Two of a Kind
by Jasmine Gage
“Stupid phone!” a woman shouted out as she held her cellphone into the air. The lady walked down the dark road a bit more, still holding her phone in the air. Her phone had no service, and it didn’t seem that she would be getting any anytime soon. Frustrated and a bit of anxiety getting to her, Dorothy continued down the lonely road and hoped one of her friends would stop by.
As the night continued to grow, Dorothy began to worry. She had no phone service, no car had passed her for miles, and it was getting late. A quick rustle from the trees sent a chill down her spine as she jumped to see what could pounce at her. A cute bunny appeared from the bushes as she calmed herself down a bit and carried on down the road.
Walking for a while longer, she noticed a bright light flash in front of her. She held up her hands to shield herself from the brightness of the light. A rusty pickup truck slowly pulled up next to Dorothy as she took a step back. Interior lights cut on from the inside of the truck as a man stared at Dorothy as she clutched herself in the night.
“You alright, miss?” the man said, his deep and brash voice startling her.
She answered with hesitation, “I-I’m fine overall. I just need a ride to the nearest payphone. I have no service and all of my friends that I was with have already left me. I’m just trying to get home.”
The man scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Some friends you have, huh?” Dorothy heard the clicking of the locks. “I personally think you need new friends. Hop in.”
Dorothy nodded and took her time to make her way to the passenger side of the truck. She pulled on the rusty door handle and opened the door. The interior of the truck actually looked better than the outside. The seats seemed to have been freshly cleaned as the inside smelled of bleach. Dorothy climbed into the truck and shut the door as the man kept his eyes on the road. Silence filled the car as Dorothy shifted in her seat, deciding whether this was a good idea or not.
“So, where ya’ coming from?” the man said, breaking the silence.
“A party, bonfire actually.”
“Bonfire, eh? Let me guess, college kids?”
Dorothy said nothing, only giving the man a curt nod.
The man scratched his stubble, “Mhm, college kids. That’s who mostly come up to these woods anyway.”
“Where are you headed at this time of night?” Dorothy asked. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to make a bit of conversation, right?
The man began to side-eye Dorothy. He watched as her chest lifted up and then down, showing signs that her breathing was steady. As the man continued to stare, he made a short glance toward the purse she was clutching.
“Headed into town.”
“What for?”
“A few items,” the man replied, shifting his eyes back to the road.
More lights appeared in the distance as the man pulled the car into the gas station. He parked by the nearest pump and opened the door to get out.
“Payphones should be on the side of the building. Here’s a few dimes,” the man said as he gave her the last dimes he had. Dorothy took the dimes and headed toward the payphone.
“Thank you, sir,” she called out.
The man fixed his cap and watched as she walked to the side of the building. As he took the gas pump from its holster, he filled up a tank and put the pump back. Reaching into the side of his truck, he slowly pulled out a switchblade and stashed it into his jacket.
“Slot holes are rusted. Phones are busted, and you will be dead. Need to start running before I start coming, and you just might have a chance,” the man sang in a very low tone as he made his way around the building.
As he turned the corner, the payphone light flickered, and the woman was nowhere to be seen. Confused and also intrigued, he approached the payphone and saw her purse laying on the ground. He grabbed her purse and made his way back to his truck and turned on the radio.
The radio stuttered a lot before saying, “Howdy night dwellers! It’s Old Man Buck delivering your late-night news! As much as I hate to bring bad news to your lovely ears, be on the lookout for a woman with an ID belonging to Dorothy Matthews! It is a fake, and the person could potentially be the Mistress of Darkness. She is known for standing in the woods and tricking men into taking her to safety. She is very dangerous and armed. If you see this woman, call—”
The man shut the radio off as he quickly whipped around to grab the woman’s hand that was holding a syringe. He twisted her hand, making her drop it, and pulled the blade from his pocket to stab her. Dorothy used her other hand to block his attack and smashed her head against his. Both of their heads clashed, but neither of them seemed to be phased.
“Did you really think you could trick me, Mistress of Darkness?” the man said as he pushed the lady off him and touched his head.
The woman tilted her head to the side and wiped the blood from her head.
“It’s not every day you get to meet The Hunter. Wanted to try my luck and I found you!” the woman shouted happily.
Another car pulled into the gas station, and a drunk couple got out of their vehicle and went into the store. The man and woman slowly turned their heads and watched the couple closely, stalking their newest prey.
“How about a truce, Mr. Hunter? I take the male while you get the female.”
“Know what, Ms. Darkness? I think I like that idea.”
A wide smile appeared on both of their faces as they made their way toward the store.