Two Similar

Chapter Five

Mickey was pissed. The anger was bubbling up to the point that his head was beginning to spin, and his eyes were becoming blurry, but he wasn't about to lose control. No, he didn't need anyone else to step in. Of course, he should have realised the boy would try something stupid, it was only Minnie's nagging that had him rolling his eyes and moving the car 'round the back.

Oh how he hated when she was right.

She wanted to take over, pull the trigger and let the overweight cashier deal with the mess. He didn't to let that happen. Not when he could feel the others watching from the sidelines, their presence so close to the surface it was difficult to even think straight. He shouldn't have bought the Reeces cups, that's what triggered it, but how could he not buy the sweet treat? After everything that had gone wrong over the past few days, Mickey thought he deserved it...

He should have stashed the kid in the boot.

Grinding the cigarette butt into the asphalt, Mickey makes his way over to the car, flicking the safety back on the gun before tucking it into the back of his pants. He didn't really know what to do now. Punish the kid? Toss him out the car?

You said you wouldn't. The voice croaks at the back of his mind.

His hand comes up to rub at the back of neck, a soothing touch amongst the onslaught of emotions. He shakes his head, forcing his hand away from his own neck before scowling to himself. He didn't need to be comforted. This wasn't that kind of situation.

Getting into the driver's seat, he ignores the boy shrinking into the chair and focuses on getting the stupid car started instead. His hands are tight on the steering wheel, knuckled turning white until his thumb begins to move in soothing motions across the faux leather wheel case.

He didn't need to get riled up. Sure, the kid almost escaped, but he didn't. Nothing bad happened, he didn't get caught, and no one yet knew that the kid was even missing. Everything was fine.

The engine rumbles to life, Mickey flicking the locks on the car to ensure Todd didn't try anything else like jumping out the car while it was moving. He peels away from the asphalt carpark makes his way back onto the main road, blinking hard when Minnie pushes momentarily forward. He doesn't let her out though, not yet. Not until he knew she wasn't going to kill the kid in cold blood.

Todd stays quiet even as the sun begins to set, his head resting against the window and his arm cradled in his lap. It wouldn't be surprising if the boy broke a bone from such a fall, but Mickey wasn't about to stop and check.

It was his own bloody fault.

The two stay in the car driving down the length of the highway and past it well into the night. Mickey turns the heater on when the cool night air begins to make his fingers turn stiff, grumbling under his breath.

Minnie offers to take over, and he's almost tempted to say yes, but the other voices bubble with apprehension.

She'll kill him.

Minnie scoffs.

It was true, there was still a chance, but Mickey was getting irritated. His eyes were itching, he was tired, and his skin was beginning to feel all wrong. He knew it was her doing. She was trying to convince him, pushing, and pushing against him.

"Fine!" Mickey slaps the wheel; jolting Todd awake who had fallen asleep hours ago.

"But fucking ruin this and I'll cut off your toes." He hisses under his breath.

Minnie grins, forcing her way forward as Mickey begins to blink harder, rubbing at his eyes in irritation as static fills his mind and slowly melds back, his limbs feeling fuzzy as he disappears.

Todd stays as still as he can, breathing as even as possible to mimic sleep as he watches Mickey from the corner of his eyes before shutting them quickly when he shifts in the driver's seat. His thoughts spin erratically in his head as he tried to figure out what the hell is going on, and whether he needed to be worried about the fate of his own toes.

It didn't feel like Mickey was talking to him, but there's no one else in the blasted car. Was he- was he really talking to himself? Was his kidnapper not only a killer, but an insane one at that?

He watches as Mickey's posture changes, shoulder's straightening and his left hand falling to relax on the gear stick rather than sit up on the steering wheel with the other. He even readjusts the rear-view mirror ever so slightly.

It was as if... as if Mickey wasn't, well, Mickey. That doesn't make sense though. Maybe it was Todd going insane. After all, he'd been kidnapped, attempted to escape through a bathroom window before being caught again, and now he was trapped in a car with a possibly psychotic murderer who had a gun.

If he'd known his uncle was into something this shady, he'd have never agreed to stay with the man. He would have gone back home to his empty house and binged whatever tv show was trending on Netflix. He'd be safe, curled up in pyjamas and eating bowls of pre-popped popcorn.

Instead, he's stuck in a car that smells vaguely of cigarettes and sweets. His elbow throbbing in pain and his clothes smelling of gas station dirt and his own sweat.

"I know your awake."

The voice causes him to freeze, muscles tensing and further proving Mickey's point. Although even the voice sounded different. Slightly accented and higher in pitch, but not by much.

Todd gives up on his rouse, sitting up in his seat and eyeing the man beside him.

Mickey grins, eyes catching his before focusing back on the road. "I'm not going to kill you, although that stunt you pulled earlier should have earnt you a bullet or two."

Todd tenses, jaw clenching in fear that he struggles to swallow back down. He doesn't respond, instead focusing on watching this new Mickey as they switch lanes, indicator casting a brief orange glow through the car.

"I suppose you haven't posed a threat to us yet, and now that you're injured, well," Mickey shrugs with a raised brow, "I don't think there will be any more escape attempts, will there?"

His eyes seem darker, the not-so-subtle threat lingering in the air between them. Todd shakes his head slowly, shoulder curling in to make himself even smaller.

He smiles, turning his attention once again to the road ahead of them.

Todd reluctantly lets his eyes train on the passenger window, a cold shiver running down his spine despite the warm car interior. Something wasn't right, he could feel it.