AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod and then make sure I have my full attention on the road, still on the lookout for suicidal woodland creatures.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Even though I want to examine Ben’s face after he throws out this query, I keep my eyes ahead.
“Sure. Doesn’t mean I’ll answer it.”
Ben nods. “Fair enough.” He clears his throat before going on, “Why do you need to drive the car?”
I figured this would come up at some point. Surprised he waited so long actually. I don’t talk about this part of my life much, but with Ben, the words come easily.
“When I got my license, I honestly wasn’t that interested in driving. I didn’t have my own car, and I had the bus system pretty much memorized. Then, there was this one night, just a few weeks after I could legally drive by myself, when my mom picked me up from a friend’s house. Problem was, she’d had a few drinks.” And I’m almost certain something other than just alcohol was floating around in her system. “I asked her if I should drive, but she swore she was fine, and I let her convince me. It’s just … she wasn’t around much. So, when she was around, I wanted to keep her happy. I didn’t put up much of a fight.”
I risk a quick glance at Ben, and he’s watching me. No expression on his face.
“We were on the road for maybe ten minutes when she ran a red light. My side of the car got hit. Luckily, they weren’t going too fast, but my door still got smashed in. I had a mild concussion, broken wrist, and a lot of cuts from the glass.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry you went through that,” Ben speaks softly.
“Yeah, so it was shocking. Scared the daylights out of me. Then, the next time I sat in the passenger seat, even though Marcus was driving, the minute he started the car, I began having a panic attack. And that’s been the case ever since. I’ve tried a few more times with different people and different cars, but it’s always the same thing. If I’m not driving, then I’m panicking.”
“Make a right turn in one mile,” says the GPS.
“Well, you can drive my car anytime you want. I don’t mind.” The easy smile in Ben’s voice takes away my self-consciousness.
There’s a slight pressure behind my eyes, and I think, if I wasn’t driving, I would hug him. Or kiss him.
The road we turn onto is paved, barely, and the trees crowd in closer.
“You realize how creepy this whole situation is, right? There are dozens of horror movies that start in this exact same way.”
1. The Last House on the Left
2. Cabin Fever
3. The Evil Dead
4. Friday the 13th
5. I Spit on Your Grave
“Wow. You a fan of the genre?”
Until he stops me, I don’t realize I’ve been rattling off my list out loud.
“Terra is. I don’t know why I keep letting her talk me into watching them.”
“Well, you forgot the most obvious one: The Cabin in the Woods.”
“Oh, yeah! That one’s funny at least. But you’re just proving my point.”
“It’s only scary because it’s nighttime. Believe me, tomorrow, you’ll think this is all gorgeous.”
“If I live that long.”
Ben laughs and chooses halfway through to morph it into a creepy, evil cackle. My only recourse is to punch him hard in the leg.
“Ow! Okay! I’ll stop!” He’s back to normal laughing, which has me smiling reluctantly. “We should have one more turn, and then we’ll be there. And I promise there are lights we can turn on to scare away all the monsters and murderers.”
