The Two-Door In The Parking Lot








Ezra Azra

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© Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra

 Photo by Polina Tankilevitch: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-holding-raspberry-4109996/
Photo



by Cole Keister:



https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-behind-gold-paper-2388647/Photo by Polina Tankilevitch at Pexels.Photo



by Cole Keister:



https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-behind-gold-paper-2388647/Photo







by 100 files:







https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-posing-in-arabic-clothing-with-genie-lamp-15499799/

The two-door vehicle slowly pulled into a space at the far east end of the parking lot of Legion Hall 8391. It was early evening. Thick rain clouds overhead made the early evening seem like midnight. The occupants, husband and wife, were excited. Whenever they attended events at that Legion Hall, they parked there, at the far east end; their lucky spot since their first-time entry and triumph a year ago.

The cake inside the box on the back seat was their second-time entry in the bake contest about to begin within minutes inside that Legion Hall in front of them. The Hall was ablaze in festive lights and decorations; especially the east-west walkway along the front of the Hall that connected at either end with a City street.

The couple paused inside the car. They held hands and squeezed to calm their excitement. They were completely oblivious to the impending storm from above them.

The storm from above erupted. Thunder, lighting, strong gusts of wind, and sheets of rain. The building went dark. The parking lot lights went off; even the exit lights which generally survive all weather disasters.

The couple looked at each other in dread. Both tried mightily to hold back tears. Mercifully, because they had been so suddenly plunged into such personal distress all at once, they did not notice other happenings that would have dangerously increased their misery. The normal sudden occurrence of sirens, police and other official assistance, at the outbreak of cataclysmic weather bouts anywhere in the City, seemed to be particularly concentrated this time in the vicinity of the east end of the Hall walkway.

In the midst of the storm, and the east end siren chaotic cacophony, another car pulled up into a space at the far west end of the parking lot; no headlights; it was a black long limousine-type.

The couple noticed, for the first time, that the two cars were the only vehicles in the lot. Perhaps it was just as well that the couple did not see a connection between the appearance of that second vehicle and the shrieking conglomeration of screaming siren noises.

"Has the storm stopped them from coming?" "We got here before the storm. Nothing was going to stop us." "Come to think of it, I wondered why there are no pedestrians along the walkway." There was silence.

Both stared at the dark building in front of them. Both turned their heads slowly to face each other. "Did we get the date wrong?"

Faintly, through the rain, thunder, lightning, and wind, they heard what sounded like three gunshots. Had the shots been at shorter intervals, they might have happened unnoticed so far away inside the two-door. As it was, the couple were facing in its direction when the third shot went off inside the limousine-type.

In whispers, "Start the car! Let's get out of here!" "No. They will know we are here." "They have seen the car." "But they do not know we are in it." "They might come here to check." "Let's hide in the back seat." "Okay. Be careful of the cake."

Slowly, they struggled over the seats. They dared not open the doors. Eventually, they were sitting in the back seat.

The cake survived, in all its beauteous perfection.

The couple was right. The limousine-type slowly approached, to check for witnesses; no headlights. It stopped.

A dark figure exited the passenger side and came to the two-door. The dark figure cupped its hands against the window on the driver's side, and peered in. The rain splashing against the glass made it difficult for the dark figure to see through the glass. Nonetheless, the dark figure seemed satisfied that the two-door was empty. If the dark figure had wanted to peer into the back seat, it was deterred by a sudden violent lightning-thunder combination in the blinding rain. The dark figure hastily went back into the limousine-type.

Seconds following, the dark figure returned, dragging a corpse which it ditched against the two-door. The limousine-type slowly left; no headlights.

The couple crouching in fear in the back of the two-door, was unaware of the corpse ditched against their two-door.

The thump the ditching made against the two-door, would have been identified as merely another sound made by the stormy winds that were pummeling the two-door on every side, and on the roof.

The storm increased in ferocity. The parking lot fast became a lake of rushing swirling waters.

The corpse was dislodged from the two-door; it drifted away, inch-by-inch, without the couple being aware.

The rain stopped as suddenly as it had come down. The thunder and lightning, too. The strong wind continued, driving all the surface water away to leave the parking lot cement surface clear. The clouds were racing along, intermittently allowing the moon to shine through.

The couple inside the two-door cautiously peered out to see where the limousine-type was. When they agreed it was nowhere in sight, they silently agreed to climb back into the front. This time, since their vehicle was a two-door, they had no choice but to climb over the seats to get back into the front seats.

The cake survived, in all its beauteous perfection. Again.

When they were back on the front seats, the couple stared at the Legion Hall which was still in the dark. The intermittent moonlight made the couple daring.

"Let's go knock on the door." Both went to the front door. One of them knocked. Both peered through the glass doors. They saw nothing of particular interest; no lights; no persons. They looked at each other, resigned.

"We got the date wrong!" They turned in frustration to return to the two-door. One of them tripped on the corpse, and fell to the ground. The other, going to help, saw the corpse, and stood, paralyzed in shock. The other scrambled up and hugged the other, in compassionate fear.

The couple stood still for a few seconds, looking at the corpse.

In unsteady, soft speech, "Drowned in the storm?" "Probably. Look, the expensive wrist watch is still on it." "We have to get far away from here." "Shouldn't we call the police?" "Only if we are crazy."

They hurried back to the two-door.

They separated, one heading to the side of the driver's seat. Both were seated inside, when the one, trying to insert the ignition key, mumbled, almost in tears, "I cannot drive; I'm shaking too much." They exited in order to exchange seats.

Outside the car, the one saw a person, heavily dressed in rainwear, walk into view on the walkway at the far east end, and heading for the front doors of the building; and the corpse!

In a strong whisper, "Call out to her. She must not see that corpse!"

"Hello," waving wildly, "everything is closed." The person paused, and called back, "The cake competition?"
"Cancelled. We, too, disappointed." "Thank you." The person turned around and left.

"We really, really, really have to get out of this parking lot!" "I am so in agreement." "When we get home, I'm eating all of the cake." "You will have to beat me to it."

The clouds hid the moon completely. The wind was increasing in speed and strength. Thunder could be heard approaching in the distance.

A police person, heavily dressed for the inclement weather, appeared on the walkway at the far east end. The two-door couple went into almost-panic.

"Let's just go tell that officer everything." "Okay. Which one of us?" "I'll go."

Outside the car, waving to the officer and calling out, "Officer! Hello!" The officer waved back, changed direction, and walked toward the two-door. After a few steps, the officer's cell phone was heard. The officer took the phone out of a pocket and listened; waved to the two-door; turned around abruptly and left.

The storm crashed down, as if with impatient vengeance, fiercer than before. The couple were back in their car, numb with confusion. Their mutual confusion increased when the ignition key failed to start the engine. The engine spluttered a few times, and died.

The tempestuous weather prevented the couple from noticing a vehicle entering the parking lot at the far west end. Neither its headlights nor any other lights were on.



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