35. Chapter 35 - Ash

Don walked me to my car, parked at the end of the block. He was nervous, kept checking around. He mumbled, "You're gonna call her? Or should I call her?"

"I promise, as soon as I get home."

"Cool."

I unlocked my car and climbed in. He closed the door and tapped the roof. Then rolled his hand.

I rolled down the window.

He said, "Hey, drive me down to my truck, then I'll follow you home."

"This is a lot. There's no one here."

"I know you hate being babied, I get that, but my gut is telling me?—"

"Look, Don, I'm armed, my house is right there, I can take care of myself. I will call you as soon as I get home."

"And then you'll call Lochie's sister."

"I promise."

He nodded, tapped the top of my car, and then rolled his hand, a gesture that meant, ‘go on then, drive on through.'

I pulled from the parking lot and drove toward home. I was muttering to myself about how it was only a few blocks away, I could have easily walked this, instead Don wanted to follow me...? Sheesh.

The streets were slow, residential, lots of stop signs… and kinda dark. I pulled to a stop at a sign, drove through the intersection, and in the corner of my eye saw a dark SUV turn on its lights and drive away.

Just a coincidence.

But it was ominous, my heart began to race.

Oh. Oh no.

It was only three blocks to my house and I kind of wished Don had followed me home.

It came to me that I needed to call Kaitlyn Campbell and tell her what was going on. I shouldn't have put it off — it was weird, it involved her, and frankly, I felt really frightened.

I leaned over, pulled my purse up from between the seats, and rummaged through it for my phone. I glanced in the rearview mirror as I pulled up to the next stop sign. Nothing back there. This is fine.

I pulled into the intersection and glanced down at my phone. I opened it with my face, glanced up at the road, then opened the contacts app and found:

Kaitlyn Campbell - Lochie's sister

Lights illuminated my car. A big SUV pulled in right behind me.

I swerved, accidentally drove up on the curb and jammed on my brake, jerking my car. I had almost driven into an oak tree at five miles per hour. Calm down, Ash, freaking out is going to get you in serious trouble... Ipushed the call button, tossed the phone in my lap, forgetting to put it on speaker, and then dug in my purse for my gun, while I yanked my wheel left, drove off the curb careening back to the road.

My phone slid to the floorboards as Kaitlyn's voice very faintly said, "Hello?"

I yelled so she might hear me, "This is Ash, um..." I glanced in the rear view. "...someone is following me!"

The SUV was driving slowly down the middle of the road. I came to the side of my house and thought about continuing on, but pulled into my driveway, twisting to look out the back windows, as the SUV drove slowly by... Kaitlyn's voice said, "What's happen?—?"

A loud bam! on the front hood of my car.

I shrieked — A man was standing there with his hand on my hood and a gun pointed at me. Kaitlyn's voice saying, "...Ash, are you okay?"

I ducked to the side, threw my car into reverse, and gunned the engine while I was pawing through my purse for my gun.

Kaitlyn's voice, asking what was happening, faintly, as I backed up and rammed into another SUV — smash. My airbag deployed, shoving me back against the seat. My purse dumped over on the floorboards. Kaitlyn's voice, "...what is going on, tell me if you're okay!"

I was fully panicking, dark vision, a roaring sound, a racing heart. A man was standing there, next thing, my car window was broken— I leaned away, shrieking, as a man's hands reached into the car, he violently opened my door. I was being dragged out, shrieking and struggling as I felt myself leaving my seat. A hand clamped across my mouth and then there was a sharp pain, that rose up my arms and across my shoulders and down to my heart, my breathing seized. I felt so much pain, every tiny little bit of my skin and bones and muscles and sinews were shocked by agony — is this what it feels like to die?

I didn't remember anything else.