A STRANGER IN THE PAST

The music was still thumping when Lydia Bennet finally pushed herself out of the booth. She picked up her bag from the seat beside her and looked at her two friends. “I’m leaving.”

Kendra raised a brow, then groaned dramatically. “Already?”

Lydia smiled at her, knowing that if it was up to Kendra, she'd stay out till the sun came up. “It’s almost one in the morning.”

“So?”

“So I have rehearsal at nine.”

Mia, who had been sipping the last of her cocktail, tilted her head. “You say that like you’re not the one who agreed to take on a music video three days before the shoot.”

“I didn’t know the choreographer was going to change half the routine.”

“You’re a professional dancer,” Kendra told her. “You’re supposed to make difficult things look easy.”

“I do make difficult things look easy.”

“Then stay for another drink.”

“No.”

“One more.”

“No.”

“Half a drink?”

Lydia shook her head, laughing. The bar was crowded and warm, filled with the energy of the Friday-night crowd. Colored lights swept lazily across the walls, occasionally washing their table in blue or purple. Music vibrated beneath their feet, and somewhere behind Lydia, someone burst into laughter loud enough to turn several heads.

She glanced at her phone. 12:47 a.m. Her smile faded slightly. “I really should go.”

Mia sighed, looking disappointed. “Fine. But text us when you get home.”

“I will.”

Kendra pointed a finger at her. “And don’t forget your rehearsal and sleep through your alarm.”

“I won’t.”

“And—”

“Kendra.”

“I’m just saying.”

Lydia laughed again and slipped her phone into her bag. She knew her friends meant no harm and were just being supportive, but sometimes they were a handful.

Mia stood and hugged her first. “Good luck tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t hurt yourself trying to impress them.”

Kendra wrapped her arms around Lydia next, squeezing her tightly. “You know you can stay at our place tonight, and you're welcome anytime.”

Lydia pulled back. “I know.”

“You don’t have to go home alone.”

Lydia gave her a knowing look. “Kendra, you and Mia live twenty-five minutes in the opposite direction.”

“So?”

“So I’m not making you drive all the way across town because of me. You guys should go home too.”

For a moment, she looked at the two women standing beside each other. Kendra and Mia had been friends long enough to feel more like family than friends. They lived together, argued like sisters, shared clothes without permission and somehow always knew when Lydia needed someone. She loved them for that.

“Goodnight.” She said as she turned to go.

“Goodnight,” they called after her, the sound of their voices following her all the way to the door.

Outside, the night air immediately cooled her skin and she inhaled deeply. Much better. The city stretched around her in a glittering maze of headlights, streetlamps and illuminated buildings. Even at this hour, it was alive. Cars rolled steadily along the avenue, music spilled from another bar down the block, and a few people stood in small groups on the sidewalk, talking and laughing.

Lydia adjusted the strap of her clutch and headed toward her car. By the time she reached it, she was already yawning. She unlocked the door, slipped inside and started the engine. Turning the music down low, she pulled away from the curb just as thoughts of rehearsals the next day entered her mind. She needed to clean up the second section of the choreography. There was a difficult transition she’d been struggling with, and the director wanted the movement sharper. She mentally ran through the sequence, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Turn.

Drop.

Step.

Spin.

She smiled faintly. She’d been dancing professionally for years, and yet there were still moments when her body felt like it belonged to the music more than it belonged to her. Another yawn escaped her. “Okay,” she muttered. “Definitely bedtime.”

She had barely made it twenty minutes down the road when the traffic ahead slowed, then stopped. Lydia frowned at the sea of red brake lights stretched ahead of her. “Oh, come on.”

She waited. Five minutes. Ten. Nothing. Then she checked the navigation app. An accident had occurred, and traffic was barely moving. She leaned back against her seat and sighed. At this rate, she’d be home after two. Glancing at the map, she noticed another route. It would add a few minutes if the road was clear, but it would allow her to avoid the traffic entirely.

There was only one problem. The road was isolated. Lydia had used it once before and hated it. There was something about that place that creeped her out so badly and she had no idea why. It wound through a heavily wooded stretch on the outskirts of the city before eventually reconnecting with the main highway. During the day it was fine, but at night. Absolutely not.

She stared at the route for a moment, then at the unmoving traffic. “Fine.” She decided as she turned the car around.

She drove fast, careful of the speeding limit, but eager to get home as soon as possible. For the first few minutes, everything was normal. Streetlights became fewer. Buildings disappeared. The road narrowed, then trees began to crowd both sides. Lydia’s grip tightened slightly around the steering wheel. To feel less lonely, she turned the music back up and tried not to think too hard. It wasn't easy but she tried.

The headlights carved a narrow path through the darkness. There were no houses or shops or pedestrians or any other cars. Just trees. And darkness. Eventually, she started to regret her choice. She should have just had some patience with that d*mn traffic instead of taking this risk. She checked her phone. No signal for a moment. Then one bar appeared. Phew…

A few minutes later, the engine coughed, and Lydia frowned. “What?” The car jerked, then coughed again. “Oh, no.” She pressed the accelerator. Nothing. The dashboard flickered and the engine sputtered, then stopped. Silence swallowed the car.

Lydia sat frozen in shock. She wanted to scream, but decided that it wasn't a good idea. “No. No. No.” She said in a panic as she tried the ignition. When nothing happened her heart began to beat faster. “Come on.” She tried again. Nothing.

She looked through the windshield. The road stretched empty in both directions. Her mouth went dry as grabbed her phone. She had one bar, but that was enough to call Kendra, who answered after three rings,

“Kendra?” She said, “My car stopped.”

“What?”

“My car. It just stopped. I think there's a problem with the… Ermmm…oh who cares. The point is that it stopped.”

“Where are you?”

Lydia gave her the road name and Kendra went quiet. “I thought you hated that road.”

“I do, but the main road was blocked so I —”

“Are you inside the car?” Kendra interrupted, immediately using her protective voice.

“Yes.”

“Lock the doors.”

“They’re locked.”

“Good. Stay inside. I’m coming.”

Lydia released a shaky breath. “Please hurry.”

“I will. Send me your location.”

“I already did.”

“Okay.”

They ended the call, and Lydia looked toward the dark road ahead. She almost couldn't believe this was happening to her. Of all the days she decided to use this d*mn road. She checked the doors again to make sure that they were locked, then sat back and tried to calm herself. She was being ridiculous. Kendra was coming. She had her phone and—

A shadow moved beside the driver’s window and Lydia’s heart stopped. For her own sake she sincerely hoped that she'd imagined it, but she knew what she saw. She barely had time to turn her head before a man stepped into view. A gun was pointed directly at the glass. She screamed, just as another man appeared on the passenger side, his weapon raised as well.

“Open the door!”

Lydia froze. She couldn't hear them clearly, but any idiot would understand what they were saying and what they wanted her to do