Little Black Dress

I'm panicking. Clutching at my neck, I'm on my knees, the rough dirt and gravel digging mercilessly into my skin. My breath is harsh and there are tears running down my face.

Larnie is crying too. I'm scaring her. But I can't stop. Casey is knelt beside me, gently patting my back. He's repeating my name over and over again. His eyes are watery.

My throat feels too tight. It's like I can't get enough air in.

I was fine before. We were walking silently back the way we'd come, holding hands and keeping up a light conversation. We'd managed a few hours, but by then we were all dragging out feet in exhaustion. The sun had come up, and thirst burned in my throat. Larnie looked sick, and Casey didn't have any of his usual wit about him.

And then Casey, trying to take our minds off the pain and not being able to stand not knowing, had asked what had happened.

The sun burns down on my back, and I can feel the skin of my arms and neck starting to roast. I cough and wheeze and panic some more. I don't want them to see me like this.

“Mira.” Casey pats my back harder, his palm making dull thuds against my ribcage. The slaps sting. “Are you okay?”

“Does it- look like- I'm okay?” I retort, and try to roll my eyes. More tears rolls from them.

I look at Larnie, who is staring at me with wide, shiny green eyes. Her eyes are so bright, the exact same shade as mine. It's like I have this connection to him that I just can't get rid of, that's just as much a part of me as it is a part of him, and Larnie, too.

Now is the first time in my life that I wish I had Casey's soft brown eyes.

Then Casey stands and runs to the middle of the road. I want to ask him what he's doing, why he's leaving me, but no words form. My tongue laps helplessly at the back of my teeth.

I watch as he waves his hands wildly and jumps up and down. Wow, this kid just never seems to run out of energy.

And then I see it. Kind of. My eyes are covered in dark spots.

The van is huge, and it's shiny black paint glints in the sun. At first it doesn't seem to see Casey, and I start to stand up, to push him out of the way. But then, gradually, it slows to a stop. The front door slides open and a man steps out.

Him and Casey have a brief conversation, and then the man is running over to me.

He kneels next to me and checks my pulse. Then his cool hands encircle me. “I need you to sit down. On your bum.”

I obey to the best of my abilities. He shoves my legs up and puts my head between my knees. “Breathe deeply.” I take a deep breath, already finding it easier. “Good girl.” His thick fingers are pressed to my neck again. He moves them down to my collarbone and tsks.

My breathing loosens and I'm so relieved that I burst into tears. I sob uncontrollable for what seems like an hour. My cries are rough and I inhale in three short bursts. A hand rubs my back gently. Finally, the sobs slow down until they're just small hiccups.

“Got that outta your system?” The same deep voice asks. I look through my legs at his feet, which are probably a size 12 and cloaked in black combat boots.

“Who are you?” I ask, trying to raise my head to look at him, but he just pushes it back down, a bit roughly.

“My name is Andrew. Can you tell me your name?”

“Mira.”

“What about your age?”

“I'm 15.” It's only after I say it that I wonder if I should've.

“What are you doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere, Mira?”

“I- I had a fight with my, um, boyfriend, and he, ah, kicked me out of his car.”

Andrew is silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh, “Sounds like an ass.”

I nod. “Oh, he was.” I look up, and this time, Andrew lets me. He's older, maybe mid-to-late twenties, and has short, dark blonde hair with long sideburns and rough stubble covering his jaw and cheeks. His eyes are dark.

“How are you feeling?”

“I- Okay. I'm really thirsty.”

“I can fix that.” He looks up at Casey. “Come with me?”

Casey nods and turns to follow Andrew, who's striding back to his big black van. Just the look of it gives me the creeps. “Casey!” I reach out to him before dropping my hand. “Be careful, yeah?”

Casey scoffs, but smiles. “I'm always careful.”

I watch as he goes to the van. My vision is clear now, and it feels like I've just put on googles after trying to see underwater without them.

I gather Larnie into my arms. She's stopped crying, which is good. I kiss her head gently and hug her.

“I don't know,” she says softly, rubbing my knee with a grotty hand.

“Yeah, Honey, I don't really know, either.” I play with Larnie's soft blonde curls, twisting them around my finger and then releasing them, watching as they return to their original form. It calms me.

A few minutes pass like this before Andrew squats beside me and shoves a flask in my face. I take it slowly and look at him. “Where's Casey?”

“The kid?” He asks gruffly. I nod. “He's in the van. I'm gonna give you a lift back to town.”

“Really?” I ask, too relieved to feel any suspicion. “Oh God, thank you so much.”

“No problem babe. Now drink up, you must be parched. I'll take good care of you.” My smile falters when he tips the flask to my lips, increasing the angle with each mouthful I'm forced to swallow. Finally, he lowers it.

“T-Thanks,” I stutter. My tongue feels numb. And then, faster than I would have expected, everything starts to fade.

The last thing I see is Andrew's winking blue eye, as dark as night. And the last thing I feel is Larnie's hand, holding on to mine for dear life.