(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Eleven - Stalking Van

I hope you guy are ready for this *waggles eyebrows* Buckle up. 

RILEY

THIS AFTERNOON, I finally received Mom's old car shipped from California. She decided I could have it after giving the Ford a complete makeover.

It had been too ancient for me to drive it across the country, but now it looked brand new. The painting had been refreshed, every spot of rust removed, and the mechanic had switched all the outdated parts. The interior remained untampered, but it had been thoroughly washed. It brought a plethora of childhood souvenirs, the most memorable ones being Mom driving me home after surfing lessons and stopping by for ice cream.

The engine purred without choking. Sweet.

I grabbed it for a test ride and halted at Jen and Adam's house to show them. I went inside to greeted their parents, then I settled upstairs for homework, drawing Spartacus in the room. 

Adam and I tried not to be clingy in front of Jen, but it didn't work too well. She rolled her eyes and laughed it off.

Her parents eventually called us down for supper, and I decided then to leave, much to their dismay. I said I hadn't planned on staying this long. I patted Spartacus on the head and opened the front door, moving toward the Ford in the calm, inanimate night. 

The sky had turned a light shade of copper and lilac, the sun hanging low in the horizon. Houses streamed their Christmas lights across the desert street, illuminating the vicinity with sparkles and flickers of all hues.

It was beautiful and comforting, something to cheer me up with the icy weather. 

"Riley, wait!"

Blinking toward the sound, I seized Adam running down the steps with a rectangular object in hand. The closer he got, I discerned a familiar book cover. I stretched over the space, opening the passenger door. 

"Thanks, I forgot this one. You can just leave it on the seat."

"See you tomorrow, okay?" He reached across to kiss my cheek, then cupped my face and greeted my lips. "I'll bring some leftover brownies for lunch."

"Yum. That'll make getting out of bed easier."

He got called back in and it was time to go. I followed him in the rearview mirror until the door closed behind him and his mom. Rubbing my thin gloves to warm up, I settled behind the wheel and switched the ignition. 

Everyone was cooped up in their homes.

I drove past a black van parked at an intersection, and I remembered the men in black roaming around town. I'd seen those kinds of vans before, as if they weren't subtle or creepy enough. What was it that kept them in Oakwood so long? I turned the corner, cruising past the vacant playground. When I glanced into the rear-view mirror, the van tailed quietly behind.

Uneasiness made my skin crawl, though I couldn't explain why. Would they ask me to pull over and investigate me? They would most likely turn at the next corner. I was being too paranoid.

As I kept riding, no siren blared for me to stop. It followed in the same direction, braking at the same red lights as I did. My eyes regularly bounced between the road and the mirror. Every time I checked again, the van tailgated. The only road that led to my house—and nothing else—was a lone avenue at the edge of the forest. I had to reach the circular junction before engaging in that avenue, and I was approaching it.