Entry #1

Entry #1
by B. Krahn


The moon looked like a big old flashlight– God’s flashlight– coming through the clouds. A comforting thought as I trudged along the cliff road with no luggage, no reliable map, and now no car. Apparently they don’t do spare tires in Spain. How the heck was I going to find my vacation rental, the "Casa Del Mar" in the dark?

Movement ahead caught my eye: someone walking on the road, toward me. A man in a cap materialized from the shadows of the rocky cliffs nearby. The closer he got, the slower I walked, until I stopped altogether.

"Senorita Bellamy?"

Relief poured through me.

"Yes. Si." He knew my name; he must be the local agent.

"Is late, si?" His teeth appeared. A smile. "I come to find you. You have no bags?"

"In the car," I explained with a wave behind me. "I got a flat tire."

"No mas," his smile broadened. Big teeth. "No need. Come."

He waved his hand to indicate the moonlit road ahead and as he turned I could have sworn I saw a tail. He felt my hesitation and paused to look back. His eyes glinted. Red. I blinked and the color disappeared. Boy, was I sleep deprived.

"You come?" he said. Another toothy, oddly compelling grin.

I took a deep breath and glanced up at the moon.

"Si, si. . . I come."