Then, as she stood there, watching the people walk by in confusion with all the chaos around them, the cab drove up and rolled down its window.
“You call a cab?” the cabbie said.
“Yes!” Rachel said. She was so grateful that the cab was here and she was finally going to make her big escape. She knew she was cutting it close as people started flocking into town to hear about what had happened. It was like a scene from a movie.
“Where to?” the cab driver asked.
“The train station,” Rachel said, hiding her head still to ensure the cabbie wouldn’t be able to track her down once the news broke. She didn’t want him to remember that he drove the criminal to the train station to make her get away.
The car started driving along towards the train station and as she rode in the back seat she couldn’t help but feel ashamed of what she just did. She didn’t know what had come over her to do such a thing. She realized it was a strength she never knew she had before and it was almost uncontrollable. Her mind was telling her body to do things she didn’t even know were possible.
“So, where you headed?” The cab driver asked.
Rachel looked up at him and saw that he was staring at her through the rearview mirror. His large brown eyes looking back at her made her feel a bit nervous. She didn’t know how to answer that question, after all she was a fugitive and she didn’t want anyone to know who she was or where she was going. Not even the most unassuming of people, like her cab driver.
“I’m going to visit my grandmother,” Rachel said. That was the truth, after all.
“That’s nice of you. No school today?” he asked.
“I’m taking the day off!” Rachel answered.
“Oh, well then. Do your parents know what you’re doing?” he asked, in a concerned tone. “They might punish you for skipping school.”
“Don’t worry about me, please, Sir. I am fine. My parents don’t care. Everything is just fine!” Rachel replied, getting upset at his nosiness.
“Maybe I should be driving you to school instead of the train station!” the cab driver said.
“Sir, please just take me to the station,” Rachel yelled. “I don’t have time for this.”
“You know cutting school is an offense!” the cab driver said.
Rachel couldn’t help but think that killing two people was a bigger offense and she’d better get out of there quickly before they found her. She figured the police didn’t care if she was cutting school.
“Listen. I don’t really want to talk anymore. Can you please just drive?” Rachel asked. “I’m not trying to be rude, I’m just not in the mood.”
“I can, but people call me Dr. Billy. I’m not really a doctor but my friends like to talk to me about anything. They say I can cure people of anything. So if there something you need help with my child?” the cab driver asked.
Rachel didn’t quite know what to make of this conversation. It was getting weirder and weirder by the minute and they were still a far ride from the train station. She wished at that moment she had called a different cab company, or gotten a different cab driver. The last thing she needed was a therapy session from this cabbie. She knew she was in for it though, since she wouldn’t let him turn around and drive her to school.
“I’m ok!” Rachel said. “Thanks, though.”
“I have a girl your age, you know. She’s going through a lot now with her friends and boys. I help her though everything. Trust me, there’s not a situation I can’t help someone with. So, try me! I’m all ears,” the cab driver insisted.
Rachel didn’t know what to say to this guy. He was clearly not taking no for an answer and desperately wanted to talk to her. She thought this was little creepy but decided she’d indulge him in some of her problems. Why not? She had nothing to lose.
“Well, if you insist,” Rachel said, as she took a deep breath to begin her story. “I am a senior in high school, and have been away for two years, but the thing is, I completely forgot what happened the past two years. I’m suffering from amnesia, I completely ruined my relationship with Brian, there’s a guy named Rob who’s come back from my unknown past saying that he is my boyfriend, my mom is in the hospital because of the stress I caused her, my sister is away at college, my brother is acting a bit strange, I have supernatural strength that I didn’t know I had. Oh, and my friends all ganged up on me last night. I think that pretty much sums up what I’m going through right now. No wait, there’s one more thing! My dad is making me see a shrink because I’m so crazy.” Rachel stopped talking, and looked at the driver’s eyes in the rear view mirror. She could see his eyes growing big and bright as if he’d just heard the craziest story of his life. “So, now that you know my story. What advice do you have for me?”
Rachel waited for the cabbie to answer her, but he was dumbfounded. It seemed as if he didn’t know what to say back. She waited for a minute and then said, “Well, Dr. Billy, it looks like I’ve stumped you!” Rachel said.
“I’m not stumped, I’m just trying to process everything you said. Boy, you really are going through a lot. Now, I see why you took the day off of school. It must be hard for you to wake up and face each day with all of this going on. I wish I could help you, but I’m afraid you need a real professional to help you with these issues. These stretch far beyond any problems my children have had and anything I’ve heard of for that matter. I’m sorry, really I am,” the cab driver said.
Rachel slunk back into her seat as she heard him speak. She knew she was in way over her head now. As if the problems she was facing weren’t enough now she was a criminal, a true criminal running from the law. She carefully omitted those details in her list of problems to the cabbie. She couldn’t imagine his response if she’d added that one in. He would probably have crashed the car.
“Do you mind if I turned on the radio?” the cab driver asked.
“Nope,” Rachel replied.
The cab driver turned on the radio and started tuning to different stations.
Breaking news, two are found dead after beating by a young girl in Pennsylvania. Girl said to be…
“PLEASE TURN THAT OFF!” Rachel yelled, trying to stop the driver from listening to the news.
“Do you hear this?” the cab driver said.
“What?” Rachel asked.