My Car Broke Down In The Middle Of Nowhere, And Now I’m Pretty Sure I’ll Never Get Home

“I don’t think she’s gonna want t’see ya, Mo” Tommy said, still turned toward the work table.

Morgan raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in confusion. “She called.” Tommy continued. “I don’t know how she knew my number.”

Caller ID, you idiot, Morgan thought.

Morgan stiffened in his chair and took a deep breath. “What did you say to her, Tommy…? Tommy, what did you say to her?” Morgan repeated.

Tommy turned around finally facing Morgan, and displaying what he had been working on. A newly sharpened filet knife hung by his side.

“Tommy…?”

“I told’er y’all weren’t comin’ back. That ya needed some time ‘part…” Tommy’s head went to his shoes again. “That ya met som’one new, and were in love.”

Morgan felt the wind leave his body. His face went pale.

“Tommy…” Morgan said looking at the knife in Tommy’s rugged hand.

“Yeah, Mo?”

“Are you going to kill me?” Morgan whispered looking into Tommy’s bright blue eyes.

Tommy paused and walked over to Morgan’s chair.

“I don’t wanna… If ya stay I won’t have’ta. I promise. If you stay, we can be friends ‘n talk ‘bout girls ‘n drink whiskey ‘n go huntin’. It’ll will be fun. I promise.” Tommy said, now at his knees in front of Morgan.

“Tommy, I have to go home. Please let me go. I don’t know why you have to do this.” Morgan voice was tired and hoarse. Tommy brought his face to Morgan’s face. Closer than normal speaking distance. Almost close enough to touch lips. And then he whispered, “’Cause he’s making me.”

“Who?” Morgan whispered back. “Who is making you do this?” His voice was desperate.

Tommy stood up and pursed his lips. “Will you stay with me?”

“No, Tommy! I need to go home!”

“This can be yer home.” Tommy’s eager eyes turned upward.

“No it can’t!”

Tommy stiffened and slid the knife into the holder around his waist. He took a deep breath.

“Yer a writer, right Mo?” Tommy said as he walked behind Morgan’s chair.

“…Yeah?” Morgan strained his neck to see what Tommy was doing behind him.

Tommy grabbed a pair of bolt cutters from a hook on the wall and pulled Morgan’s pinky finger back.

“Tommy! What are you doi—“

Before Morgan could finish, Tommy stuck the bolt cutters around his pinky finger and clamped them shut.

Morgan didn’t feel the pain right away. His initial scream came from the sight of his right pinky finger falling to the ground and blood spurting out from his empty knuckle.

The guttural noise that came next was from the pain. Morgan jolted in his chair, jumping and squirming at the pain. Tommy walked over to his workstation and grabbed a blowtorch. He came back and fired it at Morgan’s missing finger and cauterized the wound. That caused another scream from Morgan. Tommy watched as Morgan screamed and howled and lurched back and forth. He watched until Morgan’s head began to slump and only his chest heaved in and out. The pain was unlike Morgan had ever felt before. He couldn’t imagine losing another finger to this maniac. He clammed his eyes shut and grimaced.

“Okay Tommy…I’ll stay with you,” Morgan breathed.