Drabble Post #2

He didn’t show up.

Asha looked at her watch for the hundredth time, then glanced out the window beside her. It was dark and a steady rain was falling against the diner. Old-fashioned romance music played quietly in the background, mixing with the faint clink of dishes and silverware coming from the kitchen.

Two cold drinks sat on the table in front of Asha, and the condensation on the glasses had created puddles beneath them. Asha tucked her head against her arm, trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it was no less painful. Asha had been hoping against hope that this time would be different, that she could somehow keep this new guy around. But they never stayed. What was it about her, she wondered, that turned them away? There was something wrong with her—there had to be!—but she couldn’t figure it out. She was sure her date would have called her if something terrible had happened to prevent him from coming. But that was never the case.

Movement caught the corner of Asha’s eye and she looked out the window beside her. A person had just been standing there, and now he was headed toward the diner entrance. Asha watched him, blinking back her tears. Was it her date? Should she stay and tell him how disappointed she was in him, or leave quickly and never plan to see him again? Before she could decide, the person entered the diner, catching Asha’s gaze right away.

But it wasn’t him. This young man was a complete stranger. And he was deliberately striding right toward her table. Asha pressed back against the leather cushion of her seat, too shocked to get up and move away. Her brain screamed, Stranger danger! Stranger danger!

The stranger slid into the seat across from Asha. He whipped out a cell phone from his jacket pocket and showed her the screen. Wide-eyed, Asha tried to focus on the words typed on the phone.

Act normal and pretend I’m your date.

In her distress, Asha had to read it three times over before pulling back in fear. The young man stared at her, his eyebrows raised in expectation.

Asha sat perfectly still for a second. Then she jumped up from her seat and bolted out of the diner.

The cold rain poured down on her, soaking her instantly as she ran into the night. She fumbled with the car keys clipped to the belt loop of her jeans, and searched the empty parking lot for her car. Behind her, the diner door opened and closed, and the sound of wet footfalls made her look back over her shoulder in panic. The stranger was following her.

“Asha, wait!” he called.

Asha almost yelled as she hurried over to her car, hands trembling as she unlocked it. How did he know her name?! This was just some sick prank someone was playing on her, she was sure. She yanked the car door open and climbed inside. But the stranger grabbed the car door just as she tried to pull it shut.

“Get away from me!” Asha shouted, near to tears in her terror.

“Listen!” the stranger shouted, holding tight to the door as Asha fought to close it. “You have to understand. You’re being watched. If you go home, you'll be trapped there.”

Asha let go of the door, took her phone from her pocket and began to call the police. But just as she started to dial the number, the stranger grabbed the phone from her hand and threw it across the parking lot.

That’s when Asha started screaming. Her parents had warned her: if she ever found herself being held up by a stranger, she should make as much noise as possible, and get attention from someone who could help.

But the stranger smacked a strong hand over her mouth and stopped her halfway through her first scream.

“Proverbs three, verse five,” he said calmly.

Asha was surprised into silence. ‘Proverbs three, verse five’ was the secret phrase her parents had taught her. If the phrase was ever used by a stranger, it meant that her parents were involved, and they wanted her to trust that she wasn’t being threatened by said stranger.

The stranger slowly took his hand off Asha’s mouth, and she didn’t try to scream again.

“Who are you, and what is going on?” she asked, voice shaking.

“I’m Ben, and I think you should let me drive.”

“What?” Asha blurted.

Voices and footsteps echoed across the parking lot, and bright flashlights were aimed at Asha’s car.

Without a word, Ben reached inside the car, lifted Asha over the car’s center console, and roughly pushed her into the passenger seat. Asha had a moment to debate escaping from the car, but changed her mind when she saw the group of men rushing at them.

Ben climbed inside and slammed his door closed.

“I’m going to need the keys,” he said, holding his hand out to Asha. When she hesitated, he grabbed the keys from her hand, jammed the key into the hole, and started the car. He put the stick shift in drive and, with a screeching of tires, sped out of the parking lot.

Asha held tight to the handle above her car door, too scared to scream. She looked in her rearview mirror and caught sight of another car leaving the diner parking lot and following them. She swallowed and turned her eyes to face the road ahead.

“Where are you taking me,” she asked flatly.

Ben gave her a quick glance, and seemed to notice for the first time how scared she looked.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t tell you. But your parents will try to meet us there.”

Asha didn’t look at him. She longed for her cell phone to call her parents and ask for the truth. Was this stranger being honest? Or was he really a kidnapper?

“What did you mean when you said I’m being watched?” she asked quietly. She watched the road signs zip by, trying to ignore the fact that they were driving at ninety miles per hour on the highway. There were no other cars ahead of them, but Asha kept glancing at the single car following them. It was having no trouble keeping up.

“Your parents will explain everything,” Ben answered, and that was all he said.

“If I’m still alive to ask them,” Asha mumbled.