In the Night

About the author:

Addey likes to playing with dogs and living life.

In the Dominican Republic there is a story of wild female creatures known as La Ciguapa that are said to inhabit the mountain regions. The mountain women have been in the country’s folklore since the oral history of the Taino natives. They are tan skinned with extremely long hair that covers their slender bodies. Male travelers are told to avert their eyes to prevent enchantment. If not, they may be dragged into the woods, never to be seen again.

Feeling the rocks from the dirt road pinging the bottom of her car, Jenna fills the car with her favorite songs. Turning up the radio she glances up towards the sky. Watching many shades of green fly overhead, Jenna comes out onto another dirt road. Breaking the almost too magical moment, the radio goes static. While she is busy fiddling with the channels an oncoming truck turns right onto the narrow dirt road. Before she has time to react, the impact of the truck sends Jenna into her windshield. Waking up in the hospital is the next thing she remembers. Looking around the blazing white room Jenna tries to remember how she got there. Feeling the stretchy light blue cotton blanket against her hands Jenna listens to the slow beeping of the heart monitor. Just then a doctor walks in the room.

“Good. You’re awake.” The doctor says.

“I was just coming in here to fill out your paperwork… but sense your up I guess there’s no harm in telling you now. You got a pretty bad bump on your head. Actually it’s more than a bump. You significantly damaged your Parietal Lobe.” Jenna gives him a confused look. Giving an eye roll, the aggregant doctor says;

“Your Parietal Lobe is the part on your brain that controls your body’s awareness, attention, perception and so on. You shouldn’t have any loss in function. If you do come in and we will do a check up.” Jenna nods. The doctor smiles then leaves the room.

As the soft orange and pink sunset starts to fade to the black night sky, Don, Harold and Tim sit in an old dinner right on the outskirts of Metropolis. The flickering neon red and orange sign in the parking lot cast an iridescent glow on the white and grey plastic table. Leaning back on the sticky foam booth, Harold looks out into the darkness with a worried expression reflecting back through the window.

“It’s getting dark out guys. I think that it’s too late to take the main road back. If we go through the woods, it will be a lot quicker.” Harald says.

“Haven’t you heard the story’s about those woods? Scary stuff. Lets just suck it up and take the main road into the city.” says Tim. Don looks stands up put his hands up to the glass window. Feeling the cold air of the window on his face, He squints his eyes.

“I agree with Harold. I think that we should go through the woods.” Sitting down Don playfully punches Tim in the shoulder.

“You don’t really believe in those old tales do you? Come on! Don’t be such a wuss.” Don says. Shaking his head Tim looks out the window, same as Harold and Don.

“Just not gonna happen. You guys can walk through those hell woods if you want to. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Slapping 10 dollars in the table, Tim walks out the door, under the neon and gets in his car. Leaving his friends in the diner Tim drives under the neon sign and into the darkness. Harold and Don star out the window in disbelief. Turning his gaze to don Harold says,

“Okay. Lets just get going before it’s too late.” Don nods his head and stands up. Hearing the little bell over the door ring on their way out, they walk under the neon sign towards the woods.

“Hey Don! Catch.” Harold says as he tosses Don a flashlight.

“Where the hell did you get flashlight?” Don questions catching the flashlight.

“Took it from Tim’s car before he left.” Harold says with a sly smirk across his face. Getting to the edge of the woods Don and Harold stop. Like a warning, the cold dark wind blows back on the men's faces. Their flashlight grew dimmer. Aiming the flashlight closer to the ground, Don felt Harold close in. Walking shoulder to shoulder the men found themselves in the middle of a circle of trees.

“We shouldn't go any farther. Lets head back.” says Don said.

“I’m starting to thin that Tim was right.”

“Nah dude. We already came this far. It’s only a little further.” Harold says.

Just then Don dropped the flashlight. Illuminating the ground Harold could see Dons feet walking ahead without the light. Scrambling to pick up the flashlight, Harold follows Don.

“Wait Don. Where are you going? Come back man!” says Harold.

“I see something ahead.” Don says. Harold hears his friends feet slowly crunching dead leaves as he walks into the blackness ahead. When he finally got to where Don should have been, he was nowhere to be seen. Shining the light around, Harold saw a face, only 2 feet in front of his. A women with long hair and skin like a ghost. Locking eyes with her, Don stood still. He couldn’t find it in himself to look away. Although subconsciously he knew what his future entailed; he wouldn’t make it to the morning. Yet Don followed the women into the dark forest, never to be seen again.

Jenna looks around nervously as she fiddles with her keys. Hands shaking uncontrollably Jenna finally gets her key in the lock. She goes right into the bathroom, trying not to get blood on her hardwoods floor. Tieing her long black hair into a bun she wizzes into the shower and scrubbs her skin raw until there was no trance of being in the woods. Watching the faded red colored water swirl down the drain, Jenna closes her eyes as her replays the last moments that she remembers from the night before. All she remembers is waking up in the morning, surrounded by two dead bodies. Crawling over to the body on her left, she had felt the wet ground on her hands and jeans. Unable to speak with shock Jenna looked at her hands, covered in the man's blood. Smelling the old rotting metallic smell of the blood, Jenna stumbled away from the body unable to control the tears falling freely from her face. Then she checked if they were breathing. She remembers the moment she realized that they weren't. She remembers that that was the moment her heart had sunk to the bottom in her stomach and tied itself in a knot. Jenna gave the man closest to her mouth to mouth, tears running down her cheeks onto the man’s limp body. After three minutes she pulled herself away from the body. Hands shaking Jenna carried the man though the woods, back the way she had came. The woods seemed to go on forever. Arms shaking uncontrollably Jenna remembers setting the body on the ground. She knew that she would never get back before dark at the rate she was going. Leaving the body Jenna hurried back to her apartment, desperately trying to cover up the blood dripping from her clothes.

Coming back to reality, Jenna thinks to herself:

I should go to the police. Their going to find the bodies eventually. My fingerprints are probably all over them. She runs ideas through her mind. Going to the police definitely seems like the best choice. Jenna gets into her car and starts towards the station. Stuck in traffic, Jenna turns on the radio to distract her from her own thoughts.

“Attention citizens of Metropolis!” Says the man on the radio. “This is your Metropolis police department. Earlier this morning two male bodies were found dead in the woods surrounding the town. The bodies have yet to be identified. If you have any information about the attack or the attacker, please contact Metropolis police station immediately! If this killer is found, the penalty is death! Plea-” With the mention of the death penalty Jenna shuts off the radio.

I can’t go to jail! Nevermind jail, I would be killed! I’m still young! I just got a good job at the newspaper. Driving past the police station, Jenna goes to work instead.

“Jenna! I need these papers taken to the downtown offices immediately!” says Mr. Brown. The overwhelming smell of black coffee and the clickety clack of computers keys fills the room. During the day Jenna worked in a local newspaper office. It was her dream to be a writer.

“Right way Mr. Brown. Do you need anything else while I’m out?” Questions Jenna.

“Could you be a doll and get the top writer’s their preference of coffee at the new organic coffee shop on Milton Street?” says Mr. Brown says, emphasise of the words ‘doll’ and ‘organic’. Jenna clenched her jaw and nodded. She says nothing about the fact that the organic coffee shop was over three blocks away from the offices. Dropping off the documents is easy. Jenna loves the women that worked at the front desk. Her name was Linda. Linda has been described as Jennas only friend. Getting in a taxi she makes her way over to the downtown offices.

“Hey Linda, Do you mind if I use the coffee machine? Brown asks me to go to the expensive coffee shop three blocks down.” Asks Jenna.

“Of course you can! Take as much as you want!” Linda replied with a wink. After getting the coffee, Jenna went out onto the streets. Rubbing her hands together Jenna watches her breathe materialize in front of her. Across the street Jenna hears a man and a woman arguing fiercely. Her eyes gaze across the street upon the couple unintentionally. The man pushed the women hard on the shoulders, causing her to fall back, eyes wide with shock. Losing her balance the women stumbles into the road. Before anyone could do anything, a COKE^®️ truck hurtles down the street and collides with the women. Leaving the women lying in the road the car swerves off the pavement and hits a nearby lamp post making a barrier for all other cars coming or going. Jenna stares at the car as she tries regester what she just witnessed. Soon enough the cops come, and Jenna leaves the scene, four cold coffees in her hand. When Jenna gets back to the office, She goes to Mr. Brown’s office with his coffee. Mr. Brown is sitting in his leather chair, hand on face, furrowed brow and talking on his black office phone.

“... Well that's um, uh, unfortunate… yes… yes… of course. Yes sir. Thank you. Okay… Bye.” As Mr. Brown conversation ends, Jenna walks over.

“Mr. Brown I know it’s none of my business but I was wonder-” tuning out Jenna’s voice, Mr. Brown takes his coffee and walks into the Main Space.

“Attention all writer’s! There has been a tragic accident just a few blocks away from us. Just terrible. The mayor's daughter has been in a accident. I would tell you more about it but you can find information on almost any news outlet around. Expect for this one. That's a problem! I just got word from the editors that they would like us to run a story on the accident. Now I know that the new issue comes out tomorrow, but we have to get this out! I need all writers on deck.” After Mr. Brown finishes every writer goes into a finger blurring typing frenze. Jennas heart skips a beat. She can’t stay here overnight. Jenna remembers that as much as she would like, she is not a writer, just an assistant.

“Mr. Brown? I was wondering leave early sense everyone is busy writing the new story.” Jenna asks.

“I guess you co-” Mr Brown gets interrupted. Linda has run up to Jenna and is squeezing her in a tight embrace.

“OMG Jenna! Are you okay?” Says Linda. “you were right outside the offices when the mayor’s daughter got ran over! It could have been you!” Jenna squirms out of Linda's arms and heads for the doors.

“Wait Jenna!” Mr. Brown yells. “I need you to go back up stairs and help the writers! A first hand account would put our story over the top! Get comfey because your going to be here for a long time. Potentially overnight!” Jenna’s heart starts to race. Remembering what she woke up to the night before there’s no way she can stay overnight.

But this might be my big break! Jenna thinks to herself. If I help with this story then I might get put on other stories. I have to stay. I’m not even sure if it was me who killed those people. I might have just been in the woods… a animals might have attacked them! It definitely couldn’t have been me. Even if there’s a chance that it was, what are the odds that it would happen again.

“ umm… Okay Mr. Brown.” Jenna says. “I’ll help out for a little bit. I don’t know how much of a help I will be.” Jenna turns on her heel and starts to walk back into the Main Space. Noticing all of the pictures of the wall, counting wall of the door she passes Jenna tries to stall. Eventually she gets to the Main Space. Stopping at the doorway all of the writers look up from their desks expectantly. Sitting down with a group of too eager writers, Jenna starts answering questions about her morning. Response after response, hour after hour Jennas answers get shorter and less detailed. She leans back on her elbows, eyelids getting heavy. Before anyone notices that Jenna has fallen asleep, a hollow, soulless look comes over her face. Strands of Jenna's long black hair falls in front of her nose. Green eyes clouded over with a white film, she slowly stands up. No one is leaving alive.