A Little Help Please?

Marie Dubois finds herself stranded in the middle of the woods with only one person nearby

Marie Dubois leaned forward engrossed in her assignment with a worn copy of Shakespeare's Macbeth spread out on her desk, in the dorm room. The bright fluorescent light above cast an illumination on the pages emphasizing the annotations and underlined passages left by readers. She nibbled on her lip as her green eyes scanned the text searching for the words to complete her essay.


"Dehors, spot Mince! Dehors, je dis!" she quietly murmured to herself trying to imagine the anguish that Lady Macbeth must have felt in that moment. Glancing at the clock Marie realized it was already, past ten o'clock. Her stomach grumbled with discontent as a reminder that she had skipped dinner.


"Alright I'll write one paragraph and then I'll take a break to grab some food " she negotiated with herself lightly tapping her pen on the desk. The words seemed to flow now as if the thought of satisfying her hunger had helped overcome her writer's block. Feeling content, with her progress she closed the book. Let out a sigh as she put down her pen.




"Finally," she whispered, stretching her arms above her head and feeling the satisfying crack of her joints. Marie put her platinum hair into a quick bun. She quickly grabbed her keys and phone from the cluttered desktop, she tossed them into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder.


The hallway outside her room was dimly lit and eerily quiet, as most students were either studying or socializing elsewhere on campus. Marie walked briskly, her sneakers squeaking softly against the checkered floor. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears as she exited the dormitory, the chilly autumn air immediately nipping at her exposed skin.


"Maybe I should've grabbed a jacket," she thought, hugging herself for warmth as she walked across the campus towards the parking lot. "Shake it off, Marie," she told herself, pushing away thoughts of danger and focusing instead on the thought of a hot meal. "You can do this."


Marie's breath fogged up the windows of her old, beat-up car as she drove down the nearly deserted road. The only sound in the otherwise quiet night was the hum of the engine and the occasional crunch of leaves beneath her tires. She turned up the heat, the warmth gradually seeping into her fingers as they gripped the steering wheel.


"Come on, just a little further," she whispered to the vehicle, willing it to make it to Dairy Queen without any hiccups.


The car stopped abruptly in the middle of the road. "Salope!" Marie exclaimed. She slapped the steering wheel. "Why won't you work?" She grabbed her phone and called her brother, who lived an hour away.




"Hello?" Marie's brother answered on the second ring.




" Dieu merci Rapha! Can you come pick me up? My car just broke down."




"Marie. I told you to sell the thing. It's as old as mom!"




"I know, I know, but I don't have enough money to get a new one."




" Fine, I'm going to be there in about an hour, je t'aime."




"I love you too." Marie hung up the phone and sighed.




As she waited for her brother to arrive, Marie leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe her luck. First, the English homework that she despised, and now her car breaking down. It was like the universe was against her. Just then, she heard a tap on her window. She opened her eyes to see a tall, handsome man standing outside her car.


"Is everything okay?" he asked with a look of worry in his eyes.


Marie rolled down the window and explained her situation. The man introduced himself as Jeremy, a mechanic who lived nearby.


"Can I take a look at it for you?" he asked with a smile.


Marie hesitated for a moment. She was always cautious around strangers, but there was something about Jeremy that made her feel safe. She quickly agreed as it seemed her brother was nowhere nearer. She stepped out of the car as he popped the hood open.


" So what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" The mechanic asked Marie.




"Well, I'm a student at WVSU. I was just trying to get a late night snack. It kind of sucks to get stranded on one of many West Virginia's back roads." She replied. "It's very easy to get lost out here if you don't know your way around. I'm glad I moved here about 4 years ago. Know most places but not all."




"Where did you say you were from?" Jeremy asked.




Marie answered excitedly, with a hint of pride, "I'm from France."


Jeremy's eyes lit up at the mention of France. He seemed intrigued by Marie's origin, a glimmer of fascination dancing in his gaze. A creepy smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he leaned against the car, giving her a long, lingering look.


"France, huh? That's fascinating," Jeremy said, his voice low and husky. He looked up at Marie with a smirk in his eyes. "I've always wanted to visit there. The culture, the history... it's all so captivating."


Marie smiled politely, unable to shake off the unsettling feeling that crept up her spine. There was something off about Jeremy, something that made her skin crawl beneath his handsome gaze. Yet she pushed those instincts aside, reminding herself that she was just being paranoid.


As he continued to inspect her car, Jeremy's questions became more personal, delving into Marie's life with a peculiar curiosity. He asked about her family, her friends, and even her daily routines. Each question seemed innocent enough on its own, but when he fired off on her it started to seem creepy. "I'm just being paranoid" She whispered to herself. Yet she still couldn't shake off that feeling.


"Well, she should be up and running, Mrs. Dubois." Jeremy said.


"I don't remember telling him my last name," Marie thought to herself.
" Thank you! How can I repay you?"


Jeremy replied," Well, could you drive me back to my shop? I left my car there and went to go get some firewood, but I got lost. I found the road. Not only that, but I was just going to walk the road back. But it would be quicker if you drove me back."


Marie quickly agreed, given that she had a kind heart and couldn't fathom having to walk almost ten miles. Jeremy got in the car and gave directions to his shop, even though within the 2 years she's been at the university, she can't remember any mechanic shop anywhere near town or even in town. She looked at her phone. It was already past midnight and her phone was almost dead.


Marie and Jeremy were only 2 miles down the road when the car. " Zut!"
Marie exclaimed. "Jeremy? What did you do?"


"I fixed it. Might have added a few things." He said while locking the doors and a huge creepy smile on his face. Marie was freaking out, but tried to keep the situation calm. Marie unlocked the door and tried to run out. " Oh no you don't!" Jeremy said. He grabbed Marie and duct taped her mouth. " You're coming with me."










He went out the door and tied Marie up. He looked her in the eyes, " I've been waiting a long, long time for you. I've got a nice little cabin for you. You're gonna love it there." Jeremy grabbed Marie and slung her over his shoulder.
          " Night, night." That was the last thing Marie heard.


Payton Simmons was working at the local caf Ameila's Home. She put up a missing poster on the bulletin board. It was for a young college girl, Marie Dubois, 21, green eyes and platinum blonde hair. "Wonder what happened to her. Hope she gets found." Payton walked off and continued her work.