“You think it’s Scott trying to shut people up?”
I stop when we reach the car. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”
And now that I have all these thoughts running through my head, I’m becoming paranoid. I scan the area, for what, I’m not sure. I just can’t shake this feeling of dread. It’s been there since Marlene’s sister or friend answered the phone. Now with Amber in the hospital, that feeling has only grown.
It isn’t the feeling of someone watching me, or monitoring me, but like I’m being hunted. Like I have an invisible target on my back and I have no idea why or who put it there. As the feeling grows, the more scared I become, paranoid in my own mind.
Harriet rubs her hands up and down her arms, shivering. “Let’s go,” she announces, scanning the area, and I want to ask if she feels it too.
“Yeah, it’s going to piss it down,” Olivia states. “The weather is not appreciating the effort I put into straightening my hair today.”
When Emily unlocks the door, I go to get into the back, but Harriet stops me. “Why don’t you sit in the front. You can be in charge of the music.”
“It does cheer me up,” I admit, stepping aside to let her climb into the back. I get in the passenger side and buckle up, and the minute Emily has the car started, I change the radio station to nineties pop music. Britney immediately blares and my lips tug into a wide smile.
As Emily leaves the carpark, I sing along with the girls, laughing when I hear Harriet get the words wrong. I turn in my seat, giggling at the sight of Gabby singing into a make-believe microphone, her eyes closed as she blasts out the lyrics.
I turn to the front, singing along quietly. These are the people I want to share my time with. Even when I’m scared and down, they have a way of boosting my spirits. Just like my family do.
The journey back is pretty much the same. We sing, we laugh, and we reminisce about the songs playing. By the time we’re halfway home, I’m feeling a little better. The rain drumming against the window screen has helped lure me into a laxer state.
Sitting back, I enjoy the sounds of laughter from the girls. Emily turns right at the junction and drives down what I know to be the backroads that lead home. They’re less busy than the motorway, and it’s the quickest route back. I watch as Emily’s fingers tighten around the steering wheel, her breath hitching. It’s then I notice how quiet she’s been.
“Are you okay?”
When her gaze flicks once again to the rear-view mirror, I go to turn, wondering if it’s something the girls are doing, but she grabs my arm, stopping me. “Don’t!”
I freeze, my entire body tensing. “What’s wrong?”
The girls quieten down and I lean forward, turning the radio off. My stomach is tied up in knots as I wait for her to reply.
“Don’t look, but I think we’re being followed,” she announces, her voice shaky.
“We’re on a country road. It’s probably just going in the same direction as us,” I assure her softly.
“No. I saw it behind us when we were pulling out of the hospital. The car’s an ugly pea-colour.”
“It could be—”
“Oh shit, it’s speeding up.”
I ignore her earlier warning about not looking and turn around in my seat, staring through the back window. My eyes widen when I see how fast it’s approaching.
“Maybe they want to overtake?”
Her breathing heavy, Emily grips the steering wheel. “How? There’s nowhere to overtake, and if they go any faster, they’ll end up in a ditch or wrapped around a tree. These roads are too bendy and narrow.”
“Slow down at the next passing point,” Harriet orders.
She means the little dips in the side of the road that lets another car pass. Slowing like she was asked, Emily takes a deep breath, her hopeful eyes widening.
The impact of the car hitting us has the seatbelt locking around me. I cough, my panic choking me. The girls scream in the back, whilst Emily freezes, her entire body shaking.
“Oh my God, oh my God.”
“Go,” I gently order, rubbing her thigh. I want to remain calm for her, even though inside, I’m far from it. She presses her foot down, moving away from the car. I duck my head, seeing in the wingmirror that it’s already following, its bumper bent and smashed.
“Drive,” Gabby yells.
“I am,” Emily screams, putting her foot down on the accelerator. “Can you see who it is? I can’t see anything with this fucking rain.”
I guess we aren’t going to be calm.
“No, they’re wearing a hoodie and something across their mouth,” Olivia calls out.
“I think it’s a face mask,” Gabby replies. “Why would they be wearing a face mask?”
“Fucking hell,” Olivia snaps. “Why else would they be wearing it. They don’t want us to identify them. It’s not because we’re in a world pandemic or have an airborne disease going on.”
“No need to get snappy at me,” Gabby argues. “And don’t jinx us.”
Emily whimpers as her silver, Honda Civic skids around the corner. With the tarmac slick from the rain, I’m shocked the back end doesn’t spin out.
“I can’t go any faster,” she cries out.
The window wipers are going at full speed, the rain heavier and echoing through the car. “Oh my God, we’re going to die,” I cry out.
“We are not going to die,” Harriet barks. “We are going to call the police.”
“And do what? Ask them to kindly ask the person trying to kill us to pull over?” Gabby snaps. “I can’t die. I haven’t tried out all the sexual positions yet.”
Tears gather in my eyes. “My cat’s going to be an orphan. No one will take him in.”
“Pull over so I can deck the fucking prick,” Olivia snaps.
“I’m not pulling over so he can make road meat out of us. I’m not going to be on the receiving end of some bad meme,” Emily yells.
“No one will take Katnip in. My family are scared of him,” I cry, shaking when we reach another tight bend. Emily slows down, giving the car behind chance to hit us again. The car swerves, barely missing a tree before Emily’s able to straighten it.
Harriet’s idea about the police seems like a good idea right now. I grab my bag from between the seat and search for my phone.
With shaky hands, I panic, reaching inside to take everything out of my bag.
“Is that a vibrator?” Olivia asks, when I throw one toward the back of the car.
I throw the tube of lubricant next. “Girl, I’m impressed,” Harriet mutters.
“Where’s my damn phone,” I cry out, taking out a pack of bird seeds.
“Why the fuck do you have bird seeds in your handbag?”
“I like to feed the birds,” I mutter absently, still searching. “It has to be in here.”
“You carry underwear in your bag?” Gabby asks.
“Just in case of an emergency.”
“Do you pee yourself often?”
“I got it,” I yell in triumph. “And no, I don’t, but things happen and you never know. I like to be prepared.”