The Wolf Cult
The Lights

Jaelynn took the 40 mph road going 60 mph. She fidgeted with her rearview mirror, turned the music up, and turned the heater on, warming her cold, stiff fingers.

She was still on edge about the whole confrontation. She reminded herself that she would get this over with, and before the weekend was finished, she’d be back in her nice comfortable home, only worrying about her nice comfortable job as a financial advisor.

She took a few loud breaths as she drove. She tried to sing along with the music to relax, but it did nothing for her nerves. As she took the winding road, her heart clenched. A vehicle caught up to her at an unnerving speed.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, she thought, being paranoid, but sped up all the more. Was she being followed? When the truck tailgated her, despite her speeding, the red and blue lights came on and calmed her nerves. It was just an undercover cop.

Then she looked at her speedometer. She was criminal speeding. This was going to be fun. With her nerves on high, she almost hit her brakes. Luckily, she didn’t because it would have caused the police officer to rear-end her. It made her feel uncomfortable about how close his vehicle was to hers, and she clenched the steering wheel tighter. She got herself together and made her way to the edge of the road.

Before she was even going a slow enough pace to pull into the gravel, she noticed something. The lights of the police vehicle flickered as if they were a cheap knockoff brand and were about to go out. Her brain was full of silence as she took a breath and listened to her gut.

Jaelynn turned off the music and searched for her phone. She quickly dialed 911. On the third ring, a voice came in. “911, what’s your emergency?”

“Hi, I’m currently on Wesley road, headed eastbound towards highway 52. There’s a truck with blue and red lights trying to pull me over. However, I don’t think it’s a cop. Could you please confirm?”

“What’s your license plate, ma’am?”

“3RX5TV”

“And you said you were on Wesley road?”

“That is correct.”

“Ma’am, we have no police currently in that area calling for a pullover. I’m sending a car now to meet you on route, but don’t stop before they arrive.”

She couldn’t register what the lady was saying on the phone. Her nerves were flying off the wall. She had to force herself to speak, “Okay. Ugh. Fuck.” Jaelynn hyperventilated as she processed the lady’s words and made the wrong move to speed up.

“Ma’am, I’m going to ask you to remain calm and stay on the phone with me.”

As she sped, the truck flashed its lights.

“Shoot! How long until the cops arrive?”

“Our nearest unit is about ten minutes out.”

Jaelynn let out a nervous laugh as she nibbled on her lips. Her voice betrayed her. “I don’t think I can wait that long.”

“Ma’am, everything will be alright. Just remain calm. What road markers do you see so far?”

“I… umm… I see nothing. There’s nothing here.” She tried to look, but with the flashing of the truck’s brights behind her made it complicated.

“Alright, keep your eye out. Is it just you in the car?”

“Yes, I am alone.” The shakiness in her voice made her feel like crying. She would even give for her foul mother to be in the car with her. Anyone, so she wouldn’t be alone right now.

Jaelynn clenched the phone in her hand as she tried to drive. Up the road was a green light reflecting from her car lights. A road marker!

“Ugh, there’s a road marker up ahead!” She shouted into the phone. “Thre—” the phone jolted out of her hands as she braced herself. The truck was now strategically hitting the back of hers. She let out a scream.

It took both hands on the wheel to stay in lane. She looked down at the passenger side floor and saw her phone light up. It showed her home screen of a yellow daisy she grew in her garden back home. She narrowed her eyes, and her heart sunk. There was no sign she was still on the phone with 911.

Fuck me! She now knew she was on her own. There was no way she could reach for her phone. Think, think, think, she lost all thought as the truck reared into her again. A scream bellowed from her lips.

The police know the direction I’m headed, so… I need to stay on this trail as much as possible. Jaelynn thought as she punched the pedal to the floor. She took some space from the truck, which was now honking, flashing its lights, and trying to catch up to her.

Jaelynn’s phone rang. She looked down at it from where it lay, wishing she could answer it. Her heart froze when she saw the unknown number coming in. Her mind flashed back when Darren called her phone, and she answered it to say it was her number. She remembered glancing at the phone only quick enough to replace the answer button, then nervously met Darren’s gaze as he looked down at her with his heavy brown eyes and eyelashes so thick that no doubly lured his prey to him. She didn’t remember his number, but she vaguely remembered it also ended in a 62.

What would be the coincidence? She thought as she shook her head, trying to fight the truth. No… no… no… She cried. She had no clue what was going to happen to her. She tried to stay on route, but it seemed hopeless as the vehicle caught up to her and rammed her from behind again.

Just then, she saw the light come in from the other direction. It was still far away, but she knew her little car would not last until the cops came.

She flashed her lights at the oncoming car. She turned into the car’s lane quickly and hit the brakes.

The truck behind her didn’t expect this to happen and pushed into her one last time, causing her to lose the wheel. The car spun out of control. The vehicle from oncoming traffic blared its horn and broke as fast as possible.

Jaelynn attempted to gain control of the car, but by doing so, she felt her car lift in the air and come back down to earth with a thud. It landed the wrong way, causing the car roof to crunch inward, not allowing her head to have the needed space.

Then she felt as the car lifted and rolled again and again. She clenched her jaw shut so tightly that the screams remained in her chest. She felt her left cheek smack into the car window moments before the glass shattered. The glass shards brushed against her skin. Her head smacked the roof hard on a pointed area and then flung forward, hitting the steering wheel connecting straight to her nose. She felt it break, but couldn’t hear anything over the loud crunches of the car rolling down the hill.

Then she blinked, and it was like she’d never open her eyes again. She felt herself go in and out of consciousness.

She was suspending upside down from her seat belt. An odd chill ran down her body at the recollection of Daren telling her to buckle up before he let her leave. Had he known? She tried to open her eyes, but the warm liquid covered her face, not allowing her to open them. She blinked, but it was no use. Her body felt numb, but her heart still patted like a racehorse running away from danger. She knew she had to run away.

“What the hell, Colton!” the chilling scream of a familiar voice echoed. She felt her body turn to ice as she heard the gruff male tone. He was pissed, but it was still undoubtedly his voice. Any hope that she was overreacting faded away with his footsteps. “I told you to pull her over, not run her off the road and kill her!”

“I’m sorry, boss. She was calling the cops.”

“How the fuck did she know you weren’t a real cop?”

“The lights went out.”

“Hell! Call Joshua now and tell him to get on it.”

She could hear them talking as feet slid ungraciously down the hill, her car just rolled down. She quickly fumbled for the seat belt. As she undid the belt, her head fell to the vehicle’s roof with a smack. All was black.

Thank you so much for reading the second chapter of The Wolf Cult!

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Hope you enjoy the next chapter! <3

P.s. Grammar Nazis are welcome!