A gust of wind brushed against Meredith's bare legs and she cursed under her breath, hugging her boyfriend's leather jacket tighter to her chest. It wasn't her smartest decision, walking home in the middle of the night with nothing on but a black lacy bralette, high-waisted denim shorts, and a leather jacket that did little to actually protect her from the cold. Not to mention the fact that she was walking along a backroad and to her right was nothing but a field of grass. Alone.
If she remembered correctly, this was the field her father would be building new apartment complexes on. She didn't particularly care about the field itself, but more apartment buildings-especially on this side of town-would just look trashy. It would, however, make her feel safer than walking next to three acres of darkness. Again, not her brightest idea. But she had to get away from Sookram's party. Ryan Sookram threw the wildest parties and more often than not, Meredith would be there.
And tonight she was there. For about an hour, having a blast with her friends (not really friends, just drinking buddies). Then her boyfriend, Scott Sanders, started drinking and she knew she had to go. Scott was a violent drunk and it was hard enough to convince her parents that the marks on her neck were hickeys, not bruises in the shape of his fingertips. So she had taken his jacket and walked out. Driving would've more comfortable, but she had had a few drinks. And besides, Scott's car was terrible and sometimes took five minutes just to start.
So there she was, walking down...Bracken Road. Maybe. She wasn't sure. It was a backroad she had taken before, but had never been sober enough to know what it was. Not that it mattered. She didn't care what road she took, she just wanted to be home.
A black sedan raced past her on the road suddenly, sending her hair and another gust of freezing wind into her face. She spluttered and stopped walking, pushing her hair back roughly. Meredith glanced around and realized she didn't know where she was. Did I miss the turn? She exhaled in annoyance and crossed her arms. Think Meredith, think. If she had missed the turn, she would've seen Rudy's barbeque by now. She closed her eyes, briefly thanking whoever cared enough to listen before continuing on her way.
The gravel crunched under her heels and she stopped again, realizing it would probably be easier to cross the street now when there weren't any cars coming. Just as she thought that, another car zoomed past her and startled her so much she jumped, and on her landing, stumbled forward. Her knees hit the ground first, the tiny rocks pinching into her skin. Her hands were next as she lost the little balance she had and toppled forward. The cold air nipped at the now irritated skin on her hands and knees and she bit her lip. Cold air always made the smallest cuts and scrapes sting ten times more.
Meredith lifted herself up slowly, scowling as she brushed the gravel off her skin. She was starting to regret not taking Scott's car. She wasn't even that tipsy, she totally could've handled it. Another gust of wind blew by. This time, however, the cold air was accompanied by a rancid smell that made Meredith wrinkle her nose in disgust. It was worse than the smell of puke after a couple of drinks and unfortunately, Meredith recognized it. It was the smell of rotting flesh.
Most people wouldn't be able to recognize that smell and Meredith wasn't exactly proud that she could. She only could because her mother was a coroner and Meredith had begged her to bring her along one day as a child. That day just happened to be the day they brought in a month-old dead body that smelled exactly like what she could smell now. Her mind waged an internal battle on itself for a moment before her curiosity overrode her common sense. She knew she would regret this, but decided to find out what it was anyway.
She couldn't tell where the smell was coming from, so she just turned and stepped into the grass. The grass grazed her skin as she walked, coming up to just above her knees. It felt like sandpaper was being rubbed against her legs, and the cold didn't help any. As she continued, the smell grew stronger and breathing it in with the cold air was beginning to burn the inside of her nostrils.
