In still waters - страница 23

As they tore through the quiet streets of Austin, Bradley's hand closed around a bottle of gin nestled in the back seat like a talisman. The car stereo blared a cacophony of heavy rock, the playlist changing with the whims of Bradley's drug-addled mind. He headbanged with wild abandon, laughter spilling from his lips in a torrent of misplaced joy. The streets were a ghost town, most of the streetlights dark, as if the very city had turned its back on the pair.

Their reckless journey led them onto a road that snaked through a wooded area, plunging them into a darkness so complete it seemed to swallow the very beams of the car's headlights. Trees loomed on either side, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. Bradley raised the gin bottle to his lips, tipping it back for a healthy swig. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock, and he choked, spraying the windshield with a fine mist of alcohol.

"Jesus Christ! Hit the brakes!" Bradley's voice cracked like a whip in the confined space of the car.

Steven, more reflex than reason, slammed his foot on the brake pedal. The BMW fishtailed, tires screaming in protest as it skidded to a halt on the shoulder. The sudden silence, as Steven killed both engine and music, was deafening. Bradley's ragged breathing filled the void, his chest heaving as if he'd run a marathon.

"What the fuck, man?" Steven snarled, his words slurring together. "You just puked all over my ride, you asshole! What's your damage?"

Bradley's face had gone chalk-white, his eyes wide and staring. "There was… there was a person lying there. In the road. I swear to God, man."

Steven scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You're tripping balls, dude. There's nobody out here but us and the trees."

The certainty in Steven's voice did nothing to quell the rising tide of panic in Bradley's chest. He sank lower in his seat, his fingers digging into the leather upholstery as if it were the only thing anchoring him to reality.

"I'm telling you, there's someone out there!" Bradley's voice had taken on a plaintive, almost childlike quality.

Steven heaved a put-upon sigh. "Fine, if it'll shut you up, I'll go take a look. Gotta drain the snake anyway." He popped the door open, the interior light briefly illuminating his annoyed expression before he vanished into the darkness.

Seconds stretched into an eternity. Bradley's eyes darted frantically from shadow to shadow, his imagination populating the darkness with a thousand unseen terrors. "Steven?" he called out, his voice barely above a whisper. "You find anything?" The silence that answered him was deafening. "Shit, shit, shit!" Bradley muttered, his hand fumbling for the door handle. He managed to get one foot on the ground, his body following in a graceless lurch.

The attack, when it came, was swift and unexpected. Steven burst from the shadows, his face contorted in a mask of exaggerated terror that quickly dissolved into hysterical laughter. "Jesus, Bradley, you should've seen your face!" Steven howled, doubled over with mirth.

"You fucking asshole!" Bradley exploded, his terror transmuting instantly into rage. "I almost had a goddamn heart attack!"

Back in the car, the bottle of gin made its rounds, the liquor burning a path down their throats as they passed it back and forth. "Alright, time to roll," Steven slurred, throwing the car into reverse. "Gotta get this puke-mobile cleaned up tomorrow, thanks to you." The words had barely left his mouth when a sickening thud reverberated through the vehicle, followed by the unmistakable sound of something heavy hitting the asphalt.