Matt Shaw: A Sting in the Tale: A Collection of Short Stories

She put her hands up in the air and waved the car to stop. Her heart sunk once more as it drove past at a sensible speed. Too many horror films depicted hitchhikers, or stranded people by a roadside as trouble, and she could understand why they didn’t stop. Had roles been reversed, she wouldn’t have stopped. But it didn’t make it any less frustrating.

To her surprise the car suddenly slowed to a stop. She turned and looked for a moment, wondering whether the driver was going to speed off — as the previous one had. A cruel joke aimed towards a desperate woman. The driver’s door opened and the driver — a man — stuck his head out.

“You need a lift?” he shouted out.

“Yes! Yes please!”

#myhero

Tina ran towards the car and jumped into the passenger side.

“Nasty night to be out for a walk,” the man said; a smart gentleman dressed in a business suit. Before Tina had a chance to explain what had happened, he continued, “Where do you need a lift to?” he asked.

“Anywhere away from here,” she said. “If you could just drop me off at the nearest hint of civilisation I’d be grateful,” she finished. From there she could phone the police. They could then come and meet her, she could show them the crime scene and then take it from there — maybe they’d even give her a lift back to her house.

“No worries,” he said. “I just need to wait for my brother, though.” The stranger continued, “Silly sod had an accident.” A slight pause. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen another stranded driver out here?” he asked.

Tina’s heart sunk and then skipped a beat as the rear door opened and someone climbed in.

“Ah — speak of the Devil…” the driver said.

Tina spun around in her chair. There — sitting behind her — was another man. He was soaked through to the skin and his eyes were seemingly black and soulless. He clocked Tina and smiled before he reached his hand forward between her seat and the side of the car and pressed the lock down.

Tina screamed.

The driver laughed, and addressed his brother in the back, “Wait a minute — is this the person you were telling me about?!”

T H E E N D