Chapter Text
It had already been one hell of a day when your car ran out of gas. First, you slept through your alarm and got an late and stressful start to your roadtrip. After driving for an hour you’d thought things would calm down but no, boom, car accident that lead to a traffic jam. It took you about half an hour of baking in the hot car, barely crawling past the lines painted on the road, to realize this wasn’t going to work. To your surprise and relief there was a small side road just up ahead, and as soon as you could you turned onto it and left that miles long traffic jam far behind. Surely this road would lead back onto the highway, or a highway-like road fairly soon? Well, after driving for two hours on a road the switched between cracked and potholed asphalt, gravel and sometimes straight up dirt and grass you weren’t so damn sure anymore.
And then, of course, you ran out of gas. Due to your hectic morning you’d forgotten to refill the tank, and now you sat there, perched on the hood of your car, on a beautiful sunny afternoon, stranded without a hint of cell service. Your best bet was potentially someone lived down this road, someone who’d drive by and be courteous enough to help you. You’d been sitting there for an hour and things weren’t looking good.
That’s when you heard a sound that filled you with joy and relief. The comforting sound of a rumbling car engine. And it was getting closer! Around a bend in the road, from the way you’d come, came a beat-up truck, and with it rolled a smell of death and decay in over you. You smelled it before it even got close, and when it did get close and actually stopped along side your car it was almost unbearable. You slid off the hood, clenched your jaw and tried to keep your breakfast down. Throwing up on the first soul that tried to help you wouldn’t be a great first impression.
A thin, scruffy-looking man wearing dirty jeans and a stained flannel and undershirt hopped out of the truck. He looked you up and down and smiled a broad, toothy smile.
“Having car troubles?” he asked.
“I’ve run out of gas and don’t have any with me” you answered him, trying to discreetly breathe through your mouth. The smell didn’t seem to be emanating from him, but he’d been absolutely marinating in it and a part of you began questioning if this was a good idea after all. The man was also, if you weren’t entirely mistaken, ogling you shorts- and tank top-clad body with unsettling interest. But now you got the ball rolling and had to play along.
“Well, it’s a good three hours to the nearest town in that direction, where I assume you came from” the man said pointing to bend in road, “not counting the traffic jam that’s happening” He chuckled to himself.
“The other way though, there’s a small town named Ambrose only ‘bout 30 minutes away. Got an operating station and everything. I’m headed there right now, I’d gladly give you a ride”
Well, you didn’t have much choice. You gave the strange man a tight lipped smile.
“That would lovely, thank you Mr …?”
The man laughed.
“Naw, just call me Lester!”
~
The ride in Lester’s truck was one of the most unpleasant experiences you’d ever had in your life. First of all, the smell was even worse on the cramped space inside. Apparently it came from the rotten, sun-baked roadkill that lay in the truck bed, staring at you with glassy dead eyes. You tried not to look back at them. Also, speaking of cramped, there were three seats in the truck but the one farthest to the right had a rather large, suspicious-looking stain that Lester claimed “hadn’t fully dried yet” which forced you to sit in the middle seat, almost pressed up against Lester’s leg. Whenever the shambling old truck made too harsh a turn you tried you best not to lean against the strange man, but you didn’t even have to worry about that because Lester took every single opportunity to nudge or brush against you. You tried to ignore him and the stains of old rotted blood speckling his clothes, which was getting increasingly difficult.
Not only did he touch you, he also very obviously looked at you. He seemed to know these roads well but part of you worried he’d crash the car with the amount of time he’d spend just roving over your body, eyes lingering at your legs, thighs, crotch and chest. He talked to you as well, first polite small talk that slowly got a little flirtier and flirtier, and made you more and more uncomfortable.
“Road-tripping all alone don’t sound all that fun” he said, glancing at the road before going back to undressing you with his eyes. You squirmed and wondered if this town even existed.
“I like it just fine” you answered curtly.
“You never know what could happen, wouldn’t it better if you had a friend with you?” The way he said the word friend made it clear he didn’t mean what he said.
“I can manage” you said. God, when would this road end?
Lester just grinned at you and continued to be the world’s least discreet pervert. He also continued to ask about your life, particularly about having a boyfriend. You said no, truthfully, you didn’t, and immediately regretted that decision when Lester perked up.
“Y’know” he said, having the actual, honest-to-God gall to put his grimy hand on your leg halfway up your thigh, “it gets real lonely out here, driving all day without company”
The truck hit a pot hole and lurched, giving Lester an ample excuse to “accidentally” slide his hand a little higher up your leg. You wondered if you had it in you to punch him.
“That’s unfortunate” you mumbled in a flat tone, trying to shift away from this creep.
“That’s why it’s so nice to come across a pretty girl like you every once in a while” he continued, brown eyes boring into you, hand squeezing your leg tighter. You were going to have to fight this guy, right?
That’s when salvation came in the shape of the woods opening up to a small, quaint town. The truck drove through a partially washed out section of road and when the truck violently lurched and shuddered Lester damn near grabbed your crotch with his “accidental” movement. At this you angrily batted away his hand. He looked surprised as he stopped the car.
“Look man, I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing but you’re cutting that shit out right the fuck now” you spat at him, “and open this damn door, we’re here”.
Lester looked genuinely a little hurt for a second.
“And here I thought we understood each other” he said. He leaned closer to you.
“C’mon, I could treat you right. It’s been so long since I last-“
You gave him a hard shove, pushing him away. Lester smacked his head against the car door and yelped in pain.
“You get the hell away from me, you goddamn freak” you snarled.
Lester stared at you for a second, rubbing the back of his head. Then his features hardened.
“Alright” he muttered before getting out of the car and walking around to open your door. You glared at him through the windows. To his credit he did let you out of the car, muttering something about ungrateful strangers. You immediately headed to the gas station a dozen yards away, only turning once to see Lester give you a glare before getting back in his truck and driving further into town. You sneered back and then went into the gas station, hoping whoever worked here was better than the man you’d hitched a ride from.