Page 51 of Evil Hearts

A tall figure emerges from the shadows, moving toward me with purpose. The silhouette cuts through the darkness with a quiet confidence that has my stomach tightening in fear. I’m totally alone out here, no one to hear me scream, and of course, there’s a man. His graying hair is slightly longer on top, slicked back to the side to showcase sharp cheekbones. A long jacket flaps around his legs like it had seen better days, hiding what is no doubt a chiseled body beneath.

He isn’t exactly out of place, but I certainly don’t recognize him from around here. He raps his knuckle against my closed window, and I roll it down just the slightest bit. I never thought I’d be happy to have a window handle as opposed to automatic, but it does have its moments.

“Car trouble?” he asks, his voice a deep timber that’s warm, despite the freezing downpour.

I sit in silence, blinking up at him as my mind tries to process what is happening. I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere, in theempty parking lot of an even emptier mall, and here this man is, ready to rescue me. The darkness around us is all-encompassing and I can’t see any way that he could have gotten here. There are no other cars in the parking lot, and the buses don’t run this late…

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Yeah, looks like it.”My voice shakes with unrestrained frustration. “I’ve tried starting it but it’s not working.”

He rests his hand on the hood of the car, and I climb out, wanting to keep him in my sights. “You know, it’s probably just the battery. These things can get so finicky when it’s cold and wet.”

A part of me doesn’t trust him. I want to tell him to go away and leave me in my little world where nothing unexpected happens. I can manage this, I always do. But another, smaller, part of me, the part that doesn’t want to be here any longer than necessary, feels the beginning sparks of hope.

“I don’t have any jumper cables,” I murmur, making sure to keep my distance from the strange man.

”I do.” He says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and it’s only then that I notice the cords hanging from his hands. Surely, those weren’t there a minute ago…

He nods his head toward the hood of my car expectantly.

My mind flickers with doubt. I don’t know much about cars, but the noise it made didn’t sound minor. But, I’m too tired to argue. I just want to go home. And strangely, despite everything, there’s something about the stranger that doesn’t immediately set off alarm bells in my head. He isn’t threatening. Just… strange.

”Okay.” I say after a long pause, my voice shaking from the cold. I give a nod toward the front of my car. “I’m desperate, so go ahead.”

I want to smack myself in the forehead. Way to go, Katie, tell the stranger you’re desperate. He totally won’t kill you now. The man gives me a strange look before popping the hood of my car. He moves with purpose, connecting the jumper cables in a way I won’t remember if I needed to do it alone. I keep waiting for some kind of trick, like, “Psych, I don’t know cars, I’m just here to kidnap the lone woman.” But the man works silently, never even sparing me a glance.

Then, after a moment, he pushes a button on the box connected to the cables, and a whirring fills the air. After roughly five minutes of silence, he disconnects everything and closes the hood.

“Try it now,” he says.

I slide back into the driver’s seat, trying not to get my hopes up. Surely, it isn’t just the battery? And how did his little machine charge it that quickly? Isn’t the whole purpose of a jump the fact that electricity enters the car fast, jumping it to life?

I give the key one more hopeful twist, sagging in relief as the engine rumbles to life. My breath catches in my throat, but I refuse to cry in front of this stranger.

“Thank you,” I whisper, blinking back moisture.

He doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he watches me for a moment as if needing to say something. With a small nod, he turns and walks back into the darkness, his figure dissolving into the night like a shadow.

I watch him go, my mind spinning. Who was he? Where did he come from? And why was he just hanging out in an empty mall parking lot with jumper cables?

I don’t know. But, as the rain continues its onslaught, I can’t help but feel like the world just tilted slightly off its axis. Something has definitely changed, though. I’m just not sure what.

With a deep breath, I drive away. My tires skim over the wet pavement, but I can’t tear my mind away from that brief, odd encounter. Whatever had just happened out there in the dark, I have a feeling it’s not something I’ll soon forget.

Chapter Three

The drive homeis uneventful. There aren’t many people on the road, braving the storm, so the drive passes quickly. I pull into the apartment’s parking lot, groaning in annoyance when I notice someone parked in my spot. It would be one thing if they weren’t clearly labeled by apartment number. Looks like there’s another sprint through the rain in my future.

I pull into the back parking lot, a whole football field away from my door. Instead of rushing out of my car, I take a minute to just breathe. I watch as the storm rages around me, hammering against my car windows as I kill the engine. I take a deep breath before climbing out of the car. I don’t bother locking it, no one would steal it anyway, and take off toward the front door. My knees groan in protest, and my clothes stick to my skin, but the thought of a warm shower and my favorite PJs is enough to push the discomfort aside, urging me on.

Inside, the quiet of my apartment embraces me like an old friend. The dim glow of the living room lamp casts a soft light over the space and it feels like I can breathe again. Here, I am safe. Here, I can just be me.

I hang my keys on the hook near the front door, and notice for the first time, a tiny Orc keychain. That’s bizarre. I squint, getting a closer look, and can’t help getting the eerie feeling that someone is watching me. I don’t usually use keychains, alreadyhaving too many keys between work and home. But there’s a mysterious beauty to the tiny Orc Warrior staring back at me.

I shake my head, putting the keychain out of my mind. I’m sure it was just Tim or something I forgot I bought with how crazy the day has been.

I strip out of my wet clothes, tossing them in the laundry basket. My knees are raw, but nothing I can’t ignore. I head to the bathroom, changing into my cozy, oversized PJs. The soft fabric wraps around me like a hug, welcoming me home. And for the first time today, I feel just a semblance of peace.

I stare around my sparse apartment as I open a bottle of wine, pouring myself a hefty glass. I don’t have a pet or any friends who might check on me. I’m alone, and I used to say I like it that way. But today has me questioning the last few years. Who would miss me when I’m gone? Would anyone even notice?

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