"Ummm...Sure!" She says. After all, they appear harmless enough. In her experience, men who look like this are God fearing, honorable southern types that revel in the ability to tell the story of helping a "damsel in distress."
The passenger gets reaches back, and unlocks the sliding door on the side of the van. She smells the odors of country living flow from the van: farm animals, tobacco, and soil. The door slides back, and she sees that the back windows are covered in black plastic. A large cardboard box sits behind the seat, and a cut rope lays on the floor. Mia hesitates for a moment, and then she spies the Bible tucked behind the driver's side seat. She sighs a sigh of relief, and steps into the cavernous van...
The van roars to life with a belch of black diesel smoke. Her head whips back into the seat. Mia reaches for the belt, and straps herself in.
"Um, if you could just drop me off at the town mechanic, that would be great..." she says in an anxious tone. The driver glances over to the passenger with a malicious grin.
"Oh, we'll be stopping by there, that's for sure." he says in a deep, booming voice. The passenger chuckles, but turns his attention back to the road. Mia eyes the driver suspiciously. She catches his eyes flickering between her and the road in the rear view mirror. She curses herself for wearing a skirt instead of of pants.
They enter a small town called 'Brookhaven". Rundown pawn shops, diners, and a decaying City Hall grace the main road. She looks out of the windshield. The town, as far as she can see, is dying... |