Chapter 10: Longest Nigh Ever

They stumble out of the club arm in arm. Amanda leans over starting to tell her something before bursting into hysterical giggles.

"I guess I'm driving." That only starts another set of giggles. "That's a yes." Sera guides her over to where she could have sworn the car was. The street is completely vacant except for a few yellow taxis waiting out front. Her eyes scan the street again just in case.

Amanda laughs. "Where's my car?"

“I don't know," Sera mutters. "Stay here." She points to the sidewalk before unwrapping her arm from Amanda's and walking up to the bouncer gabbing into his cell phone.

“Do you know what happened to our car?"

“They must have towed it." He shrugs, making his muscles gyrate with the motion.

“Towed it?"

“There's no parking on this side."

“What? There's no sign here!"

“It's down there." He points to a rusted sign halfway down the block.

“Why didn't you warn us?"

He shrugs, returning to the conversation on his phone. Jerk. Sera turns, Amanda stands there in her tiny little dress shivering and wobbling in her heels. She has to keep it together to get them home.

“Sera? You're still here!" Jacks voice calls from behind her.

With a sigh, she spins back around, "Our car got towed."

“We can give you a ride!" he announces a little too happily.

“I don't—"

“Just trying to find the friend that drove us here." He keeps glancing around, "Short guy, dark hair, have you seen him?"

“No," she states with a shake of her head. A shiver rakes through her. Sera wraps her arms around herself.

“Crap."

“I guess we are in the same boat," she sighs, "Where do towed cars go?"

“I'm pretty sure the city has an impound lot."

“Great, let's get a cab." Sera wanders up to one of the yellow cabs sitting out front. Leaning in the open window she tells the driver they need a cab to the impound lot.

His dark eyes squint. "How many?"

"Three."

His eyes hold her gaze as he waves the trio inside. She shivers again.

“Amanda, come on. We are going to get your car."

“Okay." Amanda prances toward the cab on her tiptoes and slips around to the other door. Jack motions Sera to slide in first. Sandwiched between her two friends, the cab driver takes off through the city. The cab reeks of food and garbage. Sera has to hold back bile as she turns to Jack.

“Can we open a window?" she mutters leaning toward him.

“It's cold out there." He turns to face her now, his breath hot on her cheek.

“The smell doesn't bother you?" Her face scrunches with her words.

“What smell? That's just the city." Jack waves her off, returning his attention to the window. Sera returns her focus to the cab driver. He's wearing a hat which casts a shadow over his eyes. His gloved hands twist on the steering wheel.

Sera's eyes glance out the front window, the sights around her no longer vast and impressive, just unfamiliar, and a reminder that they are far from home. The cabbie turns around to strum up some conversation.

“Where are you guys from?"

“Outside the city," Sera mumbles.

"Angelica," Amanda answers like she's in school. Sera nudges her to shush.

"Angelica, huh?" His eyes meet Sera's in the rearview mirror. She gets a gut feeling that telling him was a bad idea. The car zooms around, weaving through traffic. The driver never seems to step on the brake. His head swivels toward the back seat. "What brings you into the city tonight?"

“A little chaos," Jack jokes, still staring out the window. Sera doesn't miss the color in his face fading.

“Yes, chaos." The driver smirks, returning his eyes forward. They flick once again to the mirror. Sera squirms in her seat, rubbing shoulders with both her friends. Those eyes... she needs to get out of this car.

The longer the car continues weaving in and out, the more her stomach fills with something other than queasiness—anticipation. She's getting that sixth sense that something is off.

The cab screeches to a halt outside the impound lot, finally.

“Thirty-six, fifty," The cab driver turns to announce.

“Thirty–six, fifty!" Sera gasps.

Amanda is the first out of the car. Jack lingers, tossing Sera a twenty-dollar bill, slipping out as well. Digging through her wristlet for some money, she pulls out another twenty before glancing up. When she looks up, his face is watching her intently.

“Here you go." She attempts to hand him the money—he doesn't take it. His eyes still study her. "Um..."

“You're a ways from home."

“Excuse me?"

RUN. The little voice inside her says.

The temperature in the car drops a few degrees; her skin prickles with electricity again. The driver opens his mouth to speak, but words never seem to come. Instead, Sera watches in horror as black and blue beetles cascade from his mouth. They fall into the seat in front of him. Their hard shells clack together. The driver's arm suddenly starts to wiggle, his gloves clench to a fist as it shapes itself into something—a tentacle. It extends for her as the beetles begin to topple over into the back seat. They climb over each other trying to get out the open door. Sera snaps to attention, slamming the door shut just as the tentacle lurches forward. The suction cups on the underside pressed hard against the window between them. She can faintly hear the popping sound as he pulls it off the glass.

Sera spins to run toward the gate when she spots a lone beetle trying to escape on the sidewalk. She stomps her heel through it, squishing it until blue goo oozes from its sides. When she looks up again, the cab is gone.

The tall entryway looms above them. Taller than all three of them combined with barbed wire wrapped on the top. Sera stands beside her two friends. Police officers run back and forth, while others sit in their parked cars ready for action. A night in New York City, one never knows what they are in for.

“Are you two just going to stand there all night or are we going in?" Amanda calls over her shoulder as she wobbles slightly on her heels heading through the open gate.

“Yeah, let's go." With one last glance at the street, Sera heads into the impound lot. Once through the gate, they veer toward the building marked Office. The line at this time of night is longer than she expected. Everyone before them is in various states of dress, most in heels and dresses, sparkles shimmer on the floor, and one guy looks to be in his pajamas. Then there are the tourists, no doubt trying to get their rental cars back.

“I'm going to sit." Amanda points to an open chair in the corner, leaving Jack and Sera alone, again.