Good Directions

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window.

“Okay, enough of that,” Jenny stabbed at her car display screen as she buzzed down the empty road. It always amazed her how quickly it felt like the middle of nowhere after leaving the city, good fuckin way to get killed, she thought as the podcast lingered in her mind. True Crime podcasts were her thing, ‘nap, snacks, and true crime podcasts,’ she had it on a t-shirt, but she’d had an eerie feeling about this assignment since she was rushed into the car. Dan, the news station manager, had sprung this assignment on her last minute and the information he provided was vague. He had told her she was the first and only person he was giving this one to since he thought it could be breaking news. So Jenny had rushed from the station without going through her usual road trip/investigation prep routine. She had even forgotten her car phone charger which she had let Dan borrow earlier that day. She turned on the radio instead of continuing to make her skin crawl with the battery draining podcast.

Jenny sighed and squinted at the small sign that she was approaching, ‘CR 5580,’ helpful. The station bleated out a country song…

She was lost and lookin’ for the interstate,

Needin’ directions, and I was the man for the job

I told her way up yon…

“Dear god, never,” Jenny quickly changed the station while turning down the sound in an effort to focus. She did not understand living in the country, away from convenience and amenities, and she was vocal about that. Jenny figured that is part of the reason why Dan had chosen her to go out and do some recon ahead of this story about medical clinic access in rural communities. He was always happy to get under her skin. And while Jenny believed everyone was entitled to good, affordable healthcare, she did not believe she should have to be the one to find out why they were not getting it, or that this issue was breaking news.

Dan had warned Jenny the cell service was unreliable and had suggested she print directions rather than solely rely on her phone. Jenny had scoffed, what good would printed directions do if she went off route anyway? Not that a dying phone was helping the matter at all. Dan had then tried to provide details about the area but Jenny had no intention of believing her phone would forsake her. Turns out Dan had been correct. Jenny fumed as her eyes left the road and focused on her car’s dash map, the dot that was her car frozen in spot miles away as she sped on.

Jenny had wanted to call ahead to speak to the clinic about interviews and to gather information, but Dan had encouraged her to show up unannounced to make sure she got a real feel for how things were. She had still tried to call anyway, of course, but the number listed online for the clinic was out of service. Jenny had made a note to make sure the clinic was aware of this.

Daylight was dwindling and Jenny’s phone kept flitting in and out of service. Jenny felt her stomach flutter with anxiety as she looked at her gas gauge. There was no sign of a gas station and, to her mother’s dismay, Jenny often drove to the point of a dangerously low tank, I know my car. She usually filled up before an assignment too, but Dan had rushed her out so quickly chattering about deadlines.

There was a road side stand ahead, the signs read “Apples For Sale,” “Fresh Okra,” and “Canned Peaches” hand painted in red, green, and a trying-to-be-peach-but-really-was-orange color. The signs were propped on a pickup truck, the produce nestled in baskets under a pop up tent. A man was sitting on the edge of the bed of the truck and he tipped his head at her as she crawled by. She had not realized she had slowed down so much and she came to a complete stop after she was passed the truck. Jenny assessed what would be more risky, approaching a strange man to ask for directions with a phone that did not work, or running out of gas before reaching a gas station—or anywhere else—with a phone that did not work. Jenny bit at her nails and looked in the rear view mirror nervously; at least he was not trying to approach her…yet, that felt non-threatening, which was maybe his plan? Surely there was a True Crime podcast with exactly this scenario.

Before she could make a decision the map on her phone and car dash scrambled and caught up with the present via a weak signal.

“Yes!” Jenny frantically searched for a gas station, and found one she could just reach. She hoped her phone would still have a signal there so she could call Dan and tell him the recon had not worked out and he would have to try again in the daylight, when the chainsaw massacre would be less likely to happen. Jenny cocked her head to the side thinking, actually he had seemed to already know the area well, so why did he send her?

There was a quick rap of knuckles on her passenger side window and Jenny squeaked in surprise as she fumbled her phone into her lap. The man from the stand stared into her car. He was handsome and smiled as he signaled for her to lower her window. Jenny was thankful her doors were locked, and she lowered her window a crack.

“Uh, yes?”

“You lost?”

“No,” he looked at the navigation guide on the dash.

“If you need gas you should turn around and take a right, there’s a Casey’s down the way. Good lighting, clean bathrooms, and probably some breakfast pizza.”

“That’s not showing up on this,” she pointed to the map.

“Believe it or not it’s actually something new out here. They even have okay cell service most of the time,” he smiled.

Not, Jenny thought. She studied him quickly as she clutched her phone to her chest. He was handsome, you already thought that, and seemed nice enough, but those are common traits of killers of the serial variety.

“Well this other station listed is close and I am almost on empty as it is,” she internally knocked herself in the head for admitting that. The man pulled at his hat and let out a low sigh, he seemed uncomfortable.

“I am pretty close to shutting down for the day so I can follow you to Casey’s to be sure you make it if you like?”

“Yeah,” Jenny let out a short, dry laugh, “I am going to take my chances at,” she looked at the dash, “Stella’s Gas & Go,” she started to roll up the window but the man shot out his hands to clutch the edge of the glass, nearly getting his fingers smashed.

“Ma’am, I really think you should just go to Casey’s,” his voice strained.

“Uh, thank you, but I need to go please,” he held to the window. “Sir, can you please back away?”

He opened his mouth but then closed it and backed away, “right, well…be safe?”

“Always,” she smiled weakly as her typical response to be safe sat there feeling stale and untrue. Jenny stared at the man a moment longer as he shuffled uneasily, as if he had more to say. She rolled up the window and got back on the road. She gave the man one last look through the rearview mirror, he stood there, his hand on the back of his neck, his face a grimace, but her priority shifted to the low gas light and calculating whether she would make it.

Jenny rolled into the station on fumes. She was relieved but she still felt uneasiness. It was like she was being watched. She looked around while the car was still locked; the station and surrounding area appeared empty save the one employee inside. Okay, we’re okay, she got out to pump the gas but was stopped short when she realized the pump did not take cards.

“Okay where the fuck am I,” she muttered as she walked into the station, clicking her key fob several times to lock her car.

The woman behind the counter was reading a People Magazine with Jennifer Lopez and Ben Afleck on the cover, no telling how old or recent that could be, as she blew a bubble with her gum.

“Gas?” she offered after the bubble had popped.

“Yes, do you take cards?” Jenny rarely had cash on her, again to her mother’s dismay.

“Barely,” they offered each other hollow laughs.

“Yeah, we’re really out here it seems, $40 on…well,” Jenny looked at her car at half the station’s pumps, “$40 please.”

“Basically the Bermuda Triangle out here,” the woman stated as she took Jenny’s card. Jenny checked her phone.

“Damn, you’re right, no signal even here.”

“Hm, yeah…anything else?”

“Uh no thanks, I will be heading straight home. Actually do you have phone chargers?”

“Fresh out.”

“I see…well how about a landline? I need to make a call if that’s okay.”

“Hm, no, lines got messed up in the storm or something,” she sighed as she handed Jenny back her card. Jenny furrowed her brow, unconvinced, but before she could inquire further she noticed movement outside the store. It was the pickup truck from the roadside stand. It seemed to have slowed down while passing the station. Jenny knew this could be for a lot of reasons, but her stomach still turned when she saw the brake lights.

“Glad that dumbass didn’t stop here,” the woman muttered.

“What, the guy with the roadside stand?”

“Yeah, we don’t really get along.”

“I talked to him for a bit when I was stopped trying to find a station, he seemed…okay?”

“Oh you talked to him? I am surprised to see you here with the nonsense he spouts, you know,” she leaned in conspiratorially, “that’s how they get ya,” as she quickly dragged her thumb across her throat.

“Uh yeah, I guess it would be,” Jenny responded uneasily. Even though she’d had a similar train of thought when she had been stopped near his stand it felt forced coming from this woman and she was not sure who was doing the getting, “well thanks for the gas.”

“Mmhmm,” the woman was already lazily flipping through her magazine.

The truck was farther along but Jenny remained vigilant as she fumbled with the pump. It was dark now and the flickering lights buzzed ominously. She peered through all her car windows to make sure someone had not managed to creep in while she had been in the station. Binge watching Criminal Minds probably was not great for one’s mental health, but it did give some insights on ways to get murdered. Properly applied those could be lessons for how to not get murdered. Jenny started when the pump dinged, and she got into her car as quickly as possible. She took a deep breath and checked her phone, still no signal. Jenny turned to stretch and noticed the woman in the station staring at her and mouthing something.

Jenny’s mind raced, did she need help? Had Jenny missed something while she had been focused on her own issues? But then she noticed the woman was holding a phone, “umm, okay that’s…okay time to go.” Jenny started the car and kicked up gravel as she continued to check her own phone. She reviewed the brief conversation she’d had with the woman, and technically she had not asked to use a cellphone, but the woman had known Jenny needed to make a call.

“FUCKING PHONE!” Jenny threw it into the passenger seat, and gripped the steering wheel as she tried to slow her thoughts. Okay, full tank of gas, just go out the same way you came in Jen. It makes no sense to be this worried right now.

Something was gnawing at her to worry though.

Jenny grabbed her phone again, still no signal, and she was not sure how that was possible when she had signal on the way in. Her headlights barely seemed to pierce the blanket of darkness that had settled and she started to wonder if she had missed a turn. On the way in she had stopped paying too close of attention once the navigation had started back up.

“Okay, it’s still fine, just breathe, it’ll be…,” Jenny’s breath caught momentarily as she noticed lights in her rearview mirror. She tried to shake the worry from her head, “another person on a road, that’s not a big deal,” she said quietly. But concern bubbled in her, and her skin felt cold, she stepped on the gas. The car behind her seemed to be maintaining its distance. It felt like a predator stalking lonely prey, waiting for a mistake so it could pounce.

And a good predator knows the landscape of their hunting grounds, knows how it can force mistakes.

POPPSHHHHHHhhh. Jenny screamed as her steering wheel ripped to the side, and her car twisted across the road, rubber shredding and flapping violently. She put her foot on the brake momentarily and then pulled back and tapped the gas as she held the line between correcting and overcorrecting. The car lurched then slowed to a lopsided stop part way off the road.

The vehicle was still approaching and Jenny’s chest heaved as her mind worked. She grabbed her bag, a flashlight she had in the console, and her phone as she scurried out the passenger side to be out of view. She tumbled out the door and took a sharp breath as she landed on nails. The road was littered with them and some of them, strangely, were in spiky bundles that looked like marine mines.

She slid into the ditch at the side of the road as quietly as she could and started to back away. Jenny could see under her car and the vehicle that had been behind her idled down the road. She was not sure why she was hiding when she—she looked at her phone, no signal—needed help, but uncertainty crept through her. True Crime podcasts, the news station’s recent human trafficking exposés, and the words of the woman at the gas station, that’s how they get ya, echoed through her.

The driver of the other vehicle got out, shoes on gravel, no tinny ringing of nails, “hey, you alright there?”

Jenny thought it was the woman from the gas station, she crawled up from the ditch and timidly peeked from the back of her car to verify. The person was standing in front of their headlights now, only their silhouette visible.

“Uh, yeah, alright…are you the woman from the gas station?”

Bubblegum popped, “what a thing to be known as, yeah, that’s me though, the woman from the gas station. You seem to have run into some trouble here.”

Jenny stepped out from behind her vehicle, hand held up to see beyond the lights, “yeah there are nails everywhere,” she walked around to look at her front driver’s side tire, “shredded my tire,” she pointed as she looked back toward the woman.

“Looks like they did get ya pretty good.”

Jenny’s face twisted, “yeah, guess they did…you seem to have stopped just in time.”

“Trucks are always losing things as they fly through here, and when I saw you swerving I figured something was up,” she kicked at some nails.

“Who packs nails like this though?” Jenny asked as she picked up one of the spiked balls of nails.

“You’re the news lady, if you find out, let me know,” the woman straightened and quickly turned, “well why don’t you hop in and I’ll give you a ride somewhere. I’m Marlene by the way.”

Marlene was back in the truck before Jenny could answer. She looked around the darkness, frazzled at the lack of options and put the ball of nails she had been holding in her bag before following after.

“Thanks, I’m Jenny.”

“I know.”

“You know?” Jenny asked, puzzled.

“Yeah well I ran your card, don’t worry, didn’t remember anything else,” she winked slyly toward her passenger as she started to drive.

“Ha…oh yeah, I guess…soooo there is a Casey’s nearby?”

“Hm, yeah…we can head that way if that’s where you wanna go, I mean…well, nevermind…”

“Well wait, is there something wrong with the Casey’s?”

“It’s just not where I’d want to be around this time is all,” Marlene said as she popped her gum. Jenny was not entirely sure what to make of that. Marlene appeared to live locally, but she made Jenny feel uneasy.

“Why not?”

“Just some of the fellas that hang out around here, not a lot to do out here and all, and they’re not the trustworthy type if you ask me.”

“Oh, well maybe I could use your phone then?”

“Hm, I’d hand it over to ya in a heartbeat but it’s dead.”

“I see,” uneasiness continued rising in her throat, she gulped, “Casey’s still seems the way to go, please.”

Marlene did not answer immediately, and when she spoke Jenny jumped at the sound, “you know, my uncle actually has an auto shop just a bit passed Stella’s, how about I take you there and we get the tow and all that worked out?”

“Thank you, it’s really no problem to take me to Casey’s though, I have Triple A so I can just call them from there.”

“Whew, Triple A, that’ll take some time and…”

“That’s fine, please just take me to Casey’s. I appreciate your help,” Jenny’s tone was polite but clipped.

Marlene popped her bubble gum loudly, “well alright then.” Jenny took a deep breath and realized she had not been paying attention to where Marlene was driving.

“And how far is the Casey’s?”

“Just up the road here.” Jenny decided if she survived the night she was going to kill Dan for this assignment.

Jenny was trying to refresh her email, stuck on one from Dan following up about printing directions, when she realized Marlene had called her ‘the news lady.’ They had not spoken about what Jenny did or why she was out here. Jenny stared at her phone, frozen, and gulped for air before she tentatively looked over to Marlene, only to find Marlene already looking at her.

“Actually, can you just pull over, I can figure it out,” her heart was racing as she grabbed at the door handle.

“Sorry hun, doors stuck from the inside,” Jenny turned back toward Marlene to demand she stop when something heavy crashed into the side of her head and everything went blurry, then dark.

…

Jenny’s head was throbbing as her eyes fluttered open. The room she was in was dimly lit and her hands were tied to the chair she was in. She felt groggy, but the circumstances were quickly waking her.

“Fuck!”

“Ouch, get a knock on your head there, Jen?”

The man had just walked in from the hallway, and Jenny was in disbelief, “Dan? What are you doing here? Nevermind, we need to get out of here, where are we, can you untie me?…but why are you here?”

“I hadn’t heard from you so I headed out this way,” he smiled but it did not reach his eyes.

“Okay. Dan. Untie me. Now,” he did not move, and Jenny heard the pleading in her voice as she added, “please?”

Dan turned to the sound of another person coming through the door. Overhead lights flicked on and Jenny squinted as her head panged and her eyes tried to adjust to the light. It seemed like a basement. Her eyes widened as her sight continued adjusting and she took in everything around her.

“What kind of Hills Have Eyes fuckery…”

“LANGUAGE!” Jenny pulled back in her chair as best she could from the voice of the person who had walked through the door. It was an older woman, with wild, silver gray hair and dark, dead eyes. She was wearing an apron that was crusty with dark stains.

“Told you she was rough around the edges, Aunt Stella,” Dan laughed as he shook his head. Jenny stared, mouth open, searching for something to say. But she was having a hard time even focusing on Dan as she took in the hides hung around the room. She was not a hunter but she was pretty sure those were not animal skins. Well, not the kind of animals people typically hunted. Jenny held down vomit as she noticed tattoos on some of the stretched skins.

“You did, still not our usual type” the woman croaked and then turned to shout up the stairwell, “Marlene! Make sure the garage is closed!”

Aunt Stella and Dan started to talk quietly, occasionally looking over to Jenny. Jenny fidgeted with her hands trying to loosen the ties as she looked around. She needed to figure out how to get out of here. She noticed her bag on the work bench closest to the door, not that her phone or keys would be of much use out here. There were tools on the bench as well, but none of them seemed to be being used in their intended way. There was dry blood splattered throughout the room, these people were clearly not worried about being caught. Jenny could not contain a gasp as she noticed a jar full of teeth and one with whole finger nails. Dan looked at her and followed her line of sight.

“Oh that’s my part,” he smiled widely.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I wish I could give you a reason Jen, but really, it just is what it is…,” but Dan’s head jerked away from Jenny toward the ceiling as a loud noise crashed above them.

“What the hell was that?” Aunt Stella sounded more annoyed than nervous.

“Language,” Jenny breathed, and Aunt Stella shot her a dangerous look.

“We’ll have some fun with you in a bit don’t worry, Danny honey, go check that out.”

Dan ran up the stairs and they heard shouts and cries as he opened the door, worry started to creep over Aunt Stella’s face. Jenny pulled at her ties and rocked the chair as her captor walked up the stairs, shouting to Dan and Marlene.

A scream ripped from Aunt Stella’s mouth, followed by the sound of her body falling down the stairs. The crumpled result in Jenny’s line of sight.

“HELP!! Hello? I’m down here,” she heard heavy steps coming down the stairs, “oh shit, it’s you?”

“Oh shit it’s me, I told you not to go to Stella’s,” the man from the road side stand took a knife from his pocket and started to cut Jenny loose.

“I mean you didn’t tell me about this!”

“I wasn’t sure on all the details, just know there is something about this family” he grabbed Jenny’s hand and she grabbed her bag as they headed out, gingerly stepping past Aunt Stella’s body, “actually didn’t mean to do that one, just opened the door and knocked into her by accident.”

“And that one?” Jenny asked when she saw Marlene pinned to the wall and slumped over the hood of the man’s truck.

“That one? Well we never really did get along.”

“What about Dan?”

“Who?”

Before the man could answer Dan jumped from the bed of the truck and tackled the man. As they fell the man hit his head, knocking him out, and Dan’s attention shifted to Jenny. She started to run but he caught her by the hair and pulled as he muttered angrily. Jenny was frantic, reaching for anything. Her hand fumbled into her bag and she grabbed at the ball of nails, she turned with all her might and slammed the ball into Dan’s neck. Jenny yelped in pain as a nail pierced her skin, but she pullled back quickly as Dan’s breath caught, several nails sunk deeply into his neck and upper jaw, and gurgled on his own blood.

“Have a phone on you by chance, Dan?”

…

“Welcome back!” Jenny exclaimed as the man with the road side stand opened his eyes. Jenny had not been sure the etiquette around making sure the person who had saved your life was okay, but she thought waiting at their hospital bedside was acceptable.

“Ah, maybe I should have stayed gone,” he moaned as he clutched his head, then looked over at Jenny, “what the hell happ…wait…is that breakfast pizza?”

Jenny handed him a slice, “yeah, finally made it to that Casey’s, you were right, nice place.”