Page 3 of Loki
As I made my way slowly but steadily to my destination, I growled in frustration when the meteorologist’s report showed the possibility of hail and the probability of tornadoes would increase further into the day.
The interstate was practically empty, with only the occasional emergency vehicles passing. Me and the car behind me were the only two idiots out here driving in this mess who didn’t have to be.
The sound of the low fuel light chiming in my rental car caught my attention, showing that I needed to find a gas station. “Just great.” I shook my head. “I hope there’s at least one gas station open, or I’m screwed.”
I exited the freeway as the weather deteriorated quicker than the meteorologist had announced. As I pulled into the first gas station I found when I exited the interstate, my eyes went to the makeshift sign taped to the front door written in bold black sharpie, announcing the store was closed because of the weather.
“Shit!”
Pulling out of that gas station, I drove a little further down the road and got the same results. They were all lit up like they were open, but a sign was taped to the door, saying they were closed because of the weather.
With a tired sigh, I pulled into the parking lot of the rundown motel that seemed on the verge of collapsing. Its neighbor, another closed gas station, was brightly lit, but eerily silent, just like the others. There was no point in going any further. It looked like all the stores had closed their doors and there was no telling when I’d come across another motel.
I turned off the rental car’s engine, took out my phone, and quickly sent a text to the whistleblower that I wouldn’t make it to the meet because of the storm. And if the storm didn’t let up, I had no idea when we could, so we’d have to set a new time and a new place when the storm passed.
After shutting the phone off and stashing it in my pocket, I retrieved my suitcase from the backseat, locked the car doors,then made my way towards the motel’s office, battling the relentless rain and wind.
“Please let them be open,” I mumbled.
There was no way in hell I could drive in this. I might as well get a good night’s sleep if it was possible in a place like this and prepare to meet with the whistleblower after the storm.
A car door slammed in the distance, and footsteps matched mine against the cracked asphalt of the motel parking lot, but I kept my focus on trying to reach the office. I hadn’t been out of the car for one minute and my clothes and the hair I had just gotten done were already soaked.
“Dominique?” a familiar voice called out to me.
Swiftly turning around, I was surprised to hear someone calling my name. Nobody should know I was here.
My eyes widen as Dylan Smith, the man I’d been sleeping with for a few months, jogged towards me, soaked by the rain. We didn’t have anything serious, and I’d enjoyed our time together. He was easy to talk to, wasn’t looking for anything permanent, just like me, and could fuck with the best of them. We had a good vibe.
“Dylan, what are you doing here?” I asked as soon as he reached me.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
My brows drew together. “Sorry for what?”
“This.”
He moved so quickly. I didn’t have time to react. And even before I could scream, pain ricocheted through my skull before darkness quickly took over.
Chapter Two
Dominique “Nikki” Honoré
The throbbing pain inmy face and the pounding in my head were almost too much to handle. The agony was so intense that it felt like the bones in my face had been completely crushed and my skull had been split wide open. I’d never experienced this type of excruciating pain.
My body screamed for me to wake up, but it felt like I was trapped in a frozen block of ice, unable to move. The pain was so bad I didn’t want to open my eyes or move my body an inch, but the light sounds of whimpering and crying forced me to do so anyway.
It took me a minute to sit up, my body revolting from the movement. My body shivered uncontrollably as the coolness of the room sunk deep into my bones while my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The throbbing in my head intensified, causing me to grab the sides and wince.
“Fuck! That hurts. Hello? Can anyone hear me?”
“Be quiet!” someone hissed, their voice barely audible in the tense silence. “If you don’t, they’ll come back, then we’re all screwed.”
“Who’s they?” I asked, trying to catch my bearings despite the horrible pain racing through my body and the chill against my skin. “Where am I?”
“Hell,” murmured another voice.
How many people are here?
