13. Amethyst
Thirteen
Amethyst
I t’s just after midnight and Tarot Lake is a ghost town. Not a single car has joined me on the road as I turn onto the highway to my house. Pressing the gas to regain speed, a loud bang comes from under the hood. Shit. A series of quieter, but more aggressive knocks thrum through the car.
No. Please , no. Come on, Delilah, please just get me home and we can figure it out from there. More violent knocks answer my silent pleads, quickly accompanied by thick, black smoke.
Fuck.
I turn on the hazard lights, pulling to the side of the road with a groan. I kill the engine and for a moment just freeze. My eyes squeeze shut like this will all just go away if I can’t see it. Slowly, I peel one eye open. Nope. I really am broken down. In the middle of the night, no less.
Grabbing my phone to use as a flashlight, I pop the hood.
Maybe it’s not that serious. Maybe she just needs a little break.
We all do sometimes, right? With just the small beam of light from my phone, I can’t see shit.
Any light from the moon would be helpful, but clouds completely cover it.
It’s not like I’d know what to look for anyway.
With a sigh of defeat, I climb back in the driver’s seat and assess my options.
Walking home does not sound smart. Especially not considering how dark and late it is.
No towing service in town operates this late, and Mom isn’t home.
Of course, this would happen when she’s out of town with her friends.
A lightbulb flashes above my head as I think to call Nitasha. Quickly, I pull up her contact information in my phone and press dial. Unfortunately, it rings, rings... and rings.
I lean my head back and let my arms fall lifeless at my side. Maybe I can just sleep here. It’s only a few hours until the sun comes up. Turning the hazards off, I climb into the trunk. The chilly night causes goosebumps to rise on my skin. Luckily, I keep a pillow and blanket in the Jeep.
I rest my head on the pillow, tucking myself into a blanket burrito. But as the darkness bears down on me breathing life into my fears, I frantically try to think of another solution.
I call Nitasha a few more times. Efforts yielding no success. Outside, I swear I see eyes in the trees across from me.
Fuck. Nope.
Chewing on my bottom lip, another idea pops up, and I debate if it’s smart or idiotic. I pull up Skyler and I’s text thread. My hand flies to cover my mouth as I giggle at our most recently exchanged messages. The doubts melt away as I see that endearing word, Sunlight.
I have to call him.
I press the call button and it’s as if the universe itself stands still. Waiting alongside me with bated breath to see if my Angel will answer.