Shared Room on Union
By Steven Heighton, first published in The Dead Are More Visible by Steven Heighton
A young couple are locked in their own car trunk after a mugging, and must work together to escape.
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Plot Summary
With plans to eventually get married in Vegas, PhD student Justin and restaurant manager Janna spend a night out. As Justin is about to drop Janna off at her place, the two get mugged by a man at gunpoint. As the man attempts to steal their car, however, he realizes he cannot drive it because it is stick-shift. The man takes their valuables and locks them in their trunk. Janna is claustrophobic. As the couple attempts to shout from the trunk, they catch the attention of a passerby who offers to call the police if they pay him. Desperate to get out, Janna agrees to pay him, but Justin’s exasperation at the situation causes him to curse at the man for taking advantage of them. The man refuses to help them because Justin snapped at him. Hours pass and nobody comes to their rescue. Janna pees in the trunk and eventually passes out. Eventually, Justin and Janna are released, and live to tell the tale to many of their friends.