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Not when I saw three men sitting around her.
Are you afraid of me? Is that why you stopped going out?
Don’t be afraid too much, love.
I’d like to see that fear once we meet.
Wait for me, I’ll come for you.
XII
STORM
‘‘Thank you.’’
With gratitude, I accepted the bottle of water the older man had offered me.
An hour ago, I was exhausted.
The cold weather was messing with my head, and I could barely keep walking. I stopped running ages ago, no longer having the stamina to support my body. The steps I was taking were extremely slow.
My lungs were filled with icy air to the point it started hurting to breathe. I lowered my head and tried breathing into the jacket as an attempt to warm my breath. It worked for a while, until my neck started hurting.
My hands were tucked into my pockets, but I stopped feeling my fingers already. They were numb, and I was afraid that if I’d moved them too much they’d snap.
The snow covered everything in sight. The road was barely fit for cars and the chances of anyone passing me were slim. At this point, I started regretting this decision immensely.
I thought it was heaven sending me help that I desperately needed.
A man, perhaps in his late 30s, approached me. At first, I was frightened. I hadn’t seen him, nor heard him because of the wind. He explained that his father owns the small gas station nearby, and that he was out looking for their dog that ran outside.
When he offered to take me to the station until the storm passed, I didn’t hesitate before accepting.
Even after a few hours, I was still trembling. I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold, or that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that simply wouldn’t go.
For now, I focused on getting warm.
Despite not having electricity, it was still warmer inside of the gas station. They offered me a change of clothes, which belonged to them, and two thick blankets to keep myself warm. I was suspicious as to what they were doing here, in the middle of nowhere anyway.
Apparently, they lived on the top floor of the gas station.
It was three men. The oldest one, Jack, was the owner. He was the father of the other two, Steven and Richard.
‘‘What’s a pretty lady like yourself doing all the way here? You look like you definitely don’t belong here.’’
It was Richard that spoke to me. He sat down next to me and lit another two candles.
I felt a sudden wave of uncertainty wash over my body. I was reluctant to tell them, but that only made me think further. And with that, my heart sank to my feet.
They had a TV in the gas station. I’d been gone for a while, and my photos should be all over the news. But they didn’t recognize my face. They either didn’t pay attention to the news channel, or no one reported me missing.
Harshly, I swallowed. My throat ached. Against my better judgment, I decided to trust them and ask them for a phone.
‘‘What for?’’ Richard asked, almost offended that I’d asked.
‘‘I need to contact the police.’’ I licked my bottom lip to give it some moisture, but it was dry within seconds.
Jack, the elderly man, who up until now was nothing but kind gave me an odd look. I couldn’t quite place it, but it was definitely unwelcoming, hateful even.
