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After washing the less than satisfying meal down with a few swigs of water, I used a bit of it to brush my teeth. The weight of my predicament settled on me while I watched cars pass on the interstate not too far off in the distance. Everyone else seemed like they had somewhere to be.
I wrapped myself in the crocheted blanket my nana made for me when I was young. It was thick and warm, though I could still feel winter setting in from the curl of my breath in the air. My eyelids grew as heavy as my fading thoughts, and I fell asleep with only the orange light from the lamp outside to make me feel safe.
A whirring noise sounded, startling me awake. My entire body felt like it was being jostled. Blearily I searched my surroundings, finding flashing lights and my car being pulled up a ramp onto the back of a dark truck.
Panic jolted through me. I fumbled for the handle, then remembered the door was locked. Shakily I slammed my palm down on the horn, trying to catch the attention of the man outside. He jumped back, but his features were cast in shadow. Still the truck continued to reel me in.
Finally managing to get the door open, I jumped with my blanket clutched in my arms.
“What are you doing?” I shouted.
The man blinked, like I was a ghost, then seemed to come to his senses and relaxed. “This car has been parked here for four nights. I’m impounding it.”
My body shook with rage and shock and fear. It all mixed together inside me like a vile poison.
“I’ll move it—fuck, I just fell asleep after my shift. I’ll go.”
The man shook his head, eyes sympathetic. I don’t know what he saw when he looked at me, but regardless, I didn’t want his pity.
“Sorry, kid, you’ll have to pay the fee to get your car released.”
A desperate sob caught in my throat. “How much is that? My-my purse is in there, it has all my money.” Tears burned hot and anger finally took hold. “Everything I own is inside there. Where am I supposed to go? You have to at least let me get my stuff out.”
The man, though tall, his belly protruding, was not intimidating. I took a step forward, preparing to fight the douchebag if need be. A second man hopped out of the truck cab, rail thin but every ounce of him looking mean.
“What seems to be the problem, little lady?” he asked in a gravelly, condescending voice that suited his pasty skin and low-hanging jeans.
I flailed my hands in the direction of the truck and my car now precariously sitting on the top of the tracks. “You fuckwits are taking my car without any warning. Did you even think to check if there was someone inside? I just fell asleep after my shift. I park in that spot all the time, so this is just a huge misunderstanding.”
Okay, so maybe the fuckwits part wasn’t great, but the creepy guy’s jaw hardened. Ever so slowly, like tar trailing down my body, his eyes took me in, and he licked his lips. “We didn’t see nobody. I think you’re lying.”
My eyes bugged wide. “Are you fucking insane? He saw me jump out of the car!” I pointed to the beefy one, who puffed out his chest. His lips were opening to respond when the creepy dude cut him off.
“Ma’am, if you can’t refrain from using foul language, we’ll be forced to call the police.”
A delirious laugh bubbled up and spilled over, making both men eye me like I was on drugs. If they had any idea the shit I’d dealt with, they’d know just how impossible that was. “It’s one thing to knock and tell me to leave the property, but to just steal my car with me in it, and then refuse to give me any of my things is total bullshit,” I fumed.
Creepy guy held up a hand. “Alright, that’s enough out of you, missy. Get out of here now. You were camping out in the mall parking lot, which is illegal. Go home now.”
“That is my home.” My voice broke on the last few words.
The two men hurried to the truck, securing the straps over my pitiful-looking car. I wrapped my blanket around my shoulders, wincing at the bite of cold wind. Thankfully, I still wore my hoodie.
“Please,” I begged the pot-belly man, sensing he was the weaker of the two. “My mom just died two weeks ago. I was crashing at a friend’s house but she’s out of town. I didn’t mean any harm, I just didn’t have anywhere to go.”
The creepy one scoffed, shaking his head. But the beefy man turned to face me. “How old are you, kid?”
I swallowed hard. “Sixteen.”
He sighed. “You don’t have anyone looking after you?”
I shrugged. “Not right now, but please. Just give me my car and I’ll go stay at my aunt’s or something.”
I didn’t have an aunt. None that I knew of anyway.
“Sounds to me,” Creeper started, walking toward me with the slow gait of a man with wicked intentions, “like you’re all alone in this big ugly world.” He grinned, showing off crooked, rotting teeth. “Maybe you need a man to take care of you. Give that foul mouth something more productive to do.”
I didn’t think. I spat at the asshole.
