Rexan's trembling fingers scrambled for the door handle, her nails scraping against the cold metal. It wouldn't budge.
Of course, it was bloody locked. A groan of frustration escaped her lips, her breath hitching in uneven gasps.
Her pulse thudded like a war drum in her ears. She could call the cops, but she needed to think, she needed to distract him first.
"Um, mister," she started, her voice trembling slightly.
She forced a hesitant smile, her eyes flicking to his reflection in the rearview mirror. "I think you're going the wrong way."
The man's head tilted, his bloodshot eyes locking onto hers in the dim glow of the dashboard.
A sinister smile curled on his lips, and she felt her stomach drop.
"No," he replied, his voice eerily calm. "I'm sure you said Fifth Avenue."
Something about the way he said it, calm, deliberate, sent chills skittering down her spine.
She held his gaze for a beat too long, her mind racing for a way out.
She bit her lip, an idea sparking in her head. It was reckless, but what choice did she have?
"Want some..." she said softly, dipping her hand into her bra. She leaned forward slightly, forcing a seductive edge to her voice.
Her heart pounded against her ribcage, but she pressed on. "...of this?"
His brows furrowed, his attention momentarily drawn.
That was all she needed.
In a swift motion, she whipped out her pepper spray and aimed it directly at his face.
The spray hit its mark.
He let out a guttural scream, his hands shooting up to his eyes.
The car jerked violently to the side, throwing her against the window.
Her own scream ripped through the air as the vehicle spun out of control.
The headlights sliced through the darkness like a strobe, illuminating fleeting glimpses of trees before the car slammed headfirst into a massive trunk.
The impact sent her lurching forward, the seatbelt cutting into her chest.
Pain radiated through her body, and for a moment, everything went still.
Smoke.
She coughed, blinking rapidly as the acrid smell invaded her senses.
Her fingers fumbled with the seatbelt, adrenaline making her movements clumsy. She had to get out, now.
But before she could unbuckle herself, a cold hand shot out, grabbing her arm.
She froze, her blood turning to ice.
The driver's face loomed closer, his features twisted in a grotesque mask of pain and rage.
Before she could scream, he jammed something sharp into her neck.
Her eyes widened, her hands instinctively clawing at his wrist.
The pain was searing, a fiery line that started at her neck and spread like molten lava through her veins.
She gasped, her scream muffled by his hand clamping over her mouth.
Her vision blurred, the edges of the world warping as whatever he had injected into her took hold.
But she wasn't going down without a fight.
Summoning every ounce of strength she had left, she drove her elbow into his nose.
The sickening crunch echoed in the confined space, and he slumped back with a groan, momentarily stunned.
Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps as she unlocked the door, her hands trembling so badly it felt like an eternity.
Finally, it gave way, and she shoved it open.
Her boots hit the ground hard as she stumbled out, collapsing onto the forest floor.
The coolness of the autumn leaves pressed against her skin, grounding her just enough to take in her surroundings.
She tried to crawl away, but her limbs felt heavy, as if the ground was swallowing her whole.
Her head spun, her senses heightened to an unbearable degree. Every sound, the rustle of leaves, the distant calls of nocturnal creatures, felt deafening.
The smell of gasoline filled the air.
Her heart sank as she turned her head toward the wreckage.
Sparks danced in the dark, tiny embers igniting the growing pool of fuel beneath the car.
Her throat tightened.
"No," she whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking.
She tried to move faster, to force her body to obey her will, but the paralysis in her limbs held her down.
The sparks flickered again.
And then it happened.
Boom.
The explosion ripped through the night, a deafening roar that shook the very ground beneath her.
The heat was instant, blistering, even from where she lay.
She was thrown backward, tumbling through the leaves as the fiery blaze lit up the forest like a second sun.
Smoke curled upward, a dark plume that seemed to blot out the stars.
The crackle of flames filled the air, mingling with the roar of her blood pounding in her ears.
Rexan lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
Her neck throbbed where he had stabbed her, and a strange, searing energy coursed through her veins.
She clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. She didn't know what had just happened to her, but she knew one thing:
This wasn't over.
And then she was hit by the pain.