Category : Stories

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

Writers Prompt week 3
Graduation finally happened, and this summer was going to be the best ever. I grew up going to summer camp and always had so much fun. Now it was time I got to be camp counselor. 
The alarm startled me from my sleep and I reached over to shut it up. I did a big stretch and quickly sat up. Today is the day! I whispered to myself. 
The morning was already hot, in fact, I don't believe it ever cooled off. I grabbed the pile of clothes that I laid out the night before, and headed to the shower. My parents were already awake. I could smell the coffee and hear the quiet mumble of their conversation. 
I slipped off my nightgown and started the water in the shower. A moment later I was standing under the warm water as it pounded on my head. Not too long after I was out and getting dressed. I decided to skip the blow dryer and let my hair dry naturally since it was already so hot. 
Grabbing some coffee to go, I kissed my mom and dad goodbye and off I went. I had this car since my sixteenth birthday, it had been good to me all these years. I loved my grey Ford Escort, it was simple and reliable. I turned up the radio and sang along to all of my favorite songs. 
An hour and a half later, I found myself traveling through the winding roads in the mountains. I had another hour to go before I got to the camp so I decided to stop at the only gas station for miles. I knew this because I had driven myself to camp the last couple of years. 
I shut my door and hit the button on my key fob to lock it, then I headed into the little market. The door chimed as I walked in, a sweet old lady stood up behind the counter and said hello. 
“Good morning, Ma'am, bathroom back here?” I asked already knowing the answer since I have been here before. “Yes, that's right, to your left, you'll need this key,” the old lady said as she held up a little key attached to a ruler. “Thank you,” I replied grabbing the key from her.
I washed my hands and dried them on my pants since the paper towels were empty. I grabbed the key off the sink and turned the knob of the bathroom door, but it wouldn't open. I dried my hands better hoping for a better grip. I tried again, no luck. I started to panic, and bang on the door hoping the old lady behind the camera could hear. I was the only one at the station when I pulled in, I can't imagine that she was busy. 
A few minutes went by, my hands were red from banging the door and my throat was sore from yelling. I wiped my tears that were now falling down my cheeks, and I tried the door again. This time it just opened. I ran out and up to the counter to find the old lady sitting down and watching The Price is Right on tv. She didn't even notice me standing there, “Excuse me,” she didn't even flinch. “Excuse me, Ma'am?” I said again this time a bit louder. “Oh my, oh my, I am so sorry,” she said as she reached out for the key. “My hearing just isn't the same anymore,” she added with a sweet smile.
“It's okay, but you might want to get that door checked, I was stuck in there for more than five minutes,” I said then walked out to my car. 
As I got closer I reached into my pockets to pull out my keys, then I noticed my doors were unlocked. Shit, I thought I locked those. I thought as I opened my door. I looked around making sure nothing was missing, my phone was still in the cup holder where I left it. I could have sworn I locked the doors, but I was in a hurry to pee, so I wasn't sure anymore. 
I put my car in gear and I drove back to the winding road and headed up the mountain. I turned my radio up and my AC up high and drove along singing loudly as I did before. Forty five minutes later, still the only car on the road, I noticed smoke coming out of my hood. What the hell? I thought trying to find a place to pull over. 
Up the road a bit I found a turn out so I pulled over on the dirt and gravel and turned off my car. I grabbed my phone and stepped out to call my dad. He was going to be upset because I didn't have my AAA card on me. He was always hounding me to remember it, and I just know he's going to say I told you so. I dialed his number and put my phone up to my ear. Silent. There was no ringtone, I looked at the screen and realized that I had no signal. Great, now what? I thought. I looked back at the road where I came, and decided to walk back to the gas station. I didn't know what else to do. Maybe I would run into other counselors who were headed up. 
I reached into my car to grab my backpack filled with water and snacks and went on my way. It was nice up here in the mountains. The air smelled fresh, and up here it was much cooler than it was back home, so the walk would be nice. Don't freak out, it's just a little set back. I kept telling myself that as I wandered down the winding road. Every few steps I would check my phone for a signal, and every few steps I would be disappointed all over again. 
Twenty minutes down the hill I stopped to rest my legs and get some water. I found a big rock on the side of the road and I climbed up on it to sit and drink a bit. I could still keep an eye on the road, so it was the best spot. I unzipped my backpack, what is this? I gasped at what I saw. In the place of my water and food were the dismembered bodies of old dolls. I screamed and tossed into the trees. Who's sick joke was this? I thought as I climbed down the rock and started walking even faster towards the gas station. 
My mouth was so dry, it was difficult to just swallow. At this point, I was sweating and my feet were killing me. Nobody had driven past me this entire time. That seemed so weird this time of year. It was summer and camp was starting, I don't ever remember it being this quiet. 
My walk down the hill left me time to think, and all I could think about were those dolls. I can't imagine who would do that, then I remembered my car was unlocked at the gas station. Nobody else was there, and I was only in the bathroom five minutes. This place was beginning to creep me out. 
I kept walking, by this time, my head was pounding. I am not sure if it was the heat, the fact that I was thirsty, or the altitude. All I know is that I need to get back to that gas station. With each step I winced in pain, I had new blisters on my feet, but I had to keep going. 
I stared down at the ground as I walked, I was too tired to keep my head upright. My foot landed in a pile of dry pine needles and I slipped, and started to roll down the hill. I felt pain coursing through my body as I landed full force into a tree. I laid there, unable to catch my breath. I got the wind knocked outta me and I felt like everything was spinning. I blinked a couple of times and rolled over onto my hands and knees. I felt my lungs open up and fill with air, I started to cough when something caught my attention. I looked up the hill to the road and I could hear a truck. I gotta get up there. I said to myself. 
It took everything inside me to pull myself up. First, I crawled on my hands and knees, then I was upright. Holding onto the branches of the nearby bushes to keep from falling back down. Every part of me ached, but I would deal with that later, I needed to get up there before the truck made it past. 
Finally, at the top of the hill, I looked down the winding road to see a semi headed my way. On account of the incline, he was moving at a slower pace, which worked out in my benefit. I twisted my ankle so I decided to just stand there and wait for it. I tried to lick my lips, but my tongue was dry. I just wanted water, he had to have water in his cab, and I couldn't stop thinking about it as he inched his way closer to me. 
I held out my thumb and caught his attention. Once he was close enough he hit his brakes, I could hear him put it in park, then he swung open his door. I saw one black boot step out, then another. 
Something inside me told me that this wasn't good, and I should run. But I couldn't. I stood there, frozen and thirsty. He walked towards me, his hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail. He had a long beard, black with silver lines running through it to show his age. His skin was dark and leathery, his arms filled with tattoos. He wore dirty jeans and a black leather vest. As he got closer I could see his dark beady eyes staring right at me. He gave a little smile, revealing a gold tooth. Run, just run, I kept telling myself, but instead I just stood there. 
He reeked of cigarettes, he was close enough to smell. My stomach turned and all I could do was cry. Everything inside me hurt, I had scrapes and bruising down my arms and legs. I could not move. Something in his window caught my eye, it was the old lady from the gas station sitting in the passenger seat, smiling at me. 
Before I knew it this large man threw me over his shoulder and started walking back to his truck, I kept punching his back and kicking hoping he'd drop me and I could get away. He didn't even flinch. I looked up at the road behind me, that's when I knew that he was here to save me. His steps got faster the closer to his truck he got. Please, hurry. Is all I could think when I saw them catching up to us. There were so many of them, I am not sure what they wanted. They all looked angry, and they were moving faster and faster toward us.
Shots rang out, one of them fell, blood spurting from his chest, then again, more shots. Another one fell. But this time I was being shoved into the cabin of his truck, squeezing in next to the old lady who was now holding a shotgun, I plugged my ears anticipating the next round. I looked up through the shattered windshield, more were coming from the woods. The big man who smelled of cigarettes punched the gas and ran his truck into the group of angry people.
“What is going on,” I cried looking to the old lady who was next to me. 
“Them folks was trying to save you from us, but we couldn't have that you see,” 
I looked over next to the big man, he smiled down at me and licked his lips. I screamed as he grabbed my arm and took a big bite out of it..