Satan's Vessel

*

Kaitlyn's heart started to race as she turned back ahead. She hugged her handbag to her breasts. She could see the bus stop now—it was just ahead. But it didn't ease her fears. What was she going to do when she reached it? The bus was still ten minutes away. A lot could happen in ten minutes. A lot could happen in two minutes.

Her mind whirred at the possibilities. She could call the police. But what would she tell them? That she thought the man behind her was stalking her, for no other reason other than he was simply there on the same dark and lonely street?

Kaitlyn looked over her shoulder again. He was still following, his hands still tucked into his pants, his face still lowered. He was actually quite a big man, tall and broad and possibly muscular beneath his heavy sweater. She hadn't realised that back in the bar when he'd been sitting hunched over his table in his lonely corner. It made her heart skip a beat.

She turned back and to her relief saw two more men up ahead. They'd just turned the corner further down the street and were walking towards her. Both were dressed in identical heavy cloaks and broad-rimmed hats. Maybe she could ask to join them. Maybe she could ask for help. Maybe they could chase "Grey Hoodie" down, tackle him and kick him in the guts.

The bus stop came and went as she kept walking. The realisation that she was actually doing this made her heart thunder. Things like this never happened to her. She could hear him behind her. In her increasing terror, his footsteps were sounding as loud as a beating drum. He was walking faster. Her heart was pounding in her throat as she also picked up the pace, her heels clacking much too loudly against the footpath. It was difficult in her heels. How was she going to run?

'Wait, Kaitlyn!' came his familiar husky voice. 'Stop! Keep away from them!'

She whipped her head back over her shoulder. Grey Hoodie was almost running now. With a shriek, she raced towards the two men. 'Help me!' she cried. 'He's chasing me!'

Both the men looked up. Only metres away, she slowed, then stopped. Something wasn't right. Something wasn't right about them. Though she couldn't think what. It was just a feeling. An instinct. Run. Run! A cold shiver darted up her spine. Clutching onto her handbag like it was a shield, she started to back away. The two men kept walking towards her steadily, wordlessly. A streetlight they passed beneath blinked out.

'Kaitlyn!' Grey Hoodie's footsteps were like thunder now.

She turned back and raised her hand against a sudden sharp light that split the night. There came the squeal of tires and the roar of an engine. Vaguely, she saw that Grey Hoodie was sprinting, the lights from the vehicle speeding on the road behind him casting him in a blinding glow. Everything felt so surreal, like she was dreaming.

The car roared past. Kaitlyn screamed as it left the road, veering onto the footpath straight towards the two men.

All she could do was watch.

One dove out of the way into the bushes. The other wasn't so quick. With several nasty thuds, he rolled up the bonnet, onto the roof and down the other side. Kaitlyn turned her head with a wince as he hit the footpath with a sickening smack. It was a sound she would remember forever. When she turned back he was a mangled lump on the ground. The car had pulled to a stop on the footpath further ahead, its headlights illuminating the trees of a nearby park.

Silence fell. The streetlight blinked back on. Frozen, Kaitlyn stared.

'Kaitlyn.' A warm hand slid into hers.

With a shriek, she turned. She tried to rip herself away, but he was so strong! 'Let go. Let go! LET GO!'

'Hey! What's going on over there?' Both Kaitlyn and Grey Hoodie looked over their shoulders. Three young men had stopped and were watching them from further down the street.