CHAPTER 44-The Strange Woman

***Varick’s POV***

“Please, don’t stop the car! This woman looks dangerous! She might hurt us,” Lulu said in a terrified voice. I could feel his fear bubbling under the surface, his hands gripping the seat beside me as if holding on for dear life. His body was rigid, and I could tell his heart was racing. Despite his attempts to remain composed, the fear was too much for him to hide.

I glanced in the rearview mirror at the woman standing by the side of the road. There was something off about her, but as I looked closer, I realized she didn’t have any weapon or threatening device. She was just standing there alone, like she needed help. Something inside me tugged at the idea of stopping, of getting out and talking to her, but Lulu’s panic stopped me in my tracks. His hand shot out, firmly gripping mine to make sure I didn’t even think about opening the door.

“Please don’t open the door, Varick. You don’t know what she’s capable of. She’s dangerous, and she can harm us. We don’t know who she is or what she’s doing here.”

I could see the worry in his eyes, and I hated the helplessness I felt from him. It wasn’t just fear; it was pure terror. But I wasn’t sure I agreed with him. I had been in this city long enough to know that appearances could be deceiving.

“I know this city is full of strange things, but she looks like a victim, not a threat. What if she needs our help?” I argued, my voice full of conviction.

Lulu’s grip tightened on my arm, but just as I was about to open the door, I saw something strange. The woman’s eyes—no, they weren’t just looking at us; they were shifting, morphing from a deep, unsettling shade of brown to pitch black. The change was so swift, so unnatural, that a chill ran down my spine. It felt like something dark and ancient was staring back at me.

Before I could react, I slammed my foot on the accelerator. The tires screeched against the pavement as I drove away quickly, trying to put distance between us and that woman. My heart was racing now too, my breath coming in short bursts.

“Oh my God, did you see that? Her eyes... they were black!” I shouted, my voice high-pitched with shock. I glanced back in the mirror, and for a moment, I thought I saw her still standing there, watching us. But when I looked again, she was gone. Vanished without a trace.

Lulu’s eyes were wide with terror. “Where did she go? How did she disappear like that?”

“I don’t know,” I muttered, my voice tinged with unease. “But this place... It’s no joke.” The night was creeping in faster than I expected, the darkness swallowing up the small town like a predator waiting to pounce. My heart beat faster, almost painfully, and I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. If we were going to get through this night, I had to keep it together—for both our sakes.

The gas station finally appeared on the horizon, its neon lights flickering in the distance. When we pulled in, I could see that the place was nearly deserted. No one was pumping gas, no cars lined the pumps, and the small convenience store had its lights on, but the silence was deafening. I parked the car and stepped out, stretching my legs stiffly. They were sore from the long drive, the pressure I had put on them as I navigated the treacherous road.

Lulu hesitated, looking around nervously. “I don’t know, Varick. This place feels... wrong.”

“Just fill up the tank, and I’ll go grab us something to eat. We haven’t had a break since this morning,” I said, trying to calm him. “I’ll be quick. We need to keep moving, get back on the road.”

But Lulu didn’t look convinced. He stayed glued to his seat, eyes darting around. “No! This place is too quiet. It’s creepy. There’s no one around, and what if... what if something comes out of nowhere? What if that woman—what if she comes after us?”

I sighed, frustrated but understanding. “Lulu, listen. Nobody’s coming after us. We passed her. She’s long gone. Trust me, we’ll be fine.”

But as I finished speaking, I looked out the window again, and there she was. The woman. Standing in the shadows, her gaze fixed on us. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. This wasn’t a coincidence. This couldn’t be.

Lulu’s grip on my arm was vice-like now. He was visibly shaking. “She’s here. She’s following us!”

I didn’t answer right away, staring at the figure in the distance. The darkness seemed to wrap itself around her, making her blend into the night. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay composed.

“Come on,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, “Let’s go inside. We’ll be fine.”

We rushed into the convenience store, Lulu following closely behind me. The door creaked as it opened, and a strange chill ran through the air inside. There was an old man behind the counter, carrying a box of goods to the register, his movements slow and deliberate. He didn’t seem to notice us at first.

I grabbed a couple of snacks from the shelves, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling crawling up my spine. “Get whatever you want,” I muttered to Lulu, who was nervously picking through the aisles, his eyes constantly flicking back toward the door.

“Did you see her? Did you see the way she was just... staring at us?” Lulu whispered frantically as he grabbed a drink. I could hear the fear in his voice, and I couldn’t blame him. Everything about this town was off.

“I saw her,” I replied quietly. “This place is terrifying. We need to get out of here. As fast as we can.” I grabbed a soda and walked toward the counter where the old man stood. He scanned the items we’d picked without saying a word, barely looking at us.

“That’ll be ninety bucks,” he said flatly, his voice dry and disinterested.

I handed him the cash, trying to shake the growing sense of dread in my chest. “Could you tell us how to get out of here? We’re trying to leave this town. Which way do we go?”

The old man looked up, but only briefly, as if he wasn’t fully engaged in the conversation. “You’re on the right road. Keep going straight, and don’t stop.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Just keep going straight?”

He didn’t respond immediately, his eyes distant, almost lost in thought. Then Lulu spoke up, his voice trembling.

“And what about the woman? Why is she following us?”

The old man’s expression shifted, his gaze sharpening for a moment. “She welcomes new visitors to the community. Some call her ‘the community’s eyes’ because she sees everything, knows everything. But I suggest you get your gas and leave now. Don’t stay any longer. It’s dangerous here after dark.”

His words hit me like a punch. Something about the way he said it, the urgency in his tone, made my stomach drop.

“Thank you, sir,” I said, trying to mask the anxiety rising within me. We grabbed our snacks and headed back to the door, but when we stepped outside, we were met with a terrifying sight.

Our car was gone.

It was just... gone.

I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest. The parking space where we had left the car was empty. No trace of it. No sign of anyone.

The woman? She was gone too.

I looked at the keys in my hand, my mind racing. How had they taken the car? It had been locked. The keys were with me the entire time. The silence around us was suffocating.

“Where is it?” Lulu whispered, his voice barely audible. “How... How did they do that?”

I didn’t have an answer. The only thing I knew for sure was that we were deeper in this nightmare than I ever realized. And there was no easy way out.