It
was soaring around the corner, to slow immediately afterwards as soon as it
caught Dani and Mary in the headlights. The highbeams flashed off, and the
engine slowed, the chassis rumbling slower and slower until it halted. The
driver’s side window rolled down and the outline of Neil’s face could be seen
in the dark. For all the drama the image contained, at least by Mary and Dani’s
eyes, all Neil said was, “Hey.” It was spoken in a flat tone, a combination of
apathy and tiredness.
It was not a tone that Mary was used
to hearing from him. “Hey,” she said back, in such a manner that one might have
placed a question mark if writing it down.
“Sorry I took longer than I said I
would,” Neil said, “My dad wasn’t home so I had to go rooting around in his
room for the keys.”
“Is he going to be mad?” Mary asked.
“No,” Neil said. They stared at each
other from across the road. Dani grew uncomfortable but resisted the urge to
shout anything. The first word that had come to her head was periphery for some reason. She wasn’t
sure why it’d come to mind. “So you guys getting in or what?” Neil asked.
“Right,” Mary said.
When they climbed in and the
passenger side door opened, the cabin lights flashed on and Mary saw first the
ruined extent of the right side of Neil’s face. A red bruise, his left eyebrow
split, and blood running down from his hairline. His arm was scraped and
bloodied as well.
“Holy shit,” was what Dani said when
she saw it. Which was right after Mary did.
“Yeah,” Neil said. He stared ahead.
Mary climbed into the back before
Dani could object, and so Dani crawled into the front seat. “What happened?”
Dani asked.
“Some guy,” Neil said, “He wanted
money and I tried to fight back.”
“Neil,”
Mary said.
“Good for you,” Dani said, “But you
should probably go to a hospital. Like. Right now. Do you have a headache or
anything?”
“Nah,” Neil said, although he said
it indifferently.
“Are you seeing straight?” Dani
asked.
“Yeah,” Neil said, with the same
casual tone.
“Obviously the answer to both of
those questions should be reversed,” Dani said, “I’ll drive.”
“I’m good though,” Neil said, “I can
take you guys back.”
“No,” Mary said, “You look like you
need to visit the ER.”
“Fine,” Neil said, “I won’t argue.”
“You already did,” Dani said. She
got out of the passenger side door and walked around.
It wasn’t until she opened it that
Neil stepped out and walked around to the passenger side door, going around the
back of the truck, walking slow, his face pointed down at the ground.
When he got back in, Mary put a hand
on his shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I’m ok,” Neil said, “I mean,
mentally. Like. I feel fine mentally.”
Dani started the engine, turned the
truck around on the narrow road with small back and forth movements. A car
rushing past nearly hit them but put on the breaks and laid on the horn. Dani
waved and then continued turning the truck around. “Did you get a good look at
his face?” Dani asked, as she accelerated up towards the speed limit.
“What?” Neil asked, “So you can
track him down and hurt him back or something?”
“Yeah actually,” Dani said, “I like
excuses to go hurt people I guess.”
“I think Dani means to put in a call
with the police,” Mary said.
“That too,” Dani said, “Although I’d
prefer to go looking tonight before calling the cops.”
“Something else scared him away,”
Neil said, “I think he’s probably hiding now.”
“Something scared him away?” Dani asked.
“Someone,” Neil said, “I guess. I didn’t see what it was. Just heard
some leaves crackling, looked up, and the guy was running. I mean, he was
supposed to be running I think. Wait. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“You mean he got away,” Dani said.
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