_{(702 words)}

The cold drizzle formed an aura around Teresa and she shivered by the side of the road. Pulling her flimsy shawl around her thin teenage shoulders in a futile effort to keep warm, she continued to walk. Teresa didn’t know how long she had been putting one foot in front of the other, but she was certain that she was approaching a crossroad. She squinted through the light rain for a sign of a passing car but to no avail, her heart sank and she began to lose hope.

Suddenly, something blinked in the distance. Teresa raised a hand over her eyes to catch a better view and saw that they were indeed two lights and were moving towards her. Teresa pulled off the shawl and began to wave it with all the strength her chilled arms could muster.

The large car pulled to a stop in front of her and she was illuminated by the bright headlights. She quickly ran to the driver’s side window. As it rolled down, the stench of cigarette smoke and sound of loud music assaulted her, despite the rain.

“Hey girl, what you doing out here?” The driver, a gruff Hispanic man, peered at her over his tacky sunglasses. Teresa wondered why he needed sunglasses when it was obviously not necessary in this weather, but she didn’t say that.

“Please, sir. I need a ride up the road.” Teresa pleaded with the man.

“Sure. Get in, we’ll give you a nice ride, right vaatos?” The driver looked back at his two passengers and they laughed derisively.

Against her better judgment, Teresa stepped in through the opened door and sat beside the two other men. She stifled a gasp when she heard the click of the door locking as the vehicle started to move.

“Sister, you’re looking mighty… wet. Maybe you should get out of those clothes. I’m just saying.” One of the men, a bald mustached man, sneered as he stared at Teresa’s soaked shirt.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you. I just need to go up the road, it’s not too far.” Teresa said as she held her shawl in front of her chest. The other man reached forward and grabbed the end of the shawl. Teresa offered meek resistance before letting it get taken away. When the man turned to toss the shawl to the mustached man, Teresa saw that he had a hideous scar from his temple down past his neck.

“So, what’s a sister like you doing out in the rain at all alone? Didn’t your parents ever tell you that there are bad people out this time of night?” The mustached man grinned at Teresa.

“Don’t mind my idiot brother.” The scarred man glared at the mustached man. “It is pretty late though, if you want, why don’t you come back to our place. You can dry your clothes and call someone from there, okay?”  he said to her.

“That’s okay. I don’t want to be any trouble, you guys can just drop me off up the road ahead.” Teresa smiled nervously. The rain had stopped and the car’s head lights cut through the darkness with clear sharpness.

“It’s no trouble at all. Besides, there’s nothing up there for miles. Just relax, baby.” The scarred man put a hand on Teresa’s shoulder. Teresa didn’t acknowledge the man’s hand, but instead put her hands to her face and began to sob.

“Easy sister. Don’t cry, we’re not gonna hurt you. We just want to be friendly like, you know?” The mustached man said.

“I just don’t understand why this is happening.” Teresa whispered.

“What’s that? You in some trouble? You run away from home or something?” The scarred man rubbed Teresa’s back. “You can tell us, no need for a cute little girl to be crying.” He ignored his brother whispering “yet” after his words.

Teresa slowly looked up. “Over there. See that bright spot up the road?” She pointed past the windshield.

All three of the men looked where she was pointing. The driver asked “you mean by that tree?”


“That’s where I had my accident” Teresa explained, “… and died”.