The cab sped up on the long highway ahead, the road was unusually empty… I looked out the window in the space of silence. I was thankful for it, but also, I was haunted by the silence.
A bolt of lightning struck down in the distance, catching me off guard as the flash covered my vision for a second.
“Weather is really bad today, yeah?” the driver made an effort to talk to me.
“Yeah, it quite is,” I answered, looking at the driver’s seater. “Why is this highway so empty today? I usually see it buzzing at like… three thirty in the morning?”
“I have no idea mademoiselle,” he replied with a thick French accent, “But it is a benefit since you can reach your destination faster.”
I smiled at his response and how I managed to get him to drive me there.
My mind replayed the scene to when I was finding a cab, asking the driver to take me to the place and how quiet the ride was, for the first time… I felt relaxed and light.
“How long until we reach?” I asked, we passed the highway quickly, which felt like five minutes. The driver turned over to his phone stand near the AC.
“Ehh, just in about… ten minutes,” the driver responded back as he raised his hand to brush back his French crop haircut.
I nodded my head and stared out; it started to become foggy…
The cold wind blew at my face and hair strongly; my eyes darted around the car.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“So, uhm, what is this place you are going to about?”
I froze in terror as the question struck panic.
Eyes trying to jump eye contact, thoughts now spiraling.
My temples were beading with sweat despite the freezing temperatures. I tried to quickly form an answer, but each one of them was improbable…
The driver lowered his shades down to nose-level, still waiting for my answer…
I was throwing random concepts and memories around to try and create a rejoinder.
I looked at my watch to see how much time I have, I had only five minutes until I reached…
In desperation, I was about to reveal what I truly was going for, until I remembered something…
Diana’s brother’s letter of intern to be a radiologist.
I snatched the idea and formed a convincing reason,
“Well, it is actually a medical center,” I explained.
“I got a letter to be an intern at that place,” I spat out the last bit of the lie.
The driver looked back at me, giving me a confused look. He raised his eyebrow in suspicion…
Good Lord...
My insides were starting to claw at me, trying to escape with the fear flooding inside, I tried to push out a friendly look...
“Oh wow! Congratulations mademoiselle!” he exclaimed as the silhouette building was closer. I let out a breath of relief and fell back into the cab seat, the leather brushed my back.
I felt excitement flooding my chest, shaking as I was ready to save someone, and that was Akira.
The driver slowed down as we were closer to the entrance. I heard a click as he unlocked the doors.
I unlatched the door and stepped out, the air felt cool on my face as my shoes came in contact with the cold pavement below my feet
“You are going to do amazing mademoiselle!” he added, “Good luck getting qualified!"
He stuck his head out the window and looked up to the building’s name.
He began reversing back on to the boulevard and drove away into the hazy pathway, the sound of the tires screeching filled the air.
It quickly became silent as soon as the driver was nowhere in the distance anymore… My heart thumped at the loneliness and isolation that was getting noticeable and louder.
Fear started to leak in.
I reminded myself Akira was there,
I am not alone…
I turned myself toward the building, the name catching my eye as it was presented with specks of rust and blackening on the sign and name:
ARLASK-7
