Short Stories

About: What happens when you’re out minding your own business, and you have a car accident with another driver involved, but come to find out that you may have interrupted a murderer’s getaway? That’s the current events unraveling in Hazel Valentina’s life when she’s driving back from getting fast food in Roanoke, Virginia. At first, Hazel doesn’t think much of the slight accident until she coincidentally sees something that she believes she isn’t supposed to see. A dead body in the trunk with criminal evidence. A robbery turned to murder. Stuck between a man who’s eerie and suspicious, but also frightening. What happens when Hazel confronts the man about finding the dead body in the trunk? Can she secretly reach out for help in time? Or will she become the man’s next victim? Can she escape from the man in time? Read now to find out a frightening part of Hazel’s life that she won’t ever forget…

Albert hid in the shadows behind some bushes in front of a house in a quiet neighborhood as he watched the elderly man leave his home, most likely leaving his wife behind and alone. After making sure the closet was clear, he found a way into the elderly couple’s house through an open window on the side of the house, wearing all-black clothing and a black mask covering his face, only exposing his eyes and mouth. Once inside, he slithered around in secret as he found places to hide here and there. He continued to hide in the house as he watched the elderly man’s wife, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Finally, after a while, he noticed the perfect opportunity approaching, and she was taking the bait right to him. Noting that she was now in the hallway, cornered, he jumped out from the hidden shadows of old furniture as she screamed.

“Tell me where you keep your money, old lady, now,” Albert violently protested in a deeper, disguised voice.

With the belt in his hand that he had previously worn on his pants, he watched as the elderly lady backed up slowly until her back reached the back wall, scared but trying to hold her guard as she was cornered.

“Not a chance, sonny. I’ll give you whatever else you want, like my jewelry. Just please don’t tell me.”

“I don’t want your jewelry,” he retorted, “I want your money. Give it to me now.”

“M-my husband will be back from his errands. We’ll call the police.”

He chuckled, “Not going to happen; I saw him leave not too long ago.”

Stunned, the older lady didn’t say a word as he got closer and closer to her, fear creeping onto her face, knowing she was cornered.

“I’m giving you one last chance, Grandma; hand over the money in your safe,” he stated as he whipped the belt and saw her flinch.

“Never,” she protested.

Grunting in anger from his short temper, he ran behind her, strangling her as she tried everything she could to break free. Her eyes were getting bloody, and he tightened the belt, but it wouldn’t kill her fast enough. In an instant, he grabbed the gun from the back of his pants and let go of the belt as she gasped for air. He flashed it in front of her and shot her two times in the chest, killing her instantly. Afterwards, Albert carefully cleaned up the best he could and wrapped her body in the black trash bags he found in the house. When that was finally done, he searched the house for ages, but eventually, he found a safe, found a way to break it open, and took the money inside. After piling all the evidence and her body in the trunk of her car, he drove away with the keys he found by the door. He drove to find a faraway place to bury her and the evidence. But little did Albert know that his plain getaway would come to a pause.

~~~~~~~

“You know, baby girl, you are so beautiful…I may do things to you before I kill you,” he muttered directly in my ear as he leaned down, and I felt his breath along my neck, raising goosebumps on my skin.

Jesus Christ! He climbed on top of me, trapping me, and I watched him slide my pants down to my feet. Oh my god, no, please God no! This can’t be happening! I started to scream and panic, hitting him as much as possible, not wanting anything but what was about to come. How did I get here in this present moment? I’d better start at the beginning of it all…

~~~~~~~

~ Hazel’s POV ~

It all started with me being in my apartment on a late autumn afternoon.I’d been feeling happy and content with my life so far, but I couldn’t decide what to do for dinner after spending all afternoon cleaning up. Hey, it’s my day off from work, and this needed to be done anyway. It’s about to be dinner time soon. I looked around in the kitchen for dinner meals, but instantly remembered that I forgot to go to the grocery store as I had meant to. I was so into my own thoughts that it startled me when I heard my stomach rumbling as my white kitten Snowball started to meow at my feet. I giggled lightly as I leaned down to pet her as she rubbed her head at my ankles. I went into the living room to sit down on the couch. After spending minutes thinking about dinner, I finally decided to go for some fast food instead of running to the store now.

I looked at Snowball and spoke to her as if she could understand me, “I’m going to go grab dinner at Burger King, girl. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

I pet her head for a few moments as our love always brightens my days. I seriously need to remember to go food shopping since I don’t have any dinner meals. Snowball purred against my hand as I giggled and petted her before I got off the couch. I ensured I had everything I needed, including shoes on; I walked and locked my apartment door. I’d ensured Snowball had food and water in the kitchen beforehand. On the way to Burger King in my red PT Cruiser, I blasted “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5 through my cell phone via Bluetooth. I liked listening to music while singing along, especially while driving, as it makes doing things more fun. After a while of driving on the highway, I immediately pulled out of my singing zone at the Burger King drive-thru. I had ordered a Whopper combo with medium onion rings and a large Dr. Pepper.

When my order was ready, I took my food and sat in the parking lot as I ate and listened to music on the radio. After finishing my dinner, I got on the highway to go back to my apartment. I was singing “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift when someone behind me started honking their horn rudely. The person’s car slammed into my back bumper, which pushed me forward. This caused my car to violently bump into another vehicle in front of me. I quickly pulled over to the side of the road as the person in front did too. I grunted in frustration, preparing to go out and look. I grabbed my phone and got out as I glanced to see a man in his early thirties beside his light fender bender on the grass. I sighed deeply, peeking at the front of my car to see my front bumper dented and the front of the vehicle damaged. I focused on his car damage, which was the same as mine, but in the back.

While the man was busy on the phone, I saw that the trunk was dented, and you could obviously peek inside. So, curiosity getting the best of me, I did. And what I saw with my own eyes made shivers go up and down my spine and through my body. It seemed like a dead person was wrapped in black trash bags in his trunk! I’ve watched enough crime shows to know stuff like this. It was outlined in the shape of a body, and I could practically smell the blood in his trunk, which was strong. I couldn’t tell whether the body was male or female because the trash bag covered the head, and there was nothing I could tell to distinguish the gender. There was a belt with blood and a .45 caliber gun, probably filled with bullets, towards the back of the trunk, along with a black mask and lots of money. I shrugged my shoulders as I tried to remain calm, not wanting to make a scene for him to notice what I saw. On the inside, I was scared---I felt my heartbeat increase inside my chest. What if he were a murderer? Should I even say anything to him? Would he kill me, too, if he found out I knew?

Within a minute, I got the courage and approached the man once he was off the phone, “Hi, I’m sorry about the damage and crash. Some person behind me acted like an idiot, pushing me forward and making me hit your car. I’m really sorry.”

The man seemed fidgety and nervous because he wouldn’t stop moving his hands and was also shuffling his feet around when I explained what had happened.

The man stuttered, responding, “It’s all right, trust me. I know how r-rude people these days can be. If-if you w-want, I can p-pay for your damage also. You look like a young l-lady without m-much money.”

I smiled kindly, thinking it was nice of him to say something of that nature since some people wouldn’t. But granted, it also wasn’t either of our faults, and the person responsible drove off fast in a huff.

Again, he stuttered a bit but appeared to put on his best poker face and say, “I’m s-sorry, my name’s Al-Albert; what’s y-your name?”

“Hi, I’m Hazel,” I simply responded.

We respectfully shook hands as his hands felt sweaty, too---something was up with this guy. There’s no doubt about it. I watched enough crime to know these things. My eyes kept wanting to return to the body within his trunk. What was he doing with it? Is he a murderer? And yet again, should I tell him? I started to freak out in my mind, unsure what to do. My heart started pounding in my chest, and nervousness almost took over. I didn’t want to appear scared, so I tried to shake it off. Instead, I decided to ask him honestly about it boldly. Only one way to find out.

“Why’s there something that seems to be a dead person in your trunk?”

I instantly regretted asking him that. Damn it to hell with the bad decisions that get me into trouble.

“T-t-this isn’t my car; it’s my grandma’s. She let me b-borrow it since my c-car’s being repaired. W-what was the q-question?”

I sighed, thinking it was a lie; I could tell by the look in his eyes and how he was acting. He’s trying to cover up his tracks from his crime and get away with it! Did-did I just crash my car into a murderer and interrupt his escape plan? I glanced down at my phone to see that I had gotten a text from my best friend, Selena. While his back was turned, I quickly texted her back, telling her I needed help and asking her to call the police for me, giving her the address where I was. By the time I finished with that, I heard the trunk of his car close as he looked at me with an evil smirk. Uh-oh. I’m in trouble. This isn’t good. Oh crap. He told me to walk straight, where no one could see us. I felt something against my back as I walked. Oh my gosh, is he holding the gun from his trunk? He directed me to keep walking into the woods nearby on the side of the highway. I stopped and turned around as he directed.

Albert put the gun against my throat as I gulped, fear starting to show, and he muttered, “If you tell anyone what you think you know today, I will watch your back; otherwise, you’ll be the next victim.”

Crap. This is so not good. And I’m stuck with really no way out but one sliver of hope. My breathing became quicker as I felt a pit growing in my stomach. He threatened to kill me if I told anyone what I said, but it was too late now because I had already told my best friend that I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see, and Albert didn’t know. I know she’ll call the police for me; she knows me too well. I took notice that he stopped stuttering all of a sudden. I couldn’t move as he walked closer to me, still holding the gun in his hand. With this other hand, he used his fingers to start going up my shirt and down to the hemline of my blue jeans. He forcefully threw me down to the ground.

“You know, baby girl, you are so beautiful…I may do things to you before I kill you,” he muttered directly in my ear as he leaned down, and I felt his breath along my neck, raising goosebumps on my skin.

Jesus Christ! He climbed on top of me, trapping me, and I watched him slide my pants down to my feet. Oh my god, no, please God no! This can’t be happening! I started to scream and panic, hitting him as much as possible, not wanting anything but what was about to come.

So, this is how I got to be where I am currently. And to be frank, I’m frightened down to my core. I don’t want this. I don’t want to die. I’m young; I have so much life left to live. I saw an ungodly look in his eyes as my whole body felt frozen, seeing the gun still in his hand. Oh, Jesus, I’ve seen this before on television a bunch of times. Now, I’ll admit it, I know what’s happening. He’s going to do things to me before killing me, and nothing I’m doing so far stops him. I don’t think I can stop him on my own. My only hope is for help to come before it’s too late. I can’t give in or give up; I have to keep pushing forward. But at the same time, my body is frozen in fear. He unbuttoned my shirt as he started to kiss my neck, going downward down my body to my jaw and to the top of my chest. I screamed, hitting his head, trying to break free from his firm hold, but it wasn’t working.

“P-please d-don’t...I-I don’t want this…” Please,” I exclaimed and begged, terrified.

He kept going, placing kisses down my body, down to my stomach and my waist as my breath quickened in fear; my heart felt like it was about to pound out of my chest. The next thing I knew, he placed his fingers on my panties as I gasped in fear, begging him to stop and saying I’d do anything to keep quiet.

“Someone, please, help me,” I finally shouted into the air after a minute in my last defeat.

My screaming became louder and louder as he put his hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming, and I knew what he was about to do next just by the feeling.

Then, I heard nearby, “Put the gun down and put your hands in the air now!”

I briefly lifted my head to see that it was the police, finally. Thank God.

“Let the woman go now and stand up with your hands behind your back!”

I said softly, turning my head to look at the officers, “Please…please help me.”

“Just hold on, ma’am, help’s here,” an officer said as he glanced down at me.

Albert stood up and quickly tried to flee the scene, but some other officers ran and quickly pinned him to the ground before he could escape and go far. They quickly put his arms behind his back and handcuffed him as they stood him up. A good-looking young officer who was standing by my side approached me and helped me up to stand as I watched Albert being taken away to the back of the cop car.

“Are you all right, ma’am,” the friendly officer asked as he took off his cop jacket and placed it around me.

I nodded my head and muttered, “Yeah, but only thanks to you. You…you saved my life. Thank you.”

“It’s all part of the job,” he responded with a soft smile.

I sighed, trying to fully calm down after what happened, as I put my clothes back on while he stood guard, not leaving my side. With his jacket still wrapped around me, he wrapped his arm carefully around me as I walked with the officer back to his cop car to be questioned. I thought I would be questioned right then and there, but apparently, I had to go with him to the station to be interviewed. After arriving at the police station, he led me into a back, enclosed room, and we sat down at a table. The friendly officer, named Nathan, interviewed me about everything that happened, and I was scared. He knew I was, but he was so sweet and kind to me, letting me take my time. And his cop jacket was still wrapped around me, which brought me such comfort. I told him about the accident, which led to what I saw in the trunk of Albert’s car, and everything following until they showed up. Little did I know that it would be a very long process after this.

~ Many Months Later ~

Well, it’s been some time now since that day, and let me just say, I’m so, so glad that it’s over. But on that same day at the police station, the friendly and handsome officer named Nathan explained that Albert was a cold-blooded murderer who escaped from jail years ago and was never found until that day, with me. As time went by with the investigation, the police and detectives found out that Albert had killed an elderly lady who wanted to rob her for money cause he probably needed it. When the elderly lady refused, he started to choke her with the belt, which didn’t entirely kill her. So, he grabbed the gun and shot her two times in the chest. He took her money from the safe and the keys to her car, driving away with her body wrapped in trash bags. This explains the black mask and the money I also discovered in the trunk.

Police suggested that Albert was probably planning to bury her somewhere far away when I unfortunately just happened to bump into him and crash into the accident. Not too far afterwards, the car and money were also reported missing by that elderly lady’s husband that same day when she was killed, since he called the local authorities and reported it. God, I can only imagine the pain he’s been in. They must’ve been married for many, many years. I’ve been thinking of visiting the elderly man so he has some company, instead of seeing each other briefly in court, but maybe one day. Anyway, it turned out from forensics that the gun had a fingerprint that later returned to Albert, and there was blood spatter on the belt, and it came back later to prove that it was the old lady’s. This ties him to the crime; there’s no going back.

He’s guilty, not innocent; there’s no doubt about it in my mind. Much later, I had to go to court with the police and detectives for Albert’s trial since I was an eyewitness, and with the events that happened to me as well. In the end, the judge ruled that Albert was charged with second-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and attempted rape in my case. He got sentenced to jail for life with no possibility of parole, so I’ll never see him again as long as I live. And I can live in peace. After the trial that day, the handsome cop, Nathan, finally asked me out on a date since it was obvious all this time we had a clear interest in each other. Of course, I said yes, and now I can happily say that Nathan is my boyfriend. While my life is now working out better, the horror and experience I witnessed with Albert will stay with me. The dead body I discovered in the trunk is a day I’ll never forget.