The Pickup

There is a crispness in the air on this beautiful night. Cassie and her friends are enjoying a much-needed girl’s night out. The lounge is full of laughter, and the drinks remain full. Like most nights, Cassie’s energy levels begin to dwindle. The hour is 1 am in the early morning, and although most would feel the night is still young, Cassie is over it. She starts to bid her friends farewell and tells them that she will take a rideshare home.

She steps out and feels the cold crisp air on her face. She checks her phone and can see that her driver is still a few minutes away. Cassie leans against a post and takes a deep breath. All appears to be calm and very quiet on this particular night. The club bouncer smiles at Cassie as he paces slowly back and forth, guarding the club’s entrance. A few late stragglers find their way to the club as the bouncer checks their IDs and lets them in. Cassie thinks to herself, “they must be young.”

On the right side of the club is a small alleyway. Club patrons appear to be exiting the side for a smoke break. Other patrons are seen stumbling out the side with what seems to be possible intoxication. Cassie knows this scene all too well and smiles at the other patrons. She rechecks her phone and sees that her driver is close. Fast approaching her is the driver in a black sedan. Before entering the vehicle, Cassie swings to the back of the car to check on the license plate, and before getting inside the car, she asks the driver who he is here to pick up. The driver says, “Cassie Florreri,” and with the correct response, Cassie gets into the vehicle.

Things appear normal and quiet as the driver pulls away. Cassie takes a quick glance at the driver’s rear view and see’s him looking back at her.

Cassie forces herself to smile to ease the awkwardness. The driver stays stoic and takes his gaze off of her and back to the road ahead. Suddenly he ask, “would you care for a bottle of water?” a bit shocked by the question Cassie replies, “oh umm, no thank you.”

The driver once again shoots a stare back at Cassie in the rearview. He sparks up more dialogue and proceeds to say, “no problem, I always want to make sure my clients have water available after a fun night out,” he chuckles a bit and then quickly stops. Cassie forces another smile and replies, “I appreciate the offer though.”

The drive remains uneventful until he misses a turn. “I think you were suppose to turn there,” says Cassie, but the driver is silent and continues to drive. “Sir? You’re going the wrong way,” he continues to ignore her. “Okay, I’m going to have to ask you to please pull over and let me out of the car,” and the driver looks in the rearview and mumbles to Cassie, “I will do no such thing.” A sudden panic is now cascading over Cassie as she is now being driven against her will. She starts to dial for 911 when the driver immediately points a gun at her direction, “Put the phone down.” She immediately obliges and places the phone down next to her. “We’re just gonna go for a little bit of joy ride,” says the driver.

Cassie takes a deep breath and says to her driver, “I think you’re making a very huge mistake.” The driver glares back at her and laughs off her statement. “Well young lady, it won’t be the first mistake I’ve ever made.” The car begins to pickup speed as they drive down a dark desserted stretch of the highway. “I really think you’re going to regret this,” she mumbles under her breath. “What’s that young lady?” ask the driver, “I said that you’re going to regret this,” she snaps back. “Is that so? And what makes you so sure about that?” retorts the driver.

Cassie takes another long deep breath and stretches her neck from side to side. She slowly smiles at the driver, who is immediately taken aback. "Now, don't try anything dumb there, young lady; I won't hesitate to shoot." Cassie slowly begins to inch forward in her seat and looks at the driver in the rearview, and says, "but will it kill me?" she starts to cackle, and right before the driver's eyes, Cassie's face morphs into something hideous and almost out of this world.

The Pickup

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