TRACY ANTOINE - THE WRONG HITCHHIKER

Tracy E Antoine is a up and coming new writer. In high school, Tracy began expressing her emotions through poetry and short stories. Dealing with the loss of her younger brother, during Hurricane Katrina, she began writing detail accounts of her life. Tracy also found she had an interest behind the camera. She took her love for writing and photography to the next level and enrolled at Full Sail University to pursue her Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment. After she graduates in 2019, she plans to start her own entertainment firm, that will publish novels and create films.
You can view some of her most recent photography at www.theteafirm.net or connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-e-antoine.

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The Wrong Hitchhiker
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​In a tight white tank and pink and white extra short shorts, Tess heard the sound of the truck getting closer.  The huge red 18 wheeler barreled around the long curve as the sun began to set.  She waved her arms frantically, using her bright pink bag as a flag. Her heart began to race and she felt the sweat on her brow. The truck screeched to a halt, in front of her.  The window rolled down slowly.
"Where to little lady?" she heard a creepy voice ask.
 "As far as you can bring me." answered Tess.
"Hop in," the driver said. "What's your name darling?"
"Brittany."
"Well you can call me Goldie," the driver said flashing those two dingy gold teeth.


 Tess walked up to open the door of the truck. She quickly slid the zipper of her pink backpack open, to slightly expose the black and gold handle of her dagger.  Tess shifted the backpack to her right shoulder before closing the door. She sat on an old cracked leather seat that rocked as the truck began to move as "On the Road Again" played from the radio. Tess looked around the shabby truck, for any weapons. The knobs and buttons on the dashboard and radio were faded and there was empty Burger King bags and wrappers everywhere.  From the rearview mirror, hung purple, gold, and green, beads Tess was sure Goldie had gotten from Mardi Gras, that had just ended a day ago. After all that's where he had seen Mara, her best friend.
The smell of urine and liquor was so strong, Tess felt as if it were burning the hairs in her noise. The smell caused her to vomit but she swallowed it back down to keep from alerting Goldie .  Tess wasn’t listening as Goldie drove and talked.  She was trying to control her nerves.  You must wait until the right moment or you will die, Tess reminded herself.  No mistakes and no hesitations, you will never get this chance again.
 "Yeah, you sure are a sweet little thing," hissed Goldie, between those ugly gold teeth.
Tess faked a giggle. "So I've been told," she responded back.
"Vegas is my next stop.  A pretty little thing like you can do big things out there."
"Really?"
"Yes ma'am. I can set you up with a partner of mine when we get there, if you like."
"You won't live that long," Tess mumbled underneath her breath.
"What's that you said, pretty lady?"
"You would do that for me?" Tess quickly lied.
"Well hell yeah!"
"So what can I do for you, Mr. Goldie?"
"It's just Goldie, and you can do whatever your pretty little heart desires."
In that instant Tess went from nervous to angry. She knew now more than ever that this wretched creature needed to be extinguished. He had killed her best friend Mara, because she fought back before he had a chance to sell her to the black market. He'd snapped her neck and tossed her body out like the garbage that laid on the floor of his truck. Although there had not been enough evidence to convict him, the little bit of information she had gotten from the detective and her own digging had led her straight to him. This had been his regular route for the last 3 years and just like clockwork, she was in place at just the right time.
 Mara had not been the only girl he had tried to sell, but on her life, Tess vowed, she would be the last.
An hour had passed and Goldie rambled on and on, while taking a gulp from an old beaten up flask. Tess barely spoke, just an occasional giggle or "really?" here and there. She was waiting for the right moment, to execute the monster who took her one and only friend. The truck began slowing down.
"Well pretty lady, I gotta drain the main vein," sneered Goldie "care to hold it for me?"
"Sure Goldie, just come around to my side."
The truck came to a sudden stop and Goldie laughed loudly, "now that's what I'm talking about!"
Goldie threw the truck in park, hit the hazard lights opened the door and jumped out the truck. As soon as he got in front of the passenger door, Tess kicked it open, hitting Goldie in the face and knocked him down.
"What the hell!" he yelled.
Before he could get up, Tess was out of the truck and on top of Goldie. He struggled under her small frame, probably from the liquor. 
"I was going to have some fun with you first, but now I'm going to kill you slowly, he growled.
Tess punched him in the nose, so hard she heard the bone break. "Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit, you won't live to kill anyone else!"
Goldie fought to get up, swinging his arms wildly. Tess punched him a few more times. Goldie laid very still now; blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
"This is for Mara," Tess said and shoved the dagger all the way through his neck.