Before anyone could react, a pall of light blue smoke filled up the car completely.
Mariah felt her chest tighten at once as her breathing shortened. She tried to yell out but it felt as if invisible hands were wrapped around her neck, choking her. Terrified, she reached out to the others for help but saw them all struggling to breathe through the strangling smoke as well.
Jag was the first to open his door and throw himself out. Tegan followed suit, as did Aari and Kody. Mariah was the last one out of the vehicle. She fell onto the gravel as she desperately tried to gasp for air. Her airway, filled with smoke, rendered her attempts futile. After several panic-filled moments, she finally felt minute streams of fresh air seep into her lungs. Feeling a glimmer of hope, she gulped in as much as she could.
She lay on the ground for a while, feeling weak, before slowly rolling onto her back and covering her face with her hands. The sounds of the others’ sputtering and gasping reached her ears as they lay on the ground, splayed and exhausted.
It took a couple of minutes before Jag was able to pull himself up. “You guys alright?” he wheezed.
“Think so,” Mariah answered feebly.
Aari coughed for a bit before replying. “Well, I can breathe now . . . ”
‘Yeah’ was all Kody could say before he resumed sucking in air.
“Teegs?” Jag called.
“I’m okay,” Tegan responded from the other side of the Jeep. “Just trying to get my breath back.”
The friends eventually got to their feet and staggered to the front of the vehicle. “What just happened?” Kody rasped. “Who was that man?”
“And where is he?” Mariah looked around; their assailant was nowhere to be found, and neither was the red Mustang.
“He’s driven off,” Jag said angrily before erupting into a series of coughs. “We should report this.”
A silver SUV pulled up beside them. To Mariah’s surprise, Tony jumped out of the vehicle and ran toward them, looking worried. “Hey, you guys okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think so.” Jag dusted himself off. “Thanks.”
“What happened?”
“Some guy acted like he wanted directions. The next thing I know, he popped a smoke bomb into the car and drove off.”
“Any one of you know him?”
The five shook their heads.
Tony stared at the exit of the parking lot, eyes narrowed. “Going after a bunch of kids . . . What’s wrong with the world today? You know what, you guys stay here. I’ll be right back. Do you know what car he was driving?”
“It was a red Mustang,” Mariah answered wearily. “But what are you—”
“Stay put!” Tony was already running back to his SUV. “I’ll be back as soon as I can!”
The friends watched the silver vehicle tear out of the parking lot as if in pursuit. “What is he doing?” Aari asked, bewildered, between sporadic coughs. “Is he really going to go after that jerk?”
Mariah leaned against the hood of the Jeep. “I think so.”
“He’s like a guardian with black belts in multiple forms of self-defense.” Kody paused dreamily. “You know, I quite like that.”
Mariah sighed and rubbed her eyes as Jag took it upon himself to check over every one to ensure that they were, in fact, alright.
It was nearly fifteen minutes later when the SUV returned to the diner’s parking lot and pulled up beside the five. Tony got out, wearing a look of satisfaction. “That guy’s not going to be bothering anyone anytime soon.”
Jag looked over at him. “What did you do?”
Tony shrugged and smiled a little. “Taught him a lesson he’s bound not to forget. Don’t worry, he’s just a crazy prankster. You guys are safe.”
Kody shook Tony’s hand, obviously liking that they seemed to have gained a protector. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem. You guys found a place to rest tonight?”
“We were gonna check out that motel there,” Aari said, pointing to the building across from the diner.
Tony grimaced when he saw the
Mariah felt her chest tighten at once as her breathing shortened. She tried to yell out but it felt as if invisible hands were wrapped around her neck, choking her. Terrified, she reached out to the others for help but saw them all struggling to breathe through the strangling smoke as well.
Jag was the first to open his door and throw himself out. Tegan followed suit, as did Aari and Kody. Mariah was the last one out of the vehicle. She fell onto the gravel as she desperately tried to gasp for air. Her airway, filled with smoke, rendered her attempts futile. After several panic-filled moments, she finally felt minute streams of fresh air seep into her lungs. Feeling a glimmer of hope, she gulped in as much as she could.
She lay on the ground for a while, feeling weak, before slowly rolling onto her back and covering her face with her hands. The sounds of the others’ sputtering and gasping reached her ears as they lay on the ground, splayed and exhausted.
It took a couple of minutes before Jag was able to pull himself up. “You guys alright?” he wheezed.
“Think so,” Mariah answered feebly.
Aari coughed for a bit before replying. “Well, I can breathe now . . . ”
‘Yeah’ was all Kody could say before he resumed sucking in air.
“Teegs?” Jag called.
“I’m okay,” Tegan responded from the other side of the Jeep. “Just trying to get my breath back.”
The friends eventually got to their feet and staggered to the front of the vehicle. “What just happened?” Kody rasped. “Who was that man?”
“And where is he?” Mariah looked around; their assailant was nowhere to be found, and neither was the red Mustang.
“He’s driven off,” Jag said angrily before erupting into a series of coughs. “We should report this.”
A silver SUV pulled up beside them. To Mariah’s surprise, Tony jumped out of the vehicle and ran toward them, looking worried. “Hey, you guys okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think so.” Jag dusted himself off. “Thanks.”
“What happened?”
“Some guy acted like he wanted directions. The next thing I know, he popped a smoke bomb into the car and drove off.”
“Any one of you know him?”
The five shook their heads.
Tony stared at the exit of the parking lot, eyes narrowed. “Going after a bunch of kids . . . What’s wrong with the world today? You know what, you guys stay here. I’ll be right back. Do you know what car he was driving?”
“It was a red Mustang,” Mariah answered wearily. “But what are you—”
“Stay put!” Tony was already running back to his SUV. “I’ll be back as soon as I can!”
The friends watched the silver vehicle tear out of the parking lot as if in pursuit. “What is he doing?” Aari asked, bewildered, between sporadic coughs. “Is he really going to go after that jerk?”
Mariah leaned against the hood of the Jeep. “I think so.”
“He’s like a guardian with black belts in multiple forms of self-defense.” Kody paused dreamily. “You know, I quite like that.”
Mariah sighed and rubbed her eyes as Jag took it upon himself to check over every one to ensure that they were, in fact, alright.
It was nearly fifteen minutes later when the SUV returned to the diner’s parking lot and pulled up beside the five. Tony got out, wearing a look of satisfaction. “That guy’s not going to be bothering anyone anytime soon.”
Jag looked over at him. “What did you do?”
Tony shrugged and smiled a little. “Taught him a lesson he’s bound not to forget. Don’t worry, he’s just a crazy prankster. You guys are safe.”
Kody shook Tony’s hand, obviously liking that they seemed to have gained a protector. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem. You guys found a place to rest tonight?”
“We were gonna check out that motel there,” Aari said, pointing to the building across from the diner.
Tony grimaced when he saw the
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