Read And Darkness Fell for Free Online

would make all this a hundred times
worse. Thank God for small favors.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m leaving Florida. I’m driving up to Cocoa, then…”
“You have room in that van?”
“You want to go to Cocoa?”
His features tightened. “I don’t care where I go. I have to get the hell out of
here.”
“Listen, fella, I need to…”
“Reed. My name’s Reed McCallum.”
“Listen. Reed. I’d like to help, but…”
“What’s your name?”
“Moss. I’d like to…”
“What’s your first name?”
“Alan, but everyone calls me Moss. I’m heading north.”
“Like I said, I don’t care.” Then he tilted his head.
“I really don’t have room for…”
“You need to get gas.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re low. You don’t want to run out—especially on that long stretch east.”
I glanced at the van, then at him.
He nodded. “Check the gauge.”
I opened the door and peered inside. Sure enough, the needle hovered just
above empty. I straightened, nearly bumping my head. “How the hell did you
know?”
“I didn’t.”
“Then how…?”
“He did.” He jabbed a thumb to his right, again.
This was getting weird.
“You really don’t know who he is?”
“He just started talking to me a little while ago. He ... woke me up.”
“You woke up and heard his voice?”
“He told me to wake up—yelled at me. Those punks who jumped me, after
they beat me up and got in my car, they tried to run me over.”
“And he ... yelled at you to get out of the way?”
“Weird, right?”
“Slightly.” I was still wondering about that gas gauge deal.
“So ... can we tag along?”
I’d been planning this for myself. Besides, I’d always been a loner and didn’t
want to be responsible for someone else’s safety. A lot of things could happen on
a thousand-mile trip.
“I don’t know...”
“He knew about your gas tank.”
“What else can he do?”
Reed glared. “He said he’ll pay his way.”
“He’s ... got money?”
“He’ll pay in other ways.”
“How will you pay?”
“ He’ll pay by telling us things we need to know. I’ll pay by being his
translator. Otherwise, you won’t know what he’s saying. You can’t hear him, can
you?”
“No.”
“If you need him, you’ll need me as well.”
I didn’t like being pressured, but the gas tank issue had slapped my face with
a chilling reality. I had no idea who Reed was talking to, or how this imaginary
friend knew about the tank. But he’d been right.
I’d always been cautious in the past. I always checked the door and windows
and made sure the contents of my wallet were in order before leaving the
apartment. I’ve always checked gauges, tires, oil, and gas as well before driving
off.
On that day, however, I hadn’t been thinking clearly. Plus, I’d stolen a vehicle
in broad daylight. I’d never stolen anything before, and the experience had
shaken me up. As I’d driven away, I worried more about being nabbed by the
cops than anything else.
When I’d left Walmart, I was thinking about the items I’d stolen. I probably
would have spent the rest of the day checking the rearview mirror and not
thinking rationally again until I was halfway to the ocean.
By then, I would have already run out of gas. There were only a few stations
on that stretch, and they were all probably closed. If I’d gone empty, I would’ve
been forced to search for another vehicle. I would’ve been out in the open and
totally vulnerable—an easy target for psychos driving around hunting for fresh
prey.
“Get in,” I said.
Reed nearly smiled. “Would you mind letting me use your first-aid kit? I need
to clean up and fix this disgusting gash.”
The back of my neck tingled. The first-aid kid sat on the floor behind my seat,
beneath the sleeping bag. “How’d you know I bought a first-aid kit?”
Reed grinned. “He saw it when he was checking your gas gauge.”
FOUR
    After spending nearly two hours finding a working gas station in St. Cloud,