I glared at the wide cloudless sky that stretched above me, so much bigger than I’d ever seen back home in Maine. 

“Arrrgh!” I screamed.  My voice fell flat against the never ending wind that blew in this forsaken place.  I resisted the urge to stomp my feet like a three year old.  It wouldn’t do me any good anyway.

Squinting through my sunglasses against the overly bright sun, I studied my surroundings: dirt and rocks.  A few large rock formations towered on one side and there was a lone fence post leaning sadly against the wind that always seemed to blow.  Certainly nothing that could help me.  I searched the horizon for a tell-tale dust trail, or even better, the bus, but again there was nothing.

With one dusty converse, now more brown than the original black, I kicked the flat tire that had trapped me here in the middle of nowhere New Mexico…or was it Arizona, now?  These small rural roads never seemed to be marked.  It wasn’t the real tire though, no that one had gone flat miles back.  I had managed to change it, somehow recalling the one lesson I’d gotten in car care years ago before my father left. 

Not that it did me any good.  The donut had also gone flat before I could get anywhere near civilization.  I gave the offending piece of rubber another good kick, wincing as I jammed a toe.

I stared down the road.  It was still empty in both directions as far as I could see, which was pretty far in this wasteland.  I’d stayed where I was too long.  They always said to stay where you were when you got lost so you’d be easier to find.  I figured the bus would have to be by eventually.  It hadn’t come and now the sun was getting lower in the sky then I cared to think about.

I wrenched the car door open and grabbed my phone off the seat.  The no signal sign still blinked across the screen.  Jamming the worthless thing in my pocket, I pulled my backpack from the backseat.  My water bottle caught my eye.  It sat in the cup holder up front, all but empty.  No point in really taking it.

I guzzled the last few mouthfuls and threw it to the floorboard.  I locked the car, not that it would stop a determined thief.  Hitching my bag onto my shoulders, I began to hike down the road.  There had to be a gas station somewhere…right?

Not so much as a prairie dog had crossed my path.  I could feel the heat of the day sucking what little energy I had.  My head throbbed.  The sun finally began to sink below the formations beside me, casting long dark shadows across my path.  I perked up in the cool shadows and quickened my pace.  I chose not to dwell on the fact that it meant night was falling.

A dark shape swooped in front of me and I stifled a scream.  This was no time to get hysterical.  It flew past again, this time landing in front of me.  I froze.

The biggest bird I’d ever seen in my life regarded me.  Its head cocked to one side as though considering its options.  I couldn’t tell if it was a crow or a raven.  I’d always gotten them mixed up.  It must have been old.  Besides being the biggest one I’d ever seen, it held one wing slightly from its body.  The feathers stuck out at odd angles, like it might have been hurt at some point.  It cocked its head, studying me.  Creepy.

After several uncomfortable seconds it opened its beak and cawed.  I jumped.  Irritated with myself and the bird I flapped my hands at it.  “Shoo!”

It squawked again and took off into the air.  I exhaled and began trudging up the road again.  It was a race against the sun and it soon became obvious I was losing.  I licked my lips but my tongue was too dry to provide any relief.  My mind wandered to my favorite chapstick I’d left laying on my nightstand and I felt my lips wither more.

I peeled my t-shirt from my skin, the logo from a camp I’d attended several years ago stretching out of shape.  My ponytail tickled the back of my neck, annoying me, and I wound it into a bun, tucking the ends in.

All too soon the burst of energy fizzled and I was dragging my feet.  The sun flared to life as it dipped between two mesas, illuminating the barren, red land around me.  I watched in horror as the sun sank further in the sky.  My head began to pound painfully and I felt lightheaded. 

I tried to ignore it as I shaded my eyes from the final rays of sunlight.  I searched for any sign of life; preferably a bus full of my fellow students or a little old lady in a nice sedan.  I was utterly alone unless the giant tumbleweed that rolled down the road counted as company.

I’d been camping enough to know just how dark it was about to get.  Once the sun set I would be nearly blind until the moon rose.  I started jogging, forcing my body to move faster than it should be.  I’d deal with those consequences later…if I lived.  The mental picture of my emaciated, dehydrated body lying on the side of the road, scavenged by coyotes spurred my feet on even quicker.

The final rays of sunlight grew thinner as the sun slipped farther below the horizon.  An eerie howl pierced the silence around me.  I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself.  Another howl ripped through the air, much closer this time, though from the other side of the road.  My pulse began to pound through my veins.  I picked up my pace, despite my dizziness, barely keeping my footing at times. 

Twilight was falling as headlights blazed behind me.  I spun, swaying, as I faced the oncoming vehicle.  Unconsciously, my hand reached for the pepper spray my mom had bought me before leaving.  I didn’t want to face a pack of coyotes or whatever was howling out there but at least I had an idea of what they were and what they wanted.  Who knew what kind of real monster could be coming for me.  Suddenly dying of dehydration didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world. 

The crunch of the vehicle’s wheels slowed down and grew louder as it moved to the side of the road.  I couldn’t see a thing in the blinding light and I didn’t like it.  I gripped the small pink canister tighter.

A door squeaked open and slammed shut.  Someone moved into the beams casting a shadow over me.  I could just make out a silhouette.  Long hair swirled in the air and my hopes flared. 

“Can I help you?” a voice called.

I froze.  The voice sounded friendly enough, not that it was always a good indicator.  I’m sure plenty of serial killers seemed nice enough before they started to kill you.  What really bothered me was that the voice was distinctly male.  The figure moved closer and I felt my body tense.  My eyes darted to either side, mapping out possible escapes routes…just in case.

“Are you okay?” the voice asked.  The guy must have sensed my unease because he stopped several feet from me.  Clearly Native American, his skin nearly blended in with the red dust that covered his black t-shirt and jeans.  He stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for me to answer.

My heat battered, water needing brain tried to process my options.  I was not getting into a car with a strange guy.  I’d seen too many horror films to be that stupid.

“I’m-” my voice cracked, along with my lip, and I tried again.  “I’m fine.”

He raised a dark eyebrow at me.  I knew what he must be thinking and squared my shoulders.

“I’m just walking down to the gas station.”  I tried my best to sound like I knew the area and at the same time prayed he’d say something like, ‘Oh it’s just over the next hill’.

Instead he frowned.  “The nearest gas station is over ten miles away.”

I slumped in defeat barely staying on my feet.  I squeezed the bridge of my nose where my headache was building to explosive proportions.  Another howl drifted towards us on the wind, but not as close as the last one had been.

The boy went rigid, turning an ear to hear more clearly.  The howls had already freaked me out but his reaction did more than that.

“Look, why don’t I give you a lift,” he said, taking a step towards me.  I backed away, maintaining our distance.  He scowled and glanced over his shoulder.  “Seriously, we need to get out of here.”

For some strange reason I wanted to trust him, but my more practical side smothered the unusual reaction.  He took another step towards me, his arms reached out and he grabbed my arm.  Oh my gosh!  He’s going to kidnap me!

I whipped out my canister of pepper spray and yanked my arm out of his grip.  “Don’t touch me!”

My head exploded with pain, pinpoints of colored lights flashing across my vision.  My mouth felt like cotton and I swayed as my vision faded out and back in.  I stumbled, my toe catching on a rock.  I felt my grip loosen on my pepper spray and I tried to grab it as it fell.  The ground moved swiftly towards me and everything went black.