Circuit

 “Do you think he’s hiding something?” said a voice projecting through the car's stereo.

“Maybe…another girl could be in the picture, I’m hoping that taking this trip to see him will bring us closer” I mutter.

I glanced up at my GPS.

Shit.

I almost missed my turn. I decelerated and turned onto a narrow road, that was hugged by majestic trees and foliage. The midnight sky was a deep backdrop riddled with white specs, the treelines forged eerie shadows that shielded the road from the half-moon gleam. My headlights became beacons of warm light, guiding me through the abyss.

“Listen Kate, I feel like if he was cheating I would at least notice something... an insta story with another girl, secret phone calls, calling you by another name…anything. I’m your annoying private investigator… trust me, another girl isn’t in the picture.”

Diane’s voice was always comforting on my drives, but more importantly, she saw me as a little sister and wanted to protect me from the ‘evil boys ’ of the world.

Silenced ensued as I sat up to help my eyes adjust to the dark road ahead.

“Everything okay Kate?” said Diane's staticky voice.

“Yeah…I just hate driving in the night. I can barely see ahead—it’s pretty scary. Hold on Diane, Anthony’s calling. 

“Alright call me back,” Diane said.

I pressed the green button next to the notification. 

“Everything okay Kate?” said a resonating voice.

“Yeah I’m good, why do you say that?” I said. 

The sound of the Kia’s electric motor purring filled the encroaching void.

“I guess my phone is acting up, but I’m looking at your location and you've been in the same spot for a few minutes. Now that I’m looking at it, I think you went in the wrong direction.” He said.

“Are you sure? I’ve been following the GPS. I took a backroad, maybe the road isn’t on this old thing. It could be outdated..”

“How many minutes away are you?” He insisted.

“Fifteen” I replied.

“Fifteen min—” Anthony’s concerned voice cut out and was replaced by constant static.

 The headlights of the red Kia flickered and all the electrical components in the car followed suit. My heart fluttered like a bird in a puddle of water. Oh my god. I tried to brake but to no avail. 

The madness suddenly stopped. 

The dials and displays corrected themselves. I released my foot off the throttle pedal and cruised, hoping my heart rate would cruise to a normal rhythm. I tried to call Anthony back, however the line went straight to voicemail. I considered pulling over, but stopping on the side of the road at this time of night, seemed like a grave idea for a petite girl like me; Especially a girl with crippling anxiety. I didn't remember the last time I saw a car. It’s been too long. The event that took place five minutes ago left me in a daze. I zoomed out of my GPS and was stunned. It showed a continuous straight blue line. 

Shit, maybe it is broken. I pulled the GPS app up on my phone, but it was showing the same straight line. It didn’t tell me how many miles the long stretch of road lasted.

“Siri call Diane,” I said.

“The person you are trying to call is unavailable,” said an automated voice.

I peeped down at the phone lying in my lap and glanced up quickly, I swerved the Kia to the other side of the road, dodging him just in time. 

I gasped for air and tried to recoup my sanity. A man in a black hoodie continued across the street as I watched through the review mirror. How could he just walk across like that without jumping back? He must have walked out from the tree line. My nerves were rattled, and a smoke break was looking very promising. My clammy hands clenched the steering wheel; getting off this road became a priority for my well-being and the safety of others. Anxiety was doing numbers on my sanity; Still no sign of another car, not even a street sign or house. 

Nothing!

Just asphalt…and more asphalt.

“Beep.. beep.. beep” blared out of the speakers causing me to jolt. Diane! I quickly tapped the green button to answer.

“ Diane…Diane, I’m freaking out.”

“Woah calm down Kate…what’s going on? Aren’t you on your way to see him?”

“Yes you know this,” I said.

“Um… now I know”

“This isn’t time for Jokes Diane, I almost hit a man a few minutes ago.” 

“Oh…so you are going to see him,” she said chipperly.

I paused.

“Diane are you not listening to me?” I shriek.

“Sheesh Kate why are you so uptight, is it because of him? Do you think he’s hiding something?”

The words ready to pounce out of my mouth were retracted. Confusion created webs of concern. 

“Diane this is serious and you’re joking.”

“Kate I don’t know what’s going on, but just reschedule meeting him and go back home. You're starting to freak me out.”

A beep alerted me that someone was calling. Anthony!

“Diane I’m going to call you back…stay near your phone,” I said while clicking on the green phone icon by Anthony’s name.

“Everything okay Kate?” said Anthony.

“No Anthony I’m scared.”

“I guess my phone is acting up, but I’m looking at your location and you've been in the same spot for a few minutes. Now that I’m looking at it, I think you went in the wrong direction.

“Wait what?” I said.

“I don’t know what joke you and Diane are trying to pull, but can you guys stop? Repeating the same things over again is not funny.”

“Kate, what are you talking about?”

I hit the mute button.

“Kate calm down your not going crazy, they are playing games with you,” I muttered to myself.

I unmuted.

“I um…I’m still driving Anthony. I have not stopped.” I said with defeat in my tone.

“How many minutes away are you?” He said.

My eyes widened in disbelief. The two-digit number I was staring at swiped the air from my lungs.

“Fifteen minutes away…the GPS says I’m fifteen minutes away.”

“Fifteen min—” Anthony’s voice cut out like it did earlier. 

I held my phone up to my face with my free hand and looked at the top left. 

9:32?

That time can’t be right.

The headlights of the car started fluttering. Next came all of the electrical displays. It was happening all over again.

I waited until the episode finished and decelerated the car to a stop. I pressed my head against the steering wheel.

What is going on, what the actual fuck is happening?

I cut my wheel hard and made a U-turn. 

I needed the comfort of my blankets, the furry face of my cat, and the massaging warm water pellets from my shower head along my back. I needed to go home.

I wiped at the tears trickling down my face.

I just want to go home. Fuck Anthony…Fuck Diane. I don’t know why and how they are playing this prank on me. 

Minutes went by and still no car in sight. 

“Oh my god!” I screamed.

A hooded man walked out of the tree lines, causing me to swerve around him. 

I slammed my brakes and let the quiet night hear the agonizing sound of skidding. It was the same man from earlier. I stepped out of my car and slammed the door shut, approaching the man about to crossover into the woods.

“Hey! Hey!” I shouted. “Are you part of this prank?”

I wiped my eyes and jogged up.

I tugged on his hoodie, but he kept walking. I twisted him around expecting to see a confused face hidden in the shadows of the hoodie. But I only saw darkness. An abyss of wonder. No face, no head just nothingness. I fell onto my rump and watched the figure turn around and continue into the woods. The shadows and tree limbs consumed him, and the crunching of his boots on the brush and dirt ceased. I stumbled to my feet and ran towards my Kia. 

I can’t do this anymore, am I in a nightmare?

I hopped in the Kia and sped off. 

“Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep”. I andewered Diane’s incoming call.

“Diane I’m going crazy, I need you to come and get me…please Diane!” I bawled.

“What’s wrong?” she said. 

“No…No..NO!”