In The Hands of a Stranger

Road Trip: Part 10

Bell awoke with a pounding headache. She sat up to find the whole forest spinning around. Julien lay further away, still unconscious. Anger boiled inside her. Remy, she thought. He did this. After a while she felt she could rise to her feet without falling down.

"That bitch is gonna pay," she mumbled to herself. "Julien!" She shouted. "Get your worthless ass off the ground.

He was starting to stir. "Damn, wha' happened?"

"Remy kicked your ass, that's what happened," Bell shouted, standing over him. "Ah swear, ya can't do not'ing right. Well, Julien, ya fail me for de last time."

Julien sat up half way, stunned by her words. "What ya mean by that, Bell?"

"This,"she said. She pulled out a gun from her purse and pointed it at him. "Too bad ah didn't used this on that whore."

"Bell, no," Julien screamed with his hands in front of him, but before he could protest any further the gun went off.

"Sorry it had to be this way, brother," she said quietly. She walked off without a second thought. Her brother was dead, and she had killed him. She couldn't think about that now. She had other things on her mind.

She walked half way up the trail where she had parked her car. When she got there she found that it was gone. Again she thought, Remy...damn him. Then she noticed the charred motorcycle a few feet from where she had parked. He had truly left her stranded.

She was going to get him back for this. Can't hide from me, Remy. Ya know ah always find ya. With that she hiked up to the highway. "I guess ah'll have t'hitch. She put out her thumb and waited for the longest time. Three or four cars passed, but they refused to stop. Just when she was about to give up, someone did stop.

"Hey, Miss, need a ride," a young blond woman stuck her head out from the driver's side window.

"Sure," Bell said. And swung to the passenger's side and entered the car.

Once in the car they took off. "My name's Carol, by the way," the driver said.

"Bell," she said and held out a hand. "How far ya be goin'?"

"Oh, I'm on my way to Connecticut, to visit my parents. I haven't been home since Christmas, and I really miss them. What about you?"

"I'm not sure where I be headed. Someone stole my car. An when I find dat lowlife..."

"So you know who took it?"

"Yeah, my ex. He beat up my brother and his new girlfriend gave me this gash. Den dey stole my car."

"Did you report it?" Carol asked.

"No need. I'll get him. Make him regret de day he was born."

"Wish I could help you," Carol said, trying desperately to keep her eyes on the road.

"Maybe you can," Bell said. A plan was forming in her head. There was something different about this girl. She didn't know what it was, but she could sense it.