“Need a ride?” he asked. I wanted to shake me head and refuse. I knew better than to take a ride from someone that I didn’t know. Then again, I can very well defend myself, not just with my otherworldly military training. So I agreed. That is how I met the demigod son of the god king. This is the story of how Damian, son of the god of kings, falls in love with his dad’s warrior champion.

He slowed to a halt and peered out the window as he asked the fateful question: "Need a ride?" Darwin was filled with emotions. Relief, shock, and a little bit of concern too. He didn't have time to think about any of them as he quickly got into the car, slamming the door hard. The car took off before he even had time to fasten his seat belt, and he found himself getting thrown against his chair.

"What are you doing here?" Darwin asked, concerned for his friend's safety. If his friend was here, then that meant that he was part of the Organization, and since his friend was helping him, that also meant he was a giant target on his back.

"You called, and they sent me as their answer."

"’They’ being..."

Benji sped up even more taking a hard right, and even with his seat belt, Darwin was still feeling like he was in a toddler's shaker. "…being the Organization." He cast him a hard look. "I know you've been going on about protecting your family and friends, but you should know that I won't just stand by and watch my friend put himself through this." He sped up again and took a left turn, ignoring the bright stop sign. "We've known each other long enough."

Darwin gazed thoughtfully at the windshield as two small drops of rain turned into hundreds, into thousands pounding on the car as they fell. "You're right. That's why I spent so much time trying to keep this from you all." He tried to be calm, he'd been with many crazy drivers before, but Benji was starting to freak him out. "Why are you going so fast?" He finally brought himself to ask, promoting Benji to press the gas pedal down just a little more. "You're going to get us killed!"

"No, I'm not," he replied, taking a sharp exit onto a deserted highway. "I'd say 'I think we lost them', but then I would end up jinxing it."

Darwin looked in his rear view mirror. He hadn't even noticed that they were being followed. It was empty, save for a highway flying by as Benji continued to drive 40 miles over the speed limit. He gripped the armrest so hard his knuckles turned white and he tried to keep his oncoming panic attack in the background, but Benji only made it worse as he took a hand off the wheel to fist-bump Darwin.

"They're definitely gone," he remarked, a smug grin on his face as he stared at the road, as if he could will their car to go faster by watching it.

In the distance, Darwin saw a black dot quickly growing by the minute. "Hey Benji," he started, pointing at it. "What's that?"

By the time Benji saw it, it was too late. He couldn't slow down, and the dot was barreling towards them even fast than they were going. They were planning a suicide mission, and were going to take the boys down with them.

He slowed to a halt and peered out the window as he asked the fateful question: “Need a ride.” I shook my head, my arms folded and my eyes not meeting his. “It’s cold,” he said, his arm out the open window. I shook my head again, “It’s not.” I started walking, and he followed slowly, his old truck louder than the sound of my foot steps, in the crunchy snow. “Haley, come on,” he said, I turned to face him, “I’m sorry okay. I just. I thought. I thought he was hurting you.” “It didn’t need to end like that,” I reminded him. He nodded looking down, “I know. I just didn’t want to see you get hurt.” The sides of my mouth started pulling into a smile. He caught it and asked again, “Need a ride.” I nodded, “Yeah. Thanks. Is there a heater in there?” “Yeah. Last time I checked.” I ran through the head lights and opened the door. Only to find that the inside of the car was just as cold as the outside. “It’s broken though,” he laughed as I buckled my seat belt. It had almost been a week since he moved in next door. And I still hadn’t gotten his name. I felt embarrassed to ask, since he knew mine. Which meant he cared enough to find out and I didn’t. I shook the thought out. It’s a simple question that you ask someone you don’t know. It shows you care. Or at least you want them to think you care. Sometimes people make you care when in reality they couldn’t care less about you. Only I did care. And I think he did too. “I never got your name,” I say looking out the side window. Watching the melted snow slide off. “It’s Ethan.” I smiled, “Thank you Ethan. For standing up for me. It meant a lot.” He smiled his eyes shifting over to me, “No, problem. In a town like this, we’ve gotta stick together. Or else nothing will work.” Don’t I know that. If only every person thought like Ethan then maybe this town would stand a chance. But right now, staring at it. All I can picture is it turning into one of those ghost towns. Broken houses, weeds. The table set for dinner, but nothing sitting there. And it scares me more than anything.

“Need a ride?”, the plump silhouette form the drivers side asked as he slowly pulled up along side me.

 I’m not one to take rides from anyone, let alone a stranger off the street. But the rain and wind were wreaking havoc on my eyesight during my walk home. Back in my day you didn’t think twice when it came to hitchhiking or picking up someone. However in this day and age, it’s not the safest. 

Just this year alone there have been several missing person cases and murders that have occurred in our not so quiet little town. Some believe there’s a murderer on the loose causing all this chaos. I just think it’s a case of wrong place wrong time.

 Anyhow I really do need to take this ride. I pull on the rusty hinged door of this two door truck and hop in with one jump. The cab of this Chevy is as plain and simple as can be. No real sign of who the owner might be, just pure randomness.  

“So where you headed miss in this pouring rain?”, the plump little man asked as he drove away.

“I’m headed home if you please.” “Where’s home to you miss?” “I live in The BaneBridge Apartments on Windale Street. Not too far from here.” “Don’t worry I know exactly where that’s at. I’ll get you home safe.”, he said with a devious grin. So what’s your name miss?” “My name is Ophelia.” “Ophelia.”,he said with a whisper. That’s a very pretty name.”

As if it weren’t awkward enough I notice he’s not heading towards the apartments but instead toward the shady side forest. This is not going to end well. I fear for what’s about to happen will forever be scar tissue on me. 

“This isn’t the way to the apartments. Where are you taking me!”, I try to sound as scared and desperate as can be.

“Don’t worry beautiful I’ll get you home safe after I show you something first.”, he explained as he headed further into the forest.

  He stops deep in the darkest part of the forest and shuts the lights off. It’s here where   George Harrow would make his move towards the  guests  he brings here. It’s here where the predator in George takes over and attacks anyone ,leaving him  always wanting more. It’s here where George is usually in control. 

 This time however it’s not George’s night. His rein of terror ended the moment he picked up Ophelia, the oldest living vampire. He would soon feel the wrath of sheer terror and torture one would feel. 

“Thank goodness for him I’m starving”

Alex fingered the handle of Renna’s knife as the window was rolled down, trying to steady his nerves. Here he was, twelve years old, an almost heir to the throne, about to become a murderer.

Fitting, perhaps.

“Need a ride?”

“Th-thank you, mister,” Alex stammered, biting at his lip. A convincing act, because he was terrified. “I’d like, uh, I’d like that very much.”

“No problem, kid.”

The door unlocked with a quiet click, and he slid into the seat with all the grace he could muster.

“Where to?”

“Clarity Row.”

Clarity Row was far enough away that Alex would be able to carry out the deed without risking too much. He’d gone over this plan a million times with Renna, every second worked out in meticulous detail. They’d accounted for traffic, every route their ‘taxi driver’ could take to get to Clarity Row… everything.

But what they hadn’t planned for was for the driver to start driving in the total wrong direction of all seven routes.

“Um, sir? Wha- what are you d-doing?”

“Poor little Alexander.”

And in that moment, Alex knew he’d been had.

“Oh, actually I’m waiting for someone.” A girl with stringy blonde hair, dirt on her face and hands spoke with a shaky voice. Like the voice you would have if something bad happened. Suddenly she stood up and started walking along the sidewalk.

   As the car started driving in a slow pace, the driver said “Mind telling me what is really going on?” She started a jog, that turned into a run. The man was determined to find out who this woman was. 

  He went home to find his dog had spread trash everywhere. “Jeremy!!”  

       A man that was looking down at his phone so much he tripped coming down the stairs. “What?!” He said. 

  They talked on and off about school and stuff. Then the man remembered, “Oh yeah, Jeremy, Have you seen anybody with blonde stringy hair and hazel-y eyes.. Oh! And she had red and white vans.” He described the girl to Jeremy. Jeremy thought for a while. Finally he said something. 

“ No I don’t think I have, Alex.. Why do you ask?” “Well.. “ He explained to his roommate about the mystery girl.

 The next day him and his roommate set out around town in search for the girl. Talking on walkie-talkies they shared their sights. Suddenly Jeremy realized they forgot to search one spot. 

There was this old abandoned barn on Elm street, The boys turned their headlights on about to walk in. Then, They heard a voice. The same shaky voice of the girl. Whispering, Alex told Jeremy that it was her voice. Crouched down ready to barge in like special agents or something.

They smell smoke. Alex nodded. Jeremy nodded. The bust in and walk in on a bonfire with about 3 people around it. There was a boy with a red shirt and jeans on, With brown short hair, who looked about 7. And a girl with a white dress and black long hair,she looked about 9, and the mystery girl. She stood up and looked enraged. 

She walked over and pulled Alex out by his arm. “hey hey hey! that hurts?!” He yapped. “Who are you and what do you want from me?” She whispered in a mad tone. “Well I’m Alex, and nobody turns me down. So I tracked you down with my roommate Jeremy. You seemed really suspicious. What are you hiding?” Squawk! Crows yelled out as the sky started to change. She started to open her mouth with a mean expressions on her face then she stopped and closed her eyes, took a deep breath and smiled. Opening her eyes, She said “Ok, My name is Cady, Those are my younger siblings, lela and drew, I have to take care of them, and I’m not hiding anything. There. Happy?” As she walked back in the barn. “wow..” He walked to the front of the barn and told Jeremy everything. “We should go home.” “Okay, the kids never talked..” Jeremy said. 

  A few days later the boys had forgot about it until they were watching tv and they saw the kids’ face on the news as missing persons. 

Back at the barn they walk in, unlike last time, it look like nobody had ever been there. This is when things started getting out of their hands, They handed it off to the police and went home.

A couple years later, the boys— men have got families. Jeremy with 2 kids, Lacy and Karri. Alex with 3 kids, Chris, Amy and a baby on the way! They had basically forgotten about Cady and the kids.

Until this happened. Just a regular day in Michigan, Until Alex’s wife, Sarah was making lunch and looked out the window. She saw the girl watching Chris and Amelia play outside like a hawk. “ALEX!!!” He ran down the stairs. “Yes?” He said worried. “SOME LADY JUST TOOK CHRIS!” As they ran outside Alex noticed who it was and called Jeremy while Sarah called the police. “Jeremy take your kids inside. It’s her. Cady. She has Chris! She knows where we live!” He hung up before Jeremy could say anything. 

Alex then realized that all this started with ‘Need a ride?’…

“Oh yes sir, I do.” “Well come on in here and out of the cold, little lady.” He ruptured. In her clacking flat plastic dress shoes, Mary May walked over to the driver’s side window and raised a finger to the gentleman behind the wheel of the very nice large black car. “No funny business.” She said. Her tipped his hat to her and nodded. Clicking and clacking her way around the car, the little girl went ‘round to the passenger side and heaved the door open. He stared at her as if frozen; should he help her or should he allow her the dignity of her strength? She threw her doll on the dashboard and fell into the passenger seat. She stretches her body up and out to finally shut the door. How amusing! Lincoln thought to himself. This little girl acts as if she were a grown woman taking care of herself! “Where are you headed?” Asked Lincoln. “To New-Or-Leens” She piped with confidence. “Well little miss, that’s all the way in Louisiana. You are in Michigan which is many, many days away from Lousiana by foot.” He laughed tenderly. “Well that’s why I was out here. I know so can’t go the whole way all by myself, I’m just a kid! But I need to be there to see Auntie Borborpoe! Oh I just have to!” Juliana sunk deeper into her seat. He wanted to raise her spirits, “Auntie Barbados? Why, that’s a fine name!” “Borborpoe! Not Barbados.” “I see. And what does this Auntie mean to you?” He lost his tenderness.

He slowed to a halt and peered out the window as he asked the fateful question: “Need a ride?” What in the world is going on with this phone? My writings never seem to appear completed anymore.

He drove in muteness, the car a silent smudge of charcoal on the black highway. As He drove, he came across many passing cars and hikers stranded along the roadside.

But none of them seemed quite right. None of them were ready for him to notice them.

He passed a young boy halfway through the drive, a scruffy dark haired thing with a broken bicycle and a large bloody gash on his leg. For a while, He considered inviting this boy in the car, even going as far as to relax his foot on the gas as he entertained the idea. But when He drove close enough to notice the look of determination on the boys face and the way he held his head confidently despite the gravity of his current situation, He changed his mind. There was something respectable about that young boy that he couldn’t break just yet.

Maybe some other day on some other lonely highway He would take that boy for a ride, but today was not that day.

He continued driving, his mood dampening as time went on. The landscape was bleak and consisted of a single pitch highway flanked by tall shadow-black pine trees and a swirling grey sky that seemed endlessly restless. The familiarity of the scenery brought some comfort and He was suddenly reminded of what he loved most about his job. He loved the hunt, the task of seeking out the perfect prey, chasing it down and sinking his teeth into its petrified soul. That was why he was drawing it out for as long as he was now- he wanted the unlucky little lamb to be the perfect prey.

He continued down the path, the road winding and turning but bearing no destination in site.

Just then, He was turning a particularly sharp bend when a bright blur of blue and yellow caught his attention. He slowed down, his car snailing along the curve of the road.

That was when He saw them. A short women with reddened cheeks, wild blond curls and a bright blue jacket stood along the highway. In her arms she carried a young girl, no more that three years old with a neon yellow plastic raincoat covering her small body. They looked homeless, filthy and desperate in the deserted expanse surrounding them.

He grinned, that dark, slithery beast within him awakening at the prospect of a hunt in sight.

He slowed to a halt and peered out the window as he asked the fateful question: “Need a ride?”.

The woman darted her eyes up at him, her expression vulnerable and afraid. Finally, as if registering his question, her expression softened into a hesitant smile.

“What’s the catch?”, she asked, adjusting the toddler in her arms.

He lifted a black gloved hand off the steering wheel and waved it nonchalantly.

“For you and the tot? Nothing. I simply want to aid you both in your journey someplace safe”.

The woman looked down at her child then back at the stranger dressed in black . She almost didn’t notice the dark vehicle, not until he stopped to offer her a ride.

‘That was nice of him’, she thought, ‘many people had passed by, but he was the first one to actually offer them a ride’.

She chewed the inside of her cheek nervously and craned her neck to examine the changing sky. It was about to rain soon, and by the looks of the low hanging grey clouds, it would rain hard.

Slowly she nodded, finally deciding that if this man didn’t turn out to be a serial killer, she’d be risking her and her daughters lives in the freezing weather and possibly endangering them anyway.

“Okay sir. Thank you”, she said, as He unlocked the doors and gestured for her and the child to get into the back seat.

She did as He instructed, sliding into the backseat and buckling both her and her daughters seatbelt. As the woman recited the location she wanted to be dropped off at, she didn’t notice the pair of eyes looking at her through the rear view mirror.

His eyes, which had been dark, flat discs only moments ago, suddenly turned to a pulsating red, his gaze devouring the view in the backseat.

He wasn’t the biggest fan of separating a mother from her daughter, especially when it seemed that the young one had only her mother to care for her, but even his own morals were unable to compete with the urges of the beast within him. The monster pressed against the walls of his skin, begging to be let lose and He fought hard to contain it, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he lost the battle entirely.

This thing inside him was insatiable, a cruel beast that collected souls and stored them somewhere deep. Even now, as his hands tightened around the steering wheel, forcing the creature to back down, he felt the souls skittering across his bones, punishing him for something he couldn’t control.

He was no religious man, but as he looked up through the mirror and saw the woman lean down and kiss the child atop her head, he wished he was.

Maybe then he’d be forgiven for what he was about to do.

Hair, clothes, skin, wet.

Everything was wet and there was nothing I could do about it. It was nothing an umbrella couldn’t fix but, what good would that do if you didn’t have one? The aching in my feet was extremely prominent and it was making me regret wearing my platform boots. Still, the only thing I could do was deal with it.

I wouldn’t even be in this predicament if I brought my car. But no, he was very persistent on us driving one car, preferably his, insisting that it, “Saves gas”.

I sucked my teeth. He was the least of my worries and I didn’t even want to think about him. Not now, not ever. That was until his car turned the corner. a bitter laugh erupting in me.

“Just great,” I mumbled under my breath. The universe was definitely not on my side today.

My feet instantly moved faster, water splashing onto my already soaked jeans. Maybe if I fasten my pace, he wouldn’t see me.

Please, keep driving.

My plea was no use because his car was inching in my direction.

He slowed to a halt and peered out the window as he asked the fateful question: “Need a ride?”

I stopped and turned towards his open window.

Did I need a ride? He actually thought that I’d sit next to him after everything that happened in the last 10 minutes? How stupid did he think I was? Just the thought of being in the same presence as him made me sick.

“I know. Listen.” He said shaking his head. He looked almost mad at himself and he had every right to be. “Please. you’re soaking wet and it’s getting chilly. I don’t want you to get sick.”

I scoffed and continued walking, hoping I’d made it clear enough that I didn’t want to talk to him and he’d just drive away.

“Now you care about my well-being?” I asked, bitterness in my tone. It was almost funny to me. He had the nerve to make it seem like he cared. Make it seem like he had a little bit of human decency and loyalty. But he didn’t. It was all an act. It was all an act and I fell right into his play.

He had started moving by then, slowly to match my steps. I heard him sigh.

“I’m sorry, ok?” he said, raising his voice a little.

I kept my eyes forward. He was sorry. Yeah, yeah. Nothing I haven’t heard before. I didn’t want to talk anymore, nor did I want to since the beginning. I really didn’t have time for this. My eyes were starting to get droopy and my clothes were drenched and everything felt heavy.

My house was around the corner and I couldn’t be more thankful. Just the thought of getting out of these clothes, taking a nice, hot shower, and falling into a deep slumber as soon as my head touched the pillow, brought me tons of joy.

Only a couple steps away from my house, a soft, “I’m really sorry.” broke me out of my trance. The crack in his voice made me stop momentarily. Hoping he didn’t notice, I kept walking, nearing the front of my house. It took everything in me not to wrap my arms around him and reassure him that everything would be fine and that I forgave him. But I wouldn’t do that. He and I both knew.

I was standing in front of my house and he stopped his car. With my back facing towards him, my eyes made their way to the promise ring on my left hand. So many promises were made and not one of them was kept. I fiddled with it and finally, with a heavy heart… took it off.

I turned around, now facing him. His puffy eyes met mine and it made me feel sorry for him. Maybe that was my issue. I was too nice for my own good and people saw that as their opportunity to run me over.

I extended my arm and waited for him to take the ring.

He looked down at it with wide eyes. He knew that there was nothing he could do after that. I lowered my gaze to my feet. I knew I’d cave if I saw the hurt on his face. His fingers brushed against my palm and at last, the ring was out of my grasp.