If Only for the Summer
One
Dirt roads were not Henley’s favorite thing to drive on, even in the best weather. She had enough of them back home, and of course it had to be raining in Minnesota when she was trying to find her dad’s house. She was pretty sure she made a wrong turn a long time ago, but there hadn’t been a convenient place to turn around in her pickup truck. There were a lot of perks to having a pickup on the North Carolina country roads that surrounded her mom’s house, but a small turning circle was not one of them.
Just as she was about to give up, put the truck in park, and call her dad, the reflection of another car's rear lights caught Henley's attention. She rolled down her window in a hurry when she saw someone get out, but they didn’t hear her over the rain. She yanked on her jacket as she mumbled profanities to herself, then jumped out of the truck after the guy who had vanished into the trees.
“Hey!” she called into the brush as she followed the guy. Now, Henley knew he was ignoring her because she could have only been twenty feet away at the most. He ducked behind the trunk of a tree and once Henley reached the same tree, he was gone. She tried to turn around, but then she realized she didn’t know which direction she should be headed back in.
Henley groped at her pockets, coming up empty for her phone. “Crap.”
She turned back in the direction that she thought the guy could have gone, and cautiously pushed her way forward.
Henley didn’t know how long she was wandering around in the woods before she saw the vague light of a hanging lantern up ahead. She followed the light source until she could see the silhouette of a porch and took another step before she heard the click of a gun. Slowly, she swiveled her head in the direction of the noise.
"Who the fuck are you?" A deep voice demanded. Henley couldn't see his face.
"Look, I don't want any trouble, I'm just trying to find my dad's house. I think I took a wrong turn and I saw you, I guess, and I was going to ask for directions. That's it," Henley rushed out. As she was explaining, she laced a key from her chain between each finger.
"You shouldn't be here-" he was cut off when Henley jabbed her keys into his thigh. She tugged her keys out of his leg, then sprinted in the opposite direction, praying to get back to her car. There was yelling behind her, "Shit! Josh!"
Henley dared to look behind her and saw the outline of another guy chasing after her, faster than her. Suddenly, Henley started wheezing as she tried to keep her breath and stay moving. Her eyes were unfocused on the path ahead of her for only a second, but it was enough for her to miss a step and go tumbling.
She sat up for half a second, long enough to notice that she had started coughing up blood, then jumped up and took off running again. Henley knew that she was going half the speed she was before, but her lungs were burning, and blood was still dripping from her chin.
She tightened the grip she had on her keys, still laced between her fingers, and slowed down to a stop. When the guy noticed that Henley stopped, he aimed his gun, though his hands were visibly shaking. Then, he made the mistake of glancing around, long enough for Henley to push herself forward and knock the gun out of his hands. When it hit the ground, Henley scraped the keys across his arm, hard enough that she saw she had drawn blood.
Making a run for it, Henley glanced behind her once to see the guy struggling to grab his gun and keep up with her.
Somehow, miraculously, Henley made it back to her truck. She barely missed scraping her front bumper on the tree in front of her as she sped away from the guy.
Just as she was about to give up, put the truck in park, and call her dad, the reflection of another car's rear lights caught Henley's attention. She rolled down her window in a hurry when she saw someone get out, but they didn’t hear her over the rain. She yanked on her jacket as she mumbled profanities to herself, then jumped out of the truck after the guy who had vanished into the trees.
“Hey!” she called into the brush as she followed the guy. Now, Henley knew he was ignoring her because she could have only been twenty feet away at the most. He ducked behind the trunk of a tree and once Henley reached the same tree, he was gone. She tried to turn around, but then she realized she didn’t know which direction she should be headed back in.
Henley groped at her pockets, coming up empty for her phone. “Crap.”
She turned back in the direction that she thought the guy could have gone, and cautiously pushed her way forward.
Henley didn’t know how long she was wandering around in the woods before she saw the vague light of a hanging lantern up ahead. She followed the light source until she could see the silhouette of a porch and took another step before she heard the click of a gun. Slowly, she swiveled her head in the direction of the noise.
"Who the fuck are you?" A deep voice demanded. Henley couldn't see his face.
"Look, I don't want any trouble, I'm just trying to find my dad's house. I think I took a wrong turn and I saw you, I guess, and I was going to ask for directions. That's it," Henley rushed out. As she was explaining, she laced a key from her chain between each finger.
"You shouldn't be here-" he was cut off when Henley jabbed her keys into his thigh. She tugged her keys out of his leg, then sprinted in the opposite direction, praying to get back to her car. There was yelling behind her, "Shit! Josh!"
Henley dared to look behind her and saw the outline of another guy chasing after her, faster than her. Suddenly, Henley started wheezing as she tried to keep her breath and stay moving. Her eyes were unfocused on the path ahead of her for only a second, but it was enough for her to miss a step and go tumbling.
She sat up for half a second, long enough to notice that she had started coughing up blood, then jumped up and took off running again. Henley knew that she was going half the speed she was before, but her lungs were burning, and blood was still dripping from her chin.
She tightened the grip she had on her keys, still laced between her fingers, and slowed down to a stop. When the guy noticed that Henley stopped, he aimed his gun, though his hands were visibly shaking. Then, he made the mistake of glancing around, long enough for Henley to push herself forward and knock the gun out of his hands. When it hit the ground, Henley scraped the keys across his arm, hard enough that she saw she had drawn blood.
Making a run for it, Henley glanced behind her once to see the guy struggling to grab his gun and keep up with her.
Somehow, miraculously, Henley made it back to her truck. She barely missed scraping her front bumper on the tree in front of her as she sped away from the guy.