Issues

“Are you fucking kidding me!?” Craig exclaimed, beating on the steering wheel. We were all packed into his car for a road trip, yet it seemed that Craig forgot the most important thing needed for a road trip; gas.

“Did you top it off before we left dude?” Max asked as we came to a slow stop. We were on a deserted road, you couldn’t see any civilization for miles whichever way you looked.

“No, I forgot to.”

“Smart move Craig.” I scoffed. He shot me a look through the rearview mirror and I just glared at him. “What do we do now?”

“We could try and walk to the nearest gas station?” Robert suggested.

“There’s nothing around here though! We’d die of heat stroke before we anywhere near a gas station!” Monte argued. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

“What about any cars that pass by? Think they might help us?” Craig asked.

“Yeah what cars?” We looked around and we were completely alone in the desert. Craig sighed and rested his head on the steering wheel.

“Let’s try to call for help.” Monte suggested, pulling out his cellphone. He let out a groan of frustration and tossed it. “No signal.” We all tried our phones and of course, none of us had signal. From the right mirror, I saw that there was a pick-up truck driving down the road.

“Guys, look.” Robert pointed to the truck. We all got out and while the guys flagged down the truck, I stayed by the car. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach about whoever was driving this truck. The truck pulled over and Craig started to tell the driver what happened as I leaned up against the car and wrapped my arms around myself protectively. Max noticed that something was wrong and walked over to me, putting his arm around my waist.

“What’s up baby?” He asked me, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this guy, Max.”

“Relax baby, we’ll get the car to the town, get it gassed up and then leave.” I nodded and reluctantly walked with Max over to the truck. Craig was in the cab of the truck while Monte and Robert were sitting in the bed. “Why don’t you sit with Craig in the cab?” Max asked me.

“No, I don’t trust the guy. I’m sitting in the back with you.” Max frowned a little but helped me up into the back of the truck anyway. He jumped in after me and patted on the top of the cab. He sat down and pulled me into him as the truck started driving, leaving our luggage and car behind.

“Charlotte, you okay?” Monte asked me.

“I just have a weird feeling, like something bad is going to happen.”

“Shake it off Char, it’s probably just because of us breaking down. We’ll be back on the road in no time.” Robert told me. I still couldn’t help but feel that there was something up with this guy who stopped to help us. I guess only time would tell.

~~~~~~~~~

We pulled into this town. It didn’t seem very well populated or taken care of for that matter. Most of the buildings looked as if they were ready to crumble any minute. The guy pulled up in front of this old church and parked the car before getting out.

“You kids wait in the church while I go get Stevie to tow your car down here. It’ll take no more than an hour or two.” He told us. He had a raspy voice and looked to be about sixty years old. We all climbed out of the truck and he opened the church door for us. We walked in and he shut it behind us. The guys were too busy looking around to hear the lock click, but I whirled around and tried to open the door.

“Guys, he locked us in here.” I announced in a shaky voice. To say I was scared, was pretty much an understatement. I was fucking terrified. The small feeling I had when the guy picked us up, grew into a nagging feeling at my gut. I knew something was wrong. I just knew.

“What do you mean?” Craig walked over and tried the door, he couldn’t get it to budge. “Guys, try the other doors.” Max went to the one on the left, by the alter while Monte went to the one on the right.

“This one’s locked as well!” Max told us.

“Same here. Why would they lock us in here?” Monte asked, walking back over to the main doors. I wracked my brain; why would they lock us in here? Are there any other ways we could get out of here? There was a huge stained glass window behind the alter, but I’d hate to break it just to get out. And then what?

“Guys, check the phones.” Craig told everyone. We all pulled out our phones but yet again, no service. “Well what the fuck?” I could hear distant shouting and my heart sped up.

“We need to block the exits, now.” Craig raised his eyebrow but the shouting came closer, and his eyes widened. We ran around taking wooden planks that seemed to be just laying around and putting them through the handles of the main door. “How do you think the two doors over there open?”

“They would swing towards us.” Max told me after a moment of thinking.

“Monte, take one of the benches and prop it up against that door over there! Max, help me with this one.” Monte did as I told him as Max helped me move the bench so that it was propped up against the door. There was a small step where the alter stood so we propped the benches up against the door and the step so it’d be impossible to open. “Craig, move one of the benches in front of the main door! They open up towards us as well.” Better to be safe than sorry. No sooner than when Craig got the bench in place, people started pounding on the door.

“Let us in! You must be cleansed! You all wreak of the beast!” The same guy who helped us before shouted through the door. Tears sprang to my eyes and I cowered against Max, who wrapped his arms around me. Soon, banging started on all three of the doors. I covered my ears to try and block everything out and Max tightened his grip on me.

“What are we going to do guys?” Monte asked fearfully.

“Wait it out?” Craig suggested.

“We need to hide.” I whispered to them as I saw shadows forming behind the stained glass window. Craig noticed them too and nodded before we all took our spots underneath some of the benches. Max and I hid under two put together while the others just hid under one each. We were scattered throughout the church. A few tears leaked out and I covered my mouth to keep from sobbing or screaming as someone broke the window. Max put his hand over mine and held me tightly to him. I heard screaming and shouts and sat that Robert was pulled from his hiding spot. I shut my eyes tightly and Max whispered into my ear.

“I want you to run. Jump out of the broken window and run as far away and as fast as you can.” I shook my head. “Charlotte please, I won’t let them get you I promise. I love you.” My eyes widened, for he's never told me that before and he kissed me quickly. “Now go.” He released me and Max crawled out from under the bench. “Come on you fuckers! Come get me!” He ran away from the bench I was under. “Charlotte now!” I crawled out and immediately jumped to my feet, sprinting for the window. I saw that they had Craig, Monte and Robert and now Max was running away from them, climbing up something to get to one of the windows. I jumped out of where they broke in from and ran as fast as I could without falling on my face. My legs were starting to burn as were my lungs but I didn’t stop until I knew they were far behind me. I ran into what seemed to be a woodsy area and hid behind a big tree. I tried to silently catch my breath, but stopped when I heard soft footsteps coming up behind me. “Charlotte?” I heard Max whisper into the woods. I stepped out from behind the tree and he ran to me, immediately wrapping his arms around me and holding me tightly.

“Where are the others?” I asked in a tearful voice. Max shook his head sadly.

“They got them. I don’t know what they’re going to do but we have to get out of here.”

“We have to go back for them. We have to save them!” Max just shook his head again.

“There’s nothing we can do. We need to get out of here now Charlotte, we need to save ourselves.”

“But the others-“ Max cut me off.

“They’ll be fine. They’ll get away. Come on.” We started walking but we had no idea where we were going. After a while, we heard familiar shouts and screams. Max looked at me and pulled me by the hand over to a big tree. We hid behind it and peaked around the corner to find Craig, Monte and Robert trying to get away from the crazy townspeople.

“You fucking freaks! Get off of me!” Craig shouted as he struggled against them all. Monte was tied up already and someone was marching Robert over to a tree stump with an axe sticking out of it.

“Oh no.” I breathed out. I watched in horror as the guy who helped us earlier pulled the axe out of the tree stump and pushed Robert to his knees, making him put his head on the tree stump. I covered my mouth as the guy with the axe picked it up over his head and brought it down on Robert’s neck, decapitating him. I let out a small whimper and buried my face into Max’s chest. His arm wrapped around my waist tightly.

“Shh, it’s okay baby.” Max’s voice was thick with tears. I reluctantly looked back to the horrifying scene before us as I watched Monte get pushed over to a lake. I saw a lady with blonde hair tying cement blocks to his feet before she pushed him off of the deck. Monte would drown, there was no doubt. I then looked over to Craig who had his hands tied behind his back and another, younger looking, blonde lady put a noose around his neck.

I was startled by someone pulling me away from Max. I screamed and reached for Max, grabbing his arms as he was pulled away from me as well.

“Demons! You’ve brought Satan into our beloved town!” Someone shouted at us as they tried to pull us apart.

“Max!” I cried out.
“Charlotte!” Max cried at the same time. He was pulled away from me and I was forced to watch as they tied him up to a stake. One of the people were soaking the hay beneath him in gasoline. Probably the same gasoline that was meant to be used for our car.

“No! Max!” Max struggled against the ropes as someone dropped a match onto the hay. Flames flicked up and licked at his legs, making him scream in agony and struggle even harder against the ropes.

“Burn! Burn!” The townspeople chanted. I watched in horror as my boyfriend burned to death, tears streaming down my face.

“I love you Max!” I shouted at him. I couldn't tell him earlier but I did, with all of my shattering heart.

“Fuck! I love you too Charlotte!” Max screamed through clenched teeth as the flames danced further up his body. “Run!” He shouted at me before letting out another ear piercing scream of agony. My senses came back to me and I fought hard against the people who held me. I finally broke free and ran as fast as I could, passing Craig who was struggling against the noose. He had his foot on a small branch that looked as if it was ready to snap at any minute. I stopped and helped him down, getting the noose off of his neck.

“We have to run, let’s go!” Craig told me. We ran as fast as we could until we reached a truck. I broke the window and unlocked it, helping Craig inside and climbing up next. I searched frantically for the keys before I said fuck it and tried to hot wire the truck. “They’re coming Charlotte, hurry!” Craig shouted at me. I could barely see through my tears but the engine revving up showed that I did it correctly.

“Thank god for having a convict brother.” I said to myself as I put the truck in drive and started driving. “We have to see if we can save Monte and Max.” Even though I know that it was already too late.

“It’s too late for them Char, Monte already drowned and Max will never be the same if we end up saving him.”

“No! We have to try! I refuse to believe that they’re gone!” I beat against the steering wheel.

“We can’t Charlotte, I’m sorry.” I pulled the truck over to the side of the road and parked it before letting my tears flow. Craig still had his hands tied so he scooted over to me and rested his head on my shoulder, crying himself. “I’m sorry Charlotte, I’m so sorry.”

“They’re not dead, I won’t believe it. They’re not dead. This is just some nightmare.” I cried into his shoulder. It occurred to me that Craig still had his hands tied so I searched in the glove compartment and found a swiss army knife. I cut the ropes off of Craig’s wrists and he immediately engulfed me in his arms.

“It’s okay, we have to get out of here and get to a police station.” I nodded and wiped my eyes before putting the truck in drive and starting to drive again. All I could see though were the deaths of my boyfriend and our friends. I couldn’t see past my tears so Craig had me pull over and he started driving instead. I rested my head against the window, just watching the scenes pass us by as I thought back to Max. Everything about him, even the arguments we would get into, I loved everything about him. And I’ll never be able to love anyone the same way as I loved Max Green.