll let him know." I muttered before turning on my tan colored shoe towards Sonny and Julie. Julie's back was leaning against the passenger van door as Sonny had his own leaning against the side of the hood. Julie looked over her shoulder with a slight smile - trying to relieve some tension. Before they could both speak to me, I decided to tell Sonny the news I heard; "Hey, the old racist bastard up there said there's barbeque and you might want some."

Sonny happily gasped , "Oh, seriously?! I haven't had any since the last time I saw my parents. Thanks, Ana!" Sonny quickly leaned off the hood of the car before walking over towards Connie and Leland - starting to talk to the older man about the barbeque that he just so "generously" suggested to Sonny. I guess Sonny didn't care about me calling the man a racist bastard. Well, if he's not offended over it then I won't say anything more.

"Hey, do you think they have a public bathroom I could use?" Julie asked me as she put her sunglasses on the top of her head.

I shrugged before responding to her, "Who knows? Maybe it's segregated too." Julie's eyes widened at my response before glancing over her shoulder - watching Sonny happily talk to the older man who had his scowl on his face again. She sighed - not really wanting to talk to the older man based on my few petty comments. Julie turned her attention back towards me as she leaned over towards me.

"Between you and me?" Her voice was a faint whisper, "I don't have a good feeling about this place."

I nodded before responding, "Me too, that guy gives me the creeps. He seemed a little weird when we asked about Maria - even offered us to stay the night in his field nearby."

"Really?!" Julie perked up as her brows knitted together. For the first time since I found out about her and Leland, we were having a civil conversation. It's nice to know we were on the same page about this. "I don't want to stay here. I should've asked him to keep driving until we found another place to stop. But, of course, me with my stupid tiny bladder!"

I shook my head, "It's not entirely your fault either. Leland should've gassed up when we stopped at the McDonalds that had a gas station across the street."

Julie sighed, "I just hope it's just a weird first impression. Just looking at him gives me total creepy vibes. I'm definitely sleeping inside the van with the doors locked if we stay the night here."

"You and me both, Julie." I muttered back to her before repeating myself, "You and me both."

-.-

The crickets and cicadas sang and chirped as night fell around us. Leland had parked the van a little bit down the road from the gas station - giving us some slight distance and privacy against the older man and whoever else worked there. We had some equipment for setting up a small camp such as tents, blankets, pillows, and so forth. However, thanks to the strange man's demeanor, we didn't feel safe to sleep outside of the van. Leland reclined his driver's seat chair back along with the passenger side - which Julie planned to sleep in. Connie and I were going to share the bed at the back of the van while Sonny slept on the floor beside us. It wasn't the most comfortable situation for all of us - but it was better than sleeping with a bunch of bugs, wild animals, and a weirdly suspicious man who was working down the road from us.

Leland had turned the van off to save on the little gas he had along with the battery. The only sounds were the evening bugs who sang their little tunes - along with slight tossing and turning from one of us. I was closest to the back doors of the van as Connie slept closer to Sonny and everyone else. I couldn't sleep as my mind kept racing back to Maria. Is she sleeping outside in the woods somewhere? Perhaps scared and alone? Maybe in someone's dirty basement? It worried me that I didn't know if she was safe or not. Ever since her disappearance, I've lost sleep over the entire situation. The only thing that has kept me going is several cups of coffee, broken sleep, and determination that she'll come back home safely. My brown eyes gazed upon the moon that shone in the sky above us. From the back window, I had a nice view of the clear night sky. Not a singular cloud covered the bright stars or full moon. I let out a sigh as I shifted my gaze downwards - where a few trees were in the far distance. The black shadows of their silhouettes swayed as the night breeze made them dance. My eyes squinted slightly - trying to make sense of the shapes. Through the shadows, I thought I saw something move that looked... almost human-like? My eyes squinted slightly as I tried to look closer. It was so blurry and far away that I couldn't quite make out if it was something or someone - or maybe my eyes were just playing tricks on me.

But I wasn't the only one who noticed something odd.

"Hey, you hear that?" Sonny whispered out loud. I raised up on my elbow, staring down at him, as I tried to listen closer. I didn't hear anything besides the simple sounds of nature outside the metal walls of our temporary home. I shook my head in response before Sonny continued, "I heard footsteps and someone talking."

Leland broke the silence with his rough sleepy voice, "You know that bears, coyotes, and wolves live out here too, right?"

Sonny shook his head, "No! It sounded like a person."

Leland chuckled, "Hey, earth to space cadet. I think that man put something in that barbeque you ate because you're trippin'."

Sonny rolled his eyes as he tried to lay back down. He glared over at Leland who had his arm rested over his eyes - using it as his own personal sleeping mask. Julie and Connie were sound asleep in their respectful places. I glanced down at Sonny before looking at the window that I previously gazed out of. The shadow that seemed to be moving amongst the tree's had... disappeared. A shiver ran down my spine as my eyes scanned around the area once again - trying to see the deformed shape that had recently played tricks on my mind. But my attention was attracted somewhere else as I suddenly heard something. Sonny was right, there were footsteps coming closer along with a few muffled voices.

"There it is, again!" Sonny said a bit louder. This time, Connie groaned as she was starting to wake up. She grabbed one of Leland's spare pillows and placed it on top of her ear - trying to block out the worried chattering of Sonny. Julie yawned as she raised up in her own seat and looked around - growing curious on what Sonny was making a huge fuss about.

"Listen, Williams. I think you need some serious sleep. We've all had a long day and-" Leland cut himself off as he removed his arm from his face. He raised up slightly as he became alerted as well. So did Julie as she began to look around. Both their windows were slightly rolled down - letting in some fresh air. Leland froze in place as he paid attention to whatever he was hearing. This time, Connie raised up slightly too - finally alerted by the sudden cut off of Leland speaking and growing curious. Nobody said anything or moved as we all tried to listen closely. In the distance, coming closer, wasn't just one set of footsteps. No, it was several. Such as three or more people. Twigs snapping, leaf's rustling, and some light whispering of indistinct chatter. Leland gestured over to Julie's window before fiddling with the handle of his window, "Roll it up! Roll the damn window up!"

Julie nodded as she did what she was told. She began to quickly move the crack that rolled the van's window up as did Leland. Sonny threw the blanket off his body as he moved back into the seat he sat in hours prior - where he played card games with Connie. Connie and I stayed on the back bed as we glanced between one another in fear. Who was coming near us? Was it the older man? Who was he bringing with him if so?! Leland grabbed his keys off the dashboard before nervously fumbling with the large set. After a few tense seconds, he found the correct key and shoved it into the ignition. He twisted the key - expecting the van to start - but to no avail. Leland's eyes widened as he tried again and then again.

"Start the damn van!" Connie said in a raised and worried tone.

"W-w-what does it look like I'm doing?!" Leland snapped back at her, "I'm trying a-and... a-a-and the damn thing isn't w-working!"

"Did we run out of gas? Did the engine blow?" Julie asked, a worrying tone starting to rise in her own voice.

Leland shook his head, "No! I-I turned this shit off t-to save all that, Jules!"

Julie nervously fiddled with her braid as Leland tried to start the engine but to no avail. He cussed underneath his breath as he tried to desperately get his van to start. Connie tangled her fingers in her hair as she cradled the upper sides of her head. Sonny was whipping his head back and forth - trying to follow the sounds that were louder. Fuck, it sounded like it was circling our entire van! I gazed out the back window - not seeing anyone or anything except the normal outdoor scenery I've gazed at before. In the front windshield, it looked normal too. It's weird, almost like a bunch of ghosts were causing this to happen. But before we could process anything else, the passenger side of Leland's door swung open. He let out a startled yell as a large hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him out. He landed on the ground before a loud hitting sound erupted around us along with someone grunting.

"LELAND!" Julie yelled out in fear. But before she could reach over and help him - her own van door opened too.

"Oooh! Fresh meat!" A random voice whispered as he grabbed Julie by her braid. She let out a scream as the stranger began to drag her out of her seat. Her nails dug into the fabric of the seat as her legs flared around in a desperate attempt to escape. The rolling door opened next to Sonny - causing him to gasp out in fear. The older man who was working at the gas station smiled wide - exposing his rather large toothy grin with his crows feet getting worse. He let out a laugh as he grabbed Sonny by the arm and threw him onto the ground.

"SONNY, NO!" Connie yelled out as she rushed to the same door. She reached out to try and grab him back but was met with someone else. It was a younger woman with blonde hair tied back in a tight bun. Connie's eyes widened as the young woman had an equally large and creepy smile on her own face.

"Hiya, sugar!" The woman was overly chipper as she held something up to her throat. Upon closer examination, it was a little razor knife. Connie froze in place as she leaned backwards - trying not to get close to the razor. But the strange woman had other plans. She grabbed Connie by the arm - aiming the knife at her throat - before dragging her out of the van too. Connie let out a scream as fear consumed her - trying her best to rip her arm out of the woman's grasp. The woman let out a frustrated sigh as she glared at my red headed friend, "Quit fighting me! You're only going to make this worse for yourself!"

I crawled all the way back against the metal double doors with the large window. I held my breath as I heard all my friends yelling, grunting, and crying for help. Julie crying for an unconscious Leland, Sonny pleading for his life, and Connie grunting as she desperately tried to fight off the strange woman. My heart pounded rapidly in my chest as I awaited for who would enter the van next. Are these the same people that could've gotten Maria and Danny?! I hope not! But this is where her car reportedly broke down. Maybe they somehow tampered with her car? Shit, is that what they did to Leland's van?! I brought my knees up to my chest as I tried to make myself appear smaller - not wanting any of these strange intruders to notice me.

But it was no use.

The double back doors swung open - causing me to jump out of my skin. I let out a yell as I quickly looked behind me - seeing someone I hadn't seen before. It was a man who might've been slightly older than me. He wore a black t-shirt with the sleeves poorly ripped off, distressed jeans, a leather belt, and a pair of matching leather boots. His hair was slicked back as scars covered his arms and a larger one across his face. The moon casted over him in an ominous glow - showing a glare in his eye with a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"HAHA, IT'S PLAY TIME!" He yelled out before grabbing my arm roughly. Instead of me cowering in fear a few seconds ago, my fight instincts decided to kick in. I tried to pull my arm away from his very strong grasp but that only made his own strength tighten around my bicep. His smile only grew wider as I tried to put up a fight - almost like he was enjoying the show. Who are these sick fuckers?! I let out an agitated yell before using all the strength I had. I ripped my arm away from his grasp before backhanding the man - right across his scar. He stumbled a bit as he shook his head - not expecting me to gather enough strength and courage to fight back.

"¡TÚ PENDEJO!" I screamed into his face, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I shoved past him as I jumped from the back of the van. My heeled boots hit the ground as I tried to make a run for it. However, the man with the large scar across his face had different plans. He recovered from the large slap across his face as he grabbed me by the back of my hair. His muscular hand tangled into my dark waves as he yanked me back towards him - causing a few of the strands to rip out of my scalp. I let out a scream from the pain and fear as he chuckled lowly into my ear.

"Oh, you ain't getting away!" He leaned in closer with his sinister smile reforming, "I'm keepin' you." My blood ran cold as his eyes scanned up and down my body - almost like he was some skeevy pervert checking me out. I snarled at him as disgust and anger consumed me - not wanting him and his sickening mind to even look at me. I tried to yank my arm away more as he chuckled underneath his breath, enjoying how much I was trying to get away and avoid his wandering gaze. He snorted before huffing out; "Your little friend put up a better fight than this."

I stopped struggling. My eyes widened as my own brown eyes caught his own - trying to make sense of what he just said. I glared into his menacing gaze as his smirk widened into a toothy grin. He enjoyed seeing the anger that was boiling inside of me - almost like I was his favorite television show or motion picture. I bared my teeth as I let out an angered growl, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!"

"S-s-sister?!" The man who captured Julie stuttered out. He had a large birthmark across his face and his hair looked so... dirty. If the breeze rolled by once again, I could maybe smell him from where I was standing. Julie was crying - her mascara and eyeliner running - as the dirty young man held a pocket knife up to her throat. Her gaze kept shifting back and forth between me and Leland who was knocked out on the grass. Kneeling above him was a very tall and muscular man with a funky hairstyle. He had Leland's arms pinned behind his back as he scanned the entire area without muttering a singular word. The dirty man with the birthmark spoke up once more; "T-t-thats why she's s-s-so pretty! S-s-she's M-Maria's sister!"

The man with the scar looked over at the one with the large birthmark before looking back at me. His eyes roamed all over my face before it clicked. Realization had settled in. I kept my glare into his equally dark brown eyes as his shined underneath the pale moonlight. He smirked to himself before his grip tightened around my arm some more - at this point I wouldn't be shocked if he had left bruises. His nails pierced through my tanned skin - little crescent moons forming as he marked the entire area.

"Ana... Ana Flores?" He suddenly spoke out. Connie, Sonny, and Julie looked over in our direction as my eyes widened in fear. How did he know my name? What did Maria tell him?! I let out a little gasp as he chuckled and continued; "Don't worry, I've already heard all about you. Your sister sure is a keeper, ya know?"

"Tell me what the hell you've done to her!" I hissed out.

He chuckled, "I've made her my little sunshine."

The older man who worked at the gas station finally spoke up. He had Sonny pinned on the ground with his arms behind his back - just like a knocked out Leland was nearby. He muttered to himself before standing up and shaking his head - giving disapproving glares between all the strangers that he obviously knew. He let out a frustrated huff as he turned to the younger woman who held onto Connie.

"Enough of the yappin'!" He yelled out, "Knock 'em out already!"

"What?!" Connie gasped out before the woman behind her let out a laugh. I watched as she let go of Connie's arm and reached into the pocket of her dress. Inside was some type of green-ish looking powder. Connie's brows knitted in confusion before rising in shock. The blonde woman had blown the powdery substance into Connie's face. Connie coughed and covered her eyes as it had accidentally entered her emerald green orbs. The woman laughed as she walked over to Sonny and did the same thing to him. He screamed and flared underneath the much older man's grasp. Within a few seconds, Connie began to stumble backwards - her body leaning against a tree - before her eyes fluttered closed and fell to the ground in an unconscious state.

"CONNIE! C-C-C... Con... Connie..." Sonny's words became slurred before he soon went limp underneath the older man's grasp. Julie let out a scream of terror - watching our two friends suddenly faint at whatever was blown into their faces. She struggled underneath the birthmarked man's grasp as the blonde haired woman made her way over. Julie whimpered and shook her head, pleading for her to stop, but it was no use. The powder was blown into the air which caused Julie to cry harder. But within a few seconds, her cries started to get weaker and weaker as did her body. She stumbled around before falling out of the dirty and birthmarked man's grasp and onto the ground - almost hitting her head against the van.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I yelled out as the man with the scar - who seemingly knew Maria - tried to hold me back.

"Sissy, come on!" He shouted out, "I can't hold her forever!"

"Stop orderin' me around, Johnny!" The blonde haired woman, seemingly named Sissy, yelled back at him. "I'm so tired of you telling me what to do! All you ever do is complain that we yell at you and then-"

"OH, FUCK IT!" Johnny, also known as the scarred man, yelled out at Sissy. He pushed me forwards - causing me to almost stumble over Sonny's unconscious body - before spinning me around. I gasped out as I saw Johnny reach behind his back and pull out a rather large knife. It wasn't like the small pocket knife or razor knife that the other two had. No, it was something you'd hunt or skin something with. My eyes widened as his smirk returned back to his face. He chuckled out, "Say night-night!"

Suddenly, the handle of the large knife hit the top of my head. Just like the rest of my friends, everything turned to black.