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I slid inside the front seat of my car, wiping away any remaining tears.

"You're sure you're ok to drive yourself home?" Gabe asked, one hand on the door and the other on the roof of the car so that he was leaning towards me.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. But thanks for the concern."

He smiled. "Ok, let me know if you need anything else. I'm only a phone call away."

I smiled back. "Thanks."

He carefully shut the door and backed away with his hands tucked in his pockets. I gave a small wave before I put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot. In my rear view mirror, I could see Gabe doing the same.

The streetlights began to flicker on overhead, the indigo blue of evening giving way to the black of night. Gabe's car turned down another street behind me and a black car took its place.

I turned up the volume knob, mindlessly tapping my thumbs on my steering wheel to the beat. After a few turns, I checked my rearview mirror to switch lanes and found that the same black car was still there. It hung back enough far enough to be inconspicuous but it was definitely there. Maybe it was the recent events or the paranoia in me talking but from there, I didn't go straight home. Instead I turned a couple more times, got onto the highway and left the next exit. Throughout the whole time, the black car remained on my tail like a black shadow. I couldn't even see the face of the driver through my mirror due to the growing darkness, as well as my suspicion that the car had tinted windows. Panic began to rise in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm and think rationally.

Mom. Mom will know what to do. Call Mom.

At the next red light, I fumbled for my phone and dialed my mom's number. She didn't answer and I thought hard, biting my lip. The light turned green and I kept driving. I couldn't stop because if they actually were the 'bad guys' then I could be in danger and I couldn't go because then my family would be in danger.

What do I do? What do I do? I called my mom again.

She didn't answer again and my anxiety rose, building up like cotton in my throat. Somewhere in between there I turned down the distracting music and gripped the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles turned white. I felt so nauseous.

Who else do I call?

I yanked the wheel a hard left, speeding down the road to head to a smaller one that lead back to the main road. When I checked my mirrors, I immediately blew out a sigh of relief. Nobody there. Not even a car that resembled that black car. I was about to turn around to head back home when I checked my mirrors at the next stoplight. A knot instantly retwisted itself in the pit of my stomach at the sight of the car materializing out of the crowd of others. I cursed and slammed the heel of my palm into the steering wheel over and over and over again until it was numb. The light flashed to green and all I wanted to do was be back in Gabe's arms, safe and secure, not here. Anything but here.

I grabbed my phone again. Mom please answer this time.

To my relief, she answered on the fourth ring. "Hello? Car? Hey, can you talk later because I am in a really important meeting right now."

"Mom," my voice broke. I accidentally slowed down and a driver honked at me.

Her tone automatically went into 'mom' mode, "Carter? Why are you driving and using your phone at the same time? Call me when you're done driving."

"No!" I shouted. "Mom! Don't go!" My heart raced in a panic that she would leave me.

"What's the matter? Pull over and talk to me."

"Mom, I can't." Somehow I just couldn't spit it out. It was surreal. I sucked in a deep breath and went for it. 1...2...3... and it all spilled out like word vomit.
"Are you sure?" I could picture Mom rubbing her temples in frustration.

"No, but they've been following me since I left the school, even when I try to shake them and I'm pretty sure their windows are tinted so I couldn't see inside."

"Ok, ok," she paused, thinking. "How much gas do you have left?"

I hadn't even thought about that. My eyes drifted down the fuel meter and my mouth went dry.

I swallowed hard and muttered, "I meant to get some earlier. It's almost on empty. I have maybe half an hour before the tank goes dry, and that's if I'm lucky."

Mom groaned, "Ok, just keep driving and doing what you're doing. I'm going to hang up and find a way out of this."

"Ok," I whispered as the line disconnected.

The next few minutes of silence racked me from the inside out, driving me crazy so that I couldn't stop fidgeting. Twirling my black hair between my fingers. Constantly checking my rearview and side mirrors. Biting my lip. Drumming my fingers on the wheel. I looked up at the dark blue sky, the toenail moon giving only a sliver of light. It wasn't much but it was enough and it calmed me down enough.

When my phone rang, it pierced the loud silence and I answered it as fast as I could. "Hello?"

"It's Mom. I just spoke to Natalie. She's going to try to pull in behind you and in front of the black car to give you space and time to drive off. She isn't our family, so they probably don't care about where she goes so she won't be in danger."

"Ok." My heart ceased to slow down.

"Call her now, let her know where you are. Call me again once you get away to check in, ok?"

"Ok, thanks Mom."

"Love you and be safe," and she was gone.

Pulling up Natalie's contact, her contact picture was full of smiles, her light brown hair framing a glowing face. But when she answered my call, her voice resonated the complete opposite.

"Hey, darlin'. You okay?" Her voice was rushed, distracted, and sounds of the highway played in the background.

"I'm fine," I lied.

"Tell me where you are."

I craned my neck to look up at the green signs through my windshield. "I am at the corner of Walt Street and Park Avenue, heading down Walt."

"Okay, be there in five. Keep me on the line."

"Okay."

After a couple more minutes of directionless driving, her comforting voice back on again, "You still here?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I think I see you. Did you take the tan car?"
"Yeah."

"Yeah, I see you. I'm in the blue car," I checked my mirrors and found Nat a few cars back. "I don't know if your mom told you already but I'm going to try to cut this jerk off. I'll squeeze in right behind you and when I do, you get away as fast as you can. Head straight home."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"We can't exactly call the police, Car. Our options are pretty limited here."

"That's true. Alright I'm ready."

"Comin'. Stay on the phone." I heard something that sounded like she put the phone down on the seat and I looked in the rearview mirror to see her blue car coming closer. There were only a couple other cars around us so I had confidence this would work with minimal damage.

"Ok, I'm speeding up, now!" I gunned it, leaving the black car in the dust. Before they had enough time to react, Natalie sneaked into the space with her blue car.

I exhaled a deep breath, relief washing over me and slowing down for a red stoplight.

There was some more static and Natalie's grinning voice rang through, "We did it! Go home and I'll meet you there later."

"Thanks, Nat." I checked my rearview mirror. "Hey, where'd the black car go?"

"I don't know, don't see 'em. Maybe it really wasn't those guys we thought. I guess we can both go home."

I shrugged, "I guess."

"See you there." She hung up the phone.

Little did she know, she was wrong. Just before the light turned green, I saw the black car speed up like a bullet behind Natalie's car. I barely had time to scream before I felt the impact jar my body. I flew forward, strained against my seatbelt, straight into my steering wheel. Blood began to gush and the airbags burst, just a second too late. Out of the corner of my eye, a black shadow raced past and I knew it was them.

"Natalie!" I shouted, pushing down the airbags. Breathe, Carter, breathe.

I stumbled my way out of the driver's seat, wiping the blood pouring from some unknown source on my face. Observing the wreckage, I could barely contain a gasp. That black car had slammed straight into Natalie's car, which crashed the front of her car into my trunk.

Bystanders were already starting to gather, many with phones glued to their ears, calling the police and other family members. I forced my feet over to the driver's side of Natalie's car.

"Natalie?" I called out. Voices surrounded me, people closing in, but I pushed them to the background.

No answer.

Afraid, I peered through the window to find her broken body lying across the steering wheel. Her arm bent backwards, and small, shallow breaths rose and fell but the amount of blood was not reassuring. I desperately wanted to turn her face towards me so I could see if she was okay, just see her, but I knew I shouldn't.

"Natalie," I whined.

Someone in the distance called out my name and I whirled around, wiping more blood from my head.

So.

Much.

Blood.

An ambulance cried out down the street, so close that I could see its blue lights. Wetness poured down the sides of my face, so much that it was alarming. Hands were touching me. People were talking to me. But I couldn't understand or register what they were saying.

"Natalie," I repeated. "Natalie. Don't let her die."

It was harder to breathe, and I rushed to gulp in oxygen. My vision blurred and lightheadedness took over. I grabbed onto something to try to stable myself. But it moved and my legs gave out, causing me to collapse to the ground. The street rushed up faster than I imagined, scraping my hands.

More yelling and more people hurrying around. The blue lights were right here, coloring my world in a bluish haze.

"Natalie," I muttered. "Don't let her die."

Hands reached under me and I was being lifted onto something that moved. Somebody was whispering in my ear in a soothing voice. A pressure was applied to my forehead and I weakly lifted my arm to swat them away.

Darkness threatened to close in and I knew I couldn't fight it anymore Slowly, I felt myself drifting away. More voices, but I ignored them.

Please don't let her die.

Then it was black nothingness.

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