Page 100 of Blade

Pulled all the way up, covering her face.

And in that sleep, her mind let her forget about everything. Indy. Her mother. Jolene. Even Kayla. It brought her back to another time, when she was a little girl and Tim was a young boy. Before she’d put on a pair of skates and felt the blades take her away.

They were in the back seat of her family’s car. Carl was driving. Connie was looking out the window for something red. Then her voice called out, “I spy a red sign!” And then Tim said it didn’t count because the sign wasn’t red; it was green. It was just the logo for the gas station that had red in it, and that wasn’t the same thing. And then Connie said, “No fair!” And Carl let out a big laugh.

Ana felt sleepy, too tired to play the game. Tim popped in his headphones and began tapping his hands on the back of the driver’s seat. The beat of music she couldn’t hear. A steadyba-dum-dum, ba-dum-dum. She leaned her head against the window. Her mother saying, “I want a rematch,” as Ana’s eyes got heavy.

She heard her mother’s voice again. “Ana—don’t fall asleep.”

But her eyelids were falling.

Swish. Click.Ba-dum-dum. Ba-dum-dum.Swish. Click.

“Wake up, baby girl.”

She began to rouse as the engine shifted gears and the brakes squeaked. The smell of the coat filling her nostrils. Tobacco and sweat. And pine. Wafting down from the air freshener that hung from the rearview mirror.

She forced open her heavy eyes.

They burned when the air rushed in. Like they were covered with sand.

She rubbed them gently with her fists. Blinked. Then sat up as the truck slowed and then stopped.

They weren’t on the highway.

The headlights shone on a two-lane road surrounded by dense woods on both sides. Not another car in sight.

She told herself it was fine. He’d just pulled over to rest. He’d been so nice to her, and after everything that had happened in the past two years, she thought she knew about people. That she’d learned all the lessons.

Her eyes turned then from the windshield to the man sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Hi there, sleepyhead,” he said, glancing at her with a smile and big black oval eyes.

He reached his hand across the console between them. Placed it gently on her shoulder.

“Did you get a good rest?” he asked. Moving his hand to the back of her head. He took hold of the elastic tie that was holding it in a ponytail and slid it off.

“Look at you,” he said. His eyes widening into circles. “Do you take pretty pills?”

Ana stared at him. Felt the adrenaline burst from the calm, from the sleep that lingered in her muscles and bones. Shock spread across her face, freezing her mouth in a gape. Her eyes in a stare.

This seemed to excite him. Eliciting a suggestive smile.

He tossed the elastic tie to the floor. Returned his hand to her head and ran his fingers through her hair.

“Do you like to party?” he asked.

He leaned closer, grabbing her hair into his fist. His shirt falling open, just at the top, revealing a necklace.

Ana stared at it. The square beads strung tightly together. Just two colors. Black and white.

The pieces coming together.

The smell of pine. The beaded necklace.

The man who’d attacked Kayla in the field two years ago.

She reached for the handle of the door as her mind dug out excuses she’d thought of, just like before. In the field. In the back of the black van.