Super Short Stories

The Girl In The Back Seat

 One rainy day Isabelle and Parker were walking home from school. All day long the kids in their class were talking about how it was Friday the thirteenth. The rumor was that everyone had bad luck and terrible things happened on Friday the thirteenth. The two best friends were walking home when it began to rain again. They decided to take a short cut home. Marsha, Isabelle's mother, had always told her to stay away from Luck Avenue but Isabelle could not understand why her mother said that.

She and Parker began to run so they were not in danger for very long. As they were running a car went past them very slowly. When Isabelle did a double take she saw a girl's face in the back window. Then the girl wrote “HELP ME!” in red letters.

Isabelle grabbed Parker's arm and he turned to see what was wrong. Isabelle, practically in hysterics, said “Did you see that car go by with the girl in the back?!”

Parker, completely perplexed, said, “I saw the car, but there was no girl in the back.”

Isabelle thought to herself, I know that girl was there. I know I saw her.

She decided that she would investigate a little further. When she arrived at her apartment she realized that her mom was not home from work yet. Isabelle had a snack and then watched some T.V. When she turned the television on, the news was on.

Suddenly a familiar face popped up on the screen. In that moment she realized who the face belonged to. The girl in the back seat of the car on Luck Avenue. She jerked up the phone to call Parker. Isabelle was punching in the last number when the phone line went blank and the apartment went black.

The door swung open and no one was there. She dropped to the floor and covered herself with a blanket. Marsha then walked in with two bags of groceries. She had so many that she opened the door then went to get the rest of the bags. When she walked in she saw her daughter on the floor with a blanket over her head.

She went over to see what was wrong. As soon as Marsha began pulling the blanket off, Isabelle screamed. Marsha reacted by saying “It's okay, Isabelle. It's only me, your mom.”

Isabelle hesitantly took the blanket off of her head and she saw her mother's face. “Mom! Oh my gosh, I thought somebody was trying to get me,” Isabelle whispered.

Her mom hugged her tightly and tried to calm her down by saying “Everything's okay. What happened?”

Isabelle started to explain why she had been so afraid and what happened when they ran down Luck Avenue. Marsha just stared at her daughter and said “Honey, I think your mind was playing tricks on you. You're just thinking this because it's Friday the thirteenth. Marsha only got a teary eyed glare in return.

“I know what I saw and I know I'm not crazy, even if you don't” she all but screamed these words at her mother.

Isabelle ran into her room and flopped down onto her bed. It was already dark enough but she still pulled her pillow over her head. Why won't anyone believe me? Why do they all think I'm going insane? she thought.

Isabelle knew what she had seen, but how was she supposed to convince anyone else that it was true if she had no evidence? She thought long and hard about the answer to that question. That is when the idea came to her. She was going to find that car and the girl inside of it if it was the last thing she did.

***

Parker was walking up to Isabelle's apartment door when he heard the voice behind him “Help me! I need your help escaping from this car! I can hardly breathe in here, it's dark and cold. Please help me!”

Parker whirled around to see who was there. Nothing but air and the stairway he had just come from. “I just need to calm down. My mind is playing tricks on me.” he thought aloud.