The guest said something that sounded like, Want to me? but had moved away from the mike so it was hard to hear. Then he grunted in pain and brought his mouth to the mike again.

“Okay, okay, okay,” he said, his voice wavering, breathing hard. “He’s listening?”

“Yes, I assure you, we have his complete and undivided attention right now. Go ahead.”

I must have gotten a bigger contact buzz than I realized. I was feeling the paranoia you get when the trip goes sideways.

“Hey,” I said to Caspian, trying to wake him up, but my voice sounded frail and pathetic and vanished as soon as it escaped my mouth. His answer was a riotous snore.

A loud, despondent exhale reverberated through the car speakers.

“Okay then. Hey, Jesse.” A pause, followed by another loud exhale. “Man, I don’t know what you’ve gotten into, but there’s some dudes here looking for you. Rough bunch, man. I guess you’re driving home right now? And this is coming through your car radio? They lifted me from the lot. Been watching, I guess. Fucked me up good.”

It was Kevin, no doubt about it. He had never come back from banging that chick out in the lot. If that had even happened. Had that been a ruse? Was this some twisted stunt? If so, it was fantastically authentic. Kevin spoke like he was chewing cotton balls. Or else his jaw was broken.

“Hey.” I grabbed Caspian by the shoulder and shook. “Dude, wake the fuck up.”

Caspian gurgled and a string of drool wetted his chin. I needed a second set of ears on this so I gripped his jaw and pressed his face against the headrest, hard, looking helplessly at the white crescents of his vacant eyes. His head bobbed forward as soon as I let go.

“So, man, listen,” Kevin continued in that thick, swollen voice. “I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to say. But I wouldn’t fuck with these guys if I were you. Okay, man? Whatever this is over, just do what they want you to do. These guys, man. Wearing masks and shit. Fucking Halloween shit here.” More breathing. The road hissed under the tires. “Look, I don’t know what y’all want me to say.”

“You’re doing fine, Kevin. Just fine. This is The Midnight Hour, longest hour of the night. In fact, tonight it may never end. But you’ll want it to, Jesse. You’ll beg for it to be over. Do things you never thought you were capable of to make it stop. Are you ready for that?”

Right then the interior lights cut off, the headlights sputtered and faded. The car engine seemed to choke. Then the engine died completely and we were coasting, the steering wheel stubborn in my hands.

The deep, gravelly laugh was louder without the ambient noise. Intimate.