Going The Distance

Jane kept busy in the summer and enjoyed her freedom. But as the school year came around, now entering her third year, Jane’s anxiety returned because of her friendships, or lack of. Caught between her pursuit of her dream of becoming an engineer and having a fuller personal life, Jane had always chosen the former. Jane hated feeling like an outsider, as she felt embarrassed and alone. Jane had heard that her upcoming semester was the most difficult, so she had prepared herself mentally in the summer about her personal life continuing as it had. Jane even decided to take her arts elective this semester. Jane concluded that if she kept herself busy enough, she wouldn’t think about what she was missing out on.

Towards the end of the fall semester, Jane found herself with some rare free time. Unlike herself, she reached out to one of her friends to catch up. Jane’s nerves relaxed when her friend accepted quickly. They caught up on their lives, mostly discussing her friend’s semester. Jane elected to listen more as she didn’t want to bore her friend with how her own semester was going. They also discussed their winter break plans. They were both planning on going back to Kelowna. Jane mentioned her terrible exam schedule and that she was going to have to stay on campus until the last day before winter break. Jane was going to catch a charter bus the day after her test. At the end of summer, Jane sold her vehicle as she only needed it for her co-op, had nowhere to store it, and didn’t want to pay for the insurance. Fortunately for Jane, her friend also had the misfortune of having an exam on the last day of the semester. Also, her friend had a car. Although her friend’s exam was in the morning, she said she would wait around so Jane could catch a ride back home. Not only was Jane relieved to have secured a ride back home, but she was also excited to be able to hang out with her friend more and hoped this was a sign of things to come for their friendship.

Jane lugged her 20-pound backpack across campus while water poured down on her. Unbothered to take out the third umbrella she had gone through that semester. Jane was grateful she didn’t have to spend another night on campus, alone, having to hop on a bus the next morning. Jane awarded herself with a smile as her luck appeared to be turning around. As she moved ahead, Jane heard puddles splashing behind her. Jane turned and immediately recognized who was approaching. Matt from Calculus. Her infamous classmate who spent all semester trying to get to know her since their lab project together.

Jane turned hoping he wouldn’t notice her. It became apparent he already had as he shouted “hey, wait up.”

It just had to be him.

It wasn’t that Jane had anything particularly against him. They were paired up as lab partners and seemed like a nice enough guy. Matt was a few years older but had connected as they both were from Kelowna. Matt just was a bit too friendly and had a crush on her. There was a time when Jane considered him cute as they worked late on campus once together. That feeling quickly ended when Matt decided it would be a good idea to hijack their lab project and change everything they had worked on for his curiosity. Jane had to stay up the whole night to fix the mess Matt made. Since then, Jane tried to avoid Matt but was unsuccessful. Even though he was in another program, there were a few classes that overlapped, and he seemed to have a knack for knowing when she’d get to class and sit nearby.  

She had come to study in peace, not chat with her overly friendly classmate who couldn’t take a hint. Jane sighed again. All she could think of was her mom nagging her to be more friendly to people. Jane would retort something along the lines of “Why do I need to be friendly to people I don’t want to be friendly with?” Jane knew her mom was right but struggled to compromise with her intensity.

Jane took a deep breath.

“Hey Matt.”

Over the rest of their walk to the library, they briefly caught up, cursing their professor and asking each other if they felt ready. Jane could tell Matt was gearing up to ask if they could study together but her facial expressions and body language gave off enough of a hint for Matt to quit while he was ahead.  

Now tucked away in her usual spot in the library, Jane got into her zone. Jane learned that studying on the day of a test was best spent reviewing the key concepts and problems the professor had stressed over the semester, the notes on the areas she struggled with, and reviewing the midterm she had failed. Jane would get overwhelmed and mentally exhausted if she did anything more than that. Lastly, Jane’s most important rule was to stop studying two hours before the test. Jane knew she wouldn’t remember anything within that period and had to trust herself. These two hours are for winding down, listening to music, or watching something on YouTube. She figured it was a good time to check in with her friend and see how her test went. That’s when her heart sank.

Jane opened her phone to a brief text message, “Hey, I finished my test early so decided to head up early. Sorry girl. See you up there.”

Jane’s head began to fill up with anger. Jane knew she was lucky to have had the option to get a ride back in the first place. Selling her car in the summer was her choice as well. However, she felt good about seeing her friend the other day and even started to daydream about reconnecting with her. This was the same friend who relied on Jane constantly in high school for rides. Whether it was to school, back from school, or even as her designated driver from parties. Her two-hour wind-down period was not spent winding down. She felt abandoned and had to call her mom for consolation. Apologetically, her mom reminded her that everything would be okay and that the bus would still be an option. Jane appreciated the sentiment but always struggled to digest it. Jane instead reeled in her emotions longer than she wished, overthinking the situation and even wondering if it was because of something she had said or done.

“Fuck, I need to get to my exam.”

Jane realized the time. With ten minutes to spare, she ran to the arts wing on campus.  

This time she did mind the rain but there was nothing to be done besides to keep running.

With two minutes to spare, she was in her seat, wet, heavily breathing and in distress. She could tell Matt was nearby trying to make eye contact before the test began. She was more concerned with her professor’s eyes as she walked over to repeat to Jane what she had just told the class about the test rules.

Jane had two and a half hours to complete the test. She had to use every second of it.

Jane spent the first thirty minutes getting herself oriented again. She opened to the first question, and then the second. Nothing made sense. She skimmed through the rest of the test and couldn’t find a single question to start on and get in her groove.

An hour and a half in, the first students started to leave. At two hours, there was hardly anyone left. And at the very end, she was the last to leave. Jane handed over the test reluctantly. That was probably the worst test my life, and I’ve had some bad ones.

Jane left the classroom feeling beaten. Overall, it would’ve been an exam period to celebrate if it wasn’t for this last day. However, she couldn’t find solace in how her other tests went as she remained focused on being stranded on campus for one more night. She wanted nothing more than to be home already. She anticipated having a lively winter break with her friends, but there was no chance she would try to connect after what her friend had just put her through.

As she turned to head down the stairs, she glanced up to see Matt. I can’t quite shake this guy. Jane tried to hide her face as she continued to walk past. Matt awkwardly put on his backpack and stumbled to keep pace.

“Hey, is everything okay? I noticed you coming in late quite distressed. I waited behind to check in.”

To her surprise, Jane responded. She never thought she would open up to him, but she needed to let her built-up emotions. As they walked towards their dorms, Jane prompted a detour to grab a coffee. Jane wasn’t much of a coffee drinker but felt like it would be a good place to tell Matt everything. About how silly she felt taking eight courses. About how she felt alone all semester. About her pre-game study routine. About how she was abandoned by her friend. About how she proceeded to spiral, having what felt like the worst test she had ever taken. Lastly, about how she was stuck on campus for another night. Jane exhaled, signaling the end of her rant. For a guy who talked a lot, Matt was surprisingly a good listener. He didn’t interrupt and always nodded or offered a reassuring smile.

“Well, if you need a ride home tonight, you’re more than welcome to come with me.”

Jane was taken aback and felt embarrassed. Not from Matt’s generous offer, but the fact that she never thought to have asked Matt to begin with.

Jane quickly ran through her options. She was hesitant as she could hear her dad telling her to beware of rides from strangers. But was Matt a stranger? Beyond the end of their group project, frequent glances in her direction and hovering throughout the semester, they did seem to connect well. Jane reminded herself that Matt was one of the few students who finished one and a half hours into the test. Meaning he had waited an hour behind for her and stayed almost another hour listening to her patiently.

Her decision took a moment but felt like an eternity weighing her options. She would typically refuse any generous offer as she didn’t like to be reliant on anyone. Jane wanted to be home and felt like she owed Matt for his kindness. Against her dad’s warnings, Jane accepted. “As long as I get to play my music.”

It was settled. Jane was going home tonight with her new friend. They agreed to hurry to get their things and meet back at the parking lot. It was just after 6:30 pm and they had almost a five-hour drive ahead of them.

As Jane hurried away, she pushed aside her frustration as things appeared to be looking better. Screw the test, screw her friend. At least she’ll be back home tonight. There’s no way this day could get any worse.

Jane almost forgot that she needed to text her mom. Jane never enjoyed admitting when her Mom was right, but she usually was. Also, she did not want to get scolded later for not communicating her plan to get home. Her parents were big on communication. She quickly texted her plan to drive back with her classmate while avoiding how the test went. Jane told her mom to not stay up as they would get back late, even though she knew her Mom would stay up.

They set their sights on the Trans-Canada Highway/BC-1, leaving behind UBC and that semester. Jane sought out a challenge and got a painful endeavour. Despite how her last test went, Jane felt relieved. No semester would be any more difficult than that one, and for better or worse, she found out who she could rely on. She wore her hardship like a badge of honour and sat proudly in the passenger seat as she put on her road trip playlist that included songs from Dave Matthews Band, Simon and Garfunkel, and Sam Roberts Band.

Matt laughed. Funny enough, his road-trip playlist consisted of the same songs. Jane told Matt about how her music taste developed during road trips with her parents around British Columbia in the summers of her youth.   

As students do, Matt discussed some questions from the test. I just told this guy that I bombed the test and now he wants to talk about it?

Jane was about to change the topic, but as he talked, she felt uplifted.

“Hey, I got that too!”

Jane decided to welcome this discussion, asking Matt what he got for one of the questions that gave Jane the most trouble. While she didn’t complete the question, Jane knew she was on the right track and could count at least some part marks. Jane started to feel even better. They continued their journey, battling the rain and darkness. They shared stories, laughed, and talked about their plans over their break which got a bit flirty. It’s a day to celebrate, why shy away from a little fun?

The fun only lasted for a short while longer. Matt spoke up, “the car is pulling to the side.” Unsure of himself, Matt demonstrated for Jane. Having confirmed with Jane that something was off, Matt pulled the car over and reached in the back to grab his rain jacket. “I’ll go take a look.”

Just after he got out, a semi-truck flew past with its horn blasting, nearly hitting Matt. He jumped back and Jane yelled. He looked at Jane and smiled, “That was close.”

How can he be so casual? He almost just got killed!

She decided she needed to keep an eye on him and grabbed her jacket too.

They went outside and walked to the passenger side of the vehicle as rain poured down on them. Confirming their suspicions, they saw the flat tire. Could I not just get one thing to go my way today?

As they looked closer, it appeared Matt ran over a nail and gradually caused a leak. “I’ll get the spare.” As Matt rounded the car and opened the trunk, Jane kept an eye on the road. Jane tried to keep a watchful eye but was blinded by the headlights of oncoming traffic. With this rain and time of year, there was no way the vehicles saw them pulled over until they were just in front. All Jane could hear was the sound of the vehicles gliding on the wet road until she heard Matt swear. She walked back and saw Matt looking at an empty compartment with no spare tire. Matt looked at Jane apologetically, explaining how he had lent his friend his spare tire and never got it back. Jane zoned out during his explanation, instead envisioning the spare tire in the back seat of her old car. Jane cursed.

What a situation she found herself in. Soaked on the side of the highway, cold, without signal on her nearly dead cell phone. Although she was with Matt, she felt so alone. Emotionally exhausted from the day. She thought about hitchhiking but changed her mind as she remembered her Dad’s warning against hitchhiking and the missing women around the Province. This thought made her paranoid and on edge.

Matt kindly suggested they regroup in the car, out of the rain. Jane matched his kindness with a notable scowl but accepted the prompt. Jane caught herself before she lashed out. Matt isn’t to blame.

“I want to thank you, you’ve been patient with me today and I’ve been nothing but a mess,” Jane said.

Matt smiled and nodded. “Let’s not give up quite yet, Hope is not too far away. Maybe we can find a mechanic.”

They drove slowly on their flat tire, hovering on the shoulder of the road, allowing the honking vehicles to pass. Almost half an hour later, they took the exit to Hope and searched to find a mechanic auto shop. Jane wasn’t optimistic the shop would be open as it was late but did reserve some hope their flat tire would be taken care of tomorrow morning.  As they pulled into the dark, empty parking lot in front of the auto shop, Jane confirmed her expectations. Matt had left the vehicle to check anyway. As Jane waited alone, she felt uneasy. Jane didn’t see anyone on their brief drive through town. The only sign of life seemed to be the motel they drove past with the vacancy sign lit up and a local pub. Jane was relieved when she saw Matt turn back toward the car quickly. She did not want to spend any more time alone in this car.

As Matt got back into the car, soaking wet, he updated Jane. “No luck tonight, but they’re open tomorrow morning. I think we should grab a bite to eat and go over our options.”

Matt circled back to the pub they had seen on their way in. As they entered, shedding their wet layers, Jane felt all eyes in the pub turn to look at them. Silence took over the pub before all slowly turned their attention back to what they were doing. Not used to getting many people out of town, Jane thought. Matt and Jane navigated through the pub uncomfortably to an empty table away from the larger crowd playing pool. Jane still felt some eyes following them. Once they sat down, Jane discreetly scanned her surroundings. However, she couldn’t confirm her suspicions, so she gave up and took the menu in hand.

Jane and Matt were both starving. Having waited long enough for a server who wasn’t going to come, Jane walked up to the bar and waited to place her order with the occupied bartender. Any time Jane went to a pub she ordered her go-to, beef dip and the house lager. Matt wanted a burger and a cider. She waited impatiently as her hunger was getting the best of her.

To keep her mind occupied, she decided to people-watch. There was a group of locals playing pool, appearing to be having a rowdy night. A few smaller groups that were curious about Matt and Jane at first but now were disinterested and kept to themselves. As she continued to scan, she stopped her wondering eyes when she noticed a man watching her across the bar. This man did not divert his gaze. Jane’s uneasiness grew as this man continued to study her. She was about to make a move back to Matt when the bartender approached. “And what do you want tonight my dear,” the bartender said.

Jane could not process the question. Her attention remained on the man across the bar who had left his seat, walking around the bar in her direction. Her heart rate increased, and her hands shook. Jane quickly stumbled her order to the bartender and hurried back to her seat before the man could approach. Jane was no stranger to attention from men either asking for her number or buying her a drink. That was usually from men near her age. This man’s attention was something else entirely. It felt threatening.  

“Is everything alright?” Matt asked. Jane was observably shaken. She remained silent for a few moments, she explained. Matt turned to look where Jane said the man had been sitting and then around the rest pub but couldn’t locate the man. “It’s okay now, he must have left,” said Matt. Jane pieced together that this was what made her feel uneasy in the first place. Now on high alert, Jane switched seats so her back faced toward the wall and could remain on the lookout.

Meanwhile, the confused bartender wrote down Jane’s order. “She must’ve forgotten her manners in the city,” joked the bartender as he went to check in on his other guests around the bar. Picking up some empty glasses, the bartender realized that one of his guests skipped out on paying his cheque.

“Never seen that man before in this pub, but he gave me a bad feeling,” said the bartender to his regulars. “I haven’t seen him around here either”, echoed another.

“He wasn’t alone either,” said a third. The bartender remembered the other man who accompanied the stranger. “The other guy threatened me outside when I asked him if I could have a smoke,” the third man followed up. There was nothing to be done now about the off-putting strangers, the bartender was just relieved he didn’t have to serve them any longer.

Not too long after, their food arrived. Usually, Jane enjoyed hanging out in places like this one on any road trip, but she was hungry and eager to get away from this pub. Matt observed Jane’s pace eating and decided to match it. Matt wouldn’t admit this to Jane, partly because he had a crush on her and wanted to be brave, but also because he didn’t want to make Jane feel worse than she already did. Ever since he had entered the pub, he had been anxious as well. As they ate, they remained silent. Matt normally couldn’t keep quiet this long but still felt so silly for not having a spare tire. He wasn’t sure what he could say to make Jane feel better so he decided it’d be best to be quiet. Matt finished his meal before Jane and stood up to go pay. He noticed Jane flinch, so he gave her a reassuring smile while signaling with his hands that he was going to pay. It’s the least I can do for getting her in this situation, Matt said to himself. Matt was met at the bar by the bartender, keeping an eye out for any other guests who were planning to not pay.

“Is the lady alright? Seemed like I startled her,” asked the bartender.

“Oh it wasn’t you boss, she just got a bad vibe from one of your customers,” replied Matt.

“I don’t know where you guys are staying tonight but keep an eye out for each other. That guy was looking to make some trouble”, followed up the bartender.

As Matt walked away considering what the bartender had said, he decided not to share it with Jane. That’s the last thing she needs to hear right now, Matt said to himself. Coming back with a brave smile Matt said, “let’s get out of here.”

Getting their wet layers back on, they walked to the door. Matt noticed Jane searching the pub again and did the same without her noticing.

They exited the pub and ran to their car through the rain. The rain and poor street lighting did Matt and Jane no favours. As Matt pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward the motel in a hurry, they failed to notice the parked car across the street that began following them.

From what started as a bad day, to better, to bad again, Jane was ready to sleep. For their circumstances, this motel seemed as good as any she had stayed at before.

Walking into the empty lobby drenched, they dropped their bags at the managerless front desk. Matt began to suggest he could search for the manager, but Jane did not want to be alone and started to ring the bell and shout, “Hello, anybody there?” Jane’s stir drowned out the sounds of a vehicle pulling into the gravel parking lot.

Jane’s commotion eventually drew out the motel manager who came into the lobby, book in hand and wearing pyjamas. Jane could tell she had just disturbed this man’s evening, but she did not care for being polite at this time, only to be in bed. “We need two rooms please.” 

Slowly, he pulled out his pen and opened his binder. Jane could not believe the pace this man was working at. He’s doing this intentionally, Jane thought. Matt could sense Jane’s eagerness and put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. “It appears we only have one room available,” said the manager.

Jane and Matt looked at each other, both catching the horrendous lie told by the manager. Only one room is available? You think the parking lot would be full, Jane said to herself. Before Jane could yell at the manager, Matt came to the rescue and passed along a twenty-dollar bill. “Oh look at that, housekeeping finished cleaning the other room early!”

As the manager searched for the room keys, the front slammed closed. Jane turned and suddenly froze as she took in this man’s appearance. Standing in the lobby entrance, was a hooded, maybe in his late thirties, unshaved man. He brought with him no more than the clothes on his back. Jane couldn’t put her finger on it but this man felt familiar. Her mind raced back to the bar of the man watching her. Jane knew this wasn’t the same man as his hair was longer and a different colour. The stranger avoided eye contact with Jane. The manager returned, “alright room 12 for you young gentleman, just at the end, you won’t miss it.” The manager turned, glaring at Jane. “And for you, room 8. Just a heads up, the hot water doesn’t work”.

Jane huffed off, too exhausted to scold the manager. They turned and walked out of the lobby, making their way to their rooms that faced the trees, in the opposite direction from the parking lot. As Jane stormed ahead, Matt was left contemplating what a terrible day Jane was having and how guilty he felt getting her into this mess in the first place.

“Hey, take my room, you deserve hot water after the day you had,” Matt said. Jane turned, receiving the keys Matt tossed her. Beneath Jane’s scowl she carried from the lobby, Matt could tell there was a smile starting to form. Before showing any further sign of happiness, Jane turned back and said, “I’ll meet you at the car at 8 am.” And that’s where they left each other.

Jane showered for about thirty minutes. She found herself thinking about Matt and what he was up to. Jane contemplated heading to his room but found herself with enough energy to tuck herself into bed and find a movie to fall asleep to. As she was dozing off, Jane heard a loud crack. She shot upright, wondering what she had just heard. As she was getting herself oriented, she heard a few shouts. Perhaps someone was having a party, Jane thought. Jane remembered how empty the parking lot was. She pressed her ear against her door and realized the muffled sounds were coming down the hall where Matt’s room was. Jane took a step back from the door and froze. The shouting and scuffling continued, and she picked out two unfamiliar voices. The shouts were muffled but Jane heard, “What room is the girl in?” Jane covered her mouth and gasped. They are after me.

Jane assessed her options. Should I hide? No Matt is in danger, what are you saying? Jane briefly considered fighting, but she had no weapon and didn’t stand a chance. I have to call 911. Jane went to grab her phone but remembered it was dead. She then looked for the motel phone, only to curse the manager again as she realized there wasn’t one. Matt’s running out of time, I need to get to the lobby.

In her nightgown, Jane unlocked the door and ran out, turning towards the lobby. Maybe the manager heard the commotion too and had already called 911, Jane hoped.Consistently running throughout the semester, Jane was fast on her feet. She wasn’t sure if Matt was okay, but she had to get help for them to stand a chance. As she was passing Matt’s room, a man leapt for her. It was the man from the bar. They followed us here. 

She dodged his first grasp but was unable to avoid his second. She tried to use her momentum to pull away, but he was too strong. She met the man’s sinister eyes as he started to pull her into the room. Suddenly, the man was tackled to the ground. A bloodied Matt wrestled the man as he shouted, “Run, I can hold him off.” She looked at Matt as he continued to wrestle on the ground. She looked into the room and saw the other man crawling to his feet. It was the man from the lobby. That’s when she took Matt’s advice and ran to the lobby.

As Jane barged into the lobby, she noticed it was empty. Looking behind the desk, she saw the manager face down with his blood covering the floor. Jane stepped over the man to reach for the phone but noticed that the line was cut. Jane couldn’t process her frustration. She immediately turned to get back to help Matt. The moment she went out, she saw Matt on his knees, held by both men. She made eye contact as he screamed again, “run.” Jane stood in horror, watching as Matt’s scream ended with a strike to the back of the head and his limp body falling on the concrete floor.

In a panic, Jane turned and ran straight toward the line of trees beside them. It was a risk, but Jane felt like she could trust her instinct that the highway hid behind. She felt remorseful, but there was nothing she could do for Matt. She just hoped he was still alive. I need to do whatever it takes to get away from here, Jane thought. Jane was not equipped to run outdoors, barefoot, in a nightgown, without a jacket. But she was in survival mode, and nothing would stop her. Without looking behind, Jane entered the line of trees. Feeling her feet snap fallen branches and soggy earth. It became darker as the trees became denser. Just as Jane felt her eyes starting to adjust to the dark, a heavy branch struck and knocked her to the ground. Jane couldn’t feel the pain, only her heart beating louder than ever. She wiped away blood from her forehead and picked herself up as she always had. She thought she could hear the men shouting and picked up her speed.

As Jane carried on, she tried to ignore her exhaustion. The only thing carrying her forward was her fear of her pursuers. What if I’m going the wrong way, Jane thought. Leaping over roots and dodging branches, her doubts continued. I am beyond hope.

She thought of her parents. She thought of Matt. I need to get to safety. That’s when Jane noticed the trees thinning. She even could’ve sworn she heard a passing vehicle. Jane was almost there.

She could see the highway. She climbed up the slope but tripped over the asphalt shoulder. Sliding onto her unprotected knees, she felt her skin tear. Jane ignored the pain, as she lifted herself on her feet victoriously. I made it.

As Jane stood up, her legs were shaking. Jane didn’t know what direction she was going but knew she had to keep moving. They may be following through the trees. Jane crept on, encouraging herself after every step until she heard an oncoming vehicle. In preparation, Jane used her remaining energy to jump and scream to flag down the oncoming semi-truck. She heard the air brakes screech, and the truck slid on the wet highway to a complete stop. Quickly catching up to the semi-truck, the door was opened by a man putting his finger on his pointed-down trucker hat, “Well, if it isn’t a damsel in distress, how can I be of service to you.”

It was a little past midnight. Jane’s mom remained awake, anxiously awaiting a phone call or text message from her daughter. It was unusual for Jane to go this long without messaging. Even if her phone died, Jane would find a way of keeping her updated.

The municipality of Hope awoke to the RCMP surrounding the motel. Word got around town that day that there were two men reported dead, and a woman reported missing. With the help of some locals at the pub, the RCMP identified one of the bodies as the hotel manager, and the other as a man who had accompanied a young woman at the pub the night before. RCMP were made aware of two suspicious men who were at the pub as well but were never able to find them.

Jane’s mother received a phone call from the RCMP later that day and a missing person’s report was filed.

Jane’s body was never found.