The Hacker (short story version)

4

Amber searched frantically for something to protect herself with. All she found in the console was a bottle of perfume. It would be nice to find the taser that Jill's dad made her carry around, but she couldn't be that lucky. She'd have to make due. She pulled the lid off of the perfume and prepared to spray someone in the eyes if she had to.

The footsteps came nearer, and then the thing came into view. Big and on all fours, a buck looked curiously at the wreckage. In the moonlight, Amber could have counted eleven points on his huge horns. She let out a heavy breath. He startled at the sound. His hooves clomped on the blacktop as he dashed away.

She dodged the danger she was sure was around the corner there. But what now? Amber shook. She felt like she had been plugged into an outlet and charged. Her whole body buzzed. Calling out didn't seem a good option now. What if someone else was out there and heard her? The same someone that cut Jill out of that seat. Amber doubted he was doing them a favor. Why else would he help Jill and not her? It was probably the guy that was watching her.

No, thought Amber, watching them, because Jill had gotten messages as well.

What had he done with Jillian? What would he do to Amber? She searched the floorboard of the car with her hands. Shards of glass dug into her skin and she cried out, but kept going. She found a pack of gum, a jacket, and a busted diet soda in a can. Nothing useful. She checked the ignition. The keys were still there and her heart kept at the one little spark of luck in this whole sucky ordeal. She knew the car was put going anywhere now, but she also knew that Jill had a flashlight on her key ring. At least she would be protected from the darkness.

She took the key out and started to look through the car more carefully. One of Jill's shoes was in the back window. Blood was on it. Amber felt like a little ball of fear had just hit her square in the solar plexus. Knowing Jill was gone was one thing, seeing her blood outside of her body was a totally different thing.

Suddenly, a high-pitched sound bursted through the trees, sending a frigid chill through Amber. She knew that sound as clear as day. She heard it whenever they saw a spider or a mouse, and she heard it moments ago, when they had wrecked. It was Jill's scream.