Chapter 3:
The car sped off. The anger and tension portrayed in the screeching of the tyres. Carol felt a sudden rush of paranoia. Someone was following them and she knew this all too well! She craned her neck to look behind the car via the rear window. Sure enough, the same man from the diner was walking right behind them with his face pressed against the window. He slowly curved his mouth up into a smile and indicated for the car to be brought to a sudden halt. Lily opened the car door.
“Yes Sir, how can I help you?” questioned Lily not knowing for the life of her why the man had stopped her.
The man presented a neatly written out bill. He slowly lured all of the 5 back to the diner. They all followed stupidly as though they were clueless young leopard cubs being poached in the savannah. Carol couldn’t help but feel like this was a bad idea. Out of all the people the only one that felt like going the other way was physically unable to do so.
As they arrived once again, Carol felt shivers. Were the others oblivious, or just plain stupid? Carols heart began to race. She knew this wasn’t just her being her usual insecure self. There was something wrong!
Listen, Carol! Stop being so stupid! There’s nothing wrong here... just paying and leaving. PAYING AND LEAVING. Carol told herself this over and over. Slowly she began to believe it herself, becoming more relaxed by the minute.
Her calm thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a turbulent locking of the only door. The doors were locked, instantly putting a damper on any last shred of hope they had of escape.
The sick and twisted man just looked pitifully at the 5 huddled together. He sniggered at them. He still did not speak. The weathered man unveiled a shiny silver can of something. He ran around the place sloshing the liquid around the gloomy, tight, enclosed space. He returned to greet the terrified 5. He then produced a scratchy yellow box saying ‘swan’. The penny finally dropped. They weren’t going to get out of here alive ‘no way José’ as Lily would say. The sharp, sand paper sound as a match was struck.
“Oops, I slipped!” Whispered the only words of the man as thought it didn’t even pass through his lips.
The man vanished, almost as though into thin air. Maybe he had... They all huddled together one last time. They knew this hell was about to end. The flame danced elegantly over the petrol and spread faster than West Country gossip.
Darkness.
