Speed

Chapter 28

He wasn't kidding. He really did like it fast. I tore my eyes away from the objects whizzing by in the window and looked over at the speedometer which read somewhere around 110 Mph, and his face still willed the car to go faster. He got his wish because the next time I peered at the speedometer it had spiked up to 135.

"Don't you think your going a bit fast?" I asked cautiously.

"What? You scared of a little speed?"

"No, I'm not scared of a little speed. But this is a bit extreme. You're to the point where you're crossing the barrier of speed, and dangerous... Well all speed is dangerous to an extent... It's just this is a bit much."

He released his death grip from the steering wheel, his face relaxed a bit, and his foot let back on the gas. We slowed and he didn't go over 100 mph again. Although I could tell that he was trying hard not to.

There was little conversation in the car while he drove. Unless you would count his failed attempts at small talk and the unavoidable awkward silences after. But on the bright side, I guess I didn't have to talk much. That was good because I'd been noticing that my throat had been hurting lately. Nothing major, just uncomfortable.

The sun was high and bright in the sky, burning through the windshield and scalding my skin. It was hot today. A lot hotter than it had been in days past. Yurgof seemed to notice too.

"Yeah, it's gonna be pretty hot today. But be prepared for worse. It gets pretty hectic when the temperatures get over 120. Just be glad you're in a car and aren't outside today. You would be absolutely miserable."

"Over 120?" I asked, amazed by those numbers.

"Well after much of the o-zone was destroyed, temperatures like that are pretty common place. Like I said. Be glad you're in here and not out there."

We were getting close to the "right or left" intersection that I made a wrong turn on. When off in the distance, out popped a black car. Yurgof had apperantly noticed it before me and had already started hitting the brakes.

"Do you see the car?" He whispered for no reason, just effect maybe. But I played along and whispered back.

"What do we do?"

"Well we can either go in reverse or turn the engine off and hope they don't see us, who ever they is."

"Let's reverse and then shut the engine off."

"Good that."

He pulled the car into gear and then quickly backed up. He backed up far. And then shut the engine off as fast as his fingers would work.

He sunk back into his chair. There was already sweat beading on his forehead. I could feel some on mine too. I hoped so badly that the car would just pass by and we would be fine. Even my breath was short as I was trying to keep quiet, even though quiet wouldn't help at all, it just made me feel better. Kind of. Not really. I squeezed my body hard against the leather chair and closed my eyes.

Oh God, if you exist or care, please listen to my plea. I need your help to keep me safe. I need you help to make that car leave our sight without spotting us. Please. If I have done any good, reward me this one thing.

I was jerked out of my trance by Yurgof's hand and shaking me.

"Wake the hell up! Of all the times you could choose, you chose now to sleep?" He shouted frantically.

My eyes flew open and I looked everywhere. I was shaking. And the car was coming. At us. The car was getting bigger and bigger.

"YURGOF! FUCKING DRIVE!" I shakily yelled. It still sounded surprisingly very autoritive. I jerked backward from the sudden forward motion of the car. Going full speed and not looking back, Yurgof was determined to get away. We passed the car and flew away from it in the opposite direction that it was going. The RPM of the motor was deafening. And then. As fast as we were getting away, the engine gave out.

"God dammit you piece of shit!" Yurgof tried unsuccessfully to start the car again. There was no way. I craned my head backward. They had already turned around and were coming at us. No escape. But then again I thought that with the hell hole asylum too.

In the heat of the moment, I didn't even think. I burst out the door of the pick up. A sudden wave of something felt like it emminated from me. The car had slowed drastically. It was one of those time-slows again. It freaked me out but I did not show it as I had my mind set on something and was doing my best to focus on it.

Once again, I was able to move at what seemed like a normal speed to me, but everything else was incredibly slow. Probably making me look as fast as a bullet. I started to run. Directly at the on coming car. Hoping that what I was about to do was going to do what I hoped it did and not run me over.

I charged at the car. All of the windows were tinted. The entire car was a glossy black. I went at it as fast as I could and the car took its liesurley time. I could've ran out of the way, try to get away. Escaped with myself. But of course I was to stupid to think of it at the time. I felt as though this was my only choice. The car was getting closer. A mere 10 feet away. Time seemed to slow even more the closer I got. Even for me. Still running my hardest, 5ft.

3ft.

2ft.

1ft.

1/2ft.

I colided with the car with no regret in my mind... At the time.

The car colapsed in, and onto me like a slinky. Whoever was inside surely could not have survived. But I did. With a minor scratch I might add. The car didn't run me over. Instead it acted like I thought it would. Since the incoming force (me) was greater than the force "it" (the car) was already expending, and since the difference in forces was so great, the car acted equivalently as it would if it hit a wall going 100+ MPH. Kind of like in baseball, the batters swing often has much more speed than the ball and the bat's mass is much greater giving it even more of an advantage. But in my case the car had more mass, but my extra speed overpowered the cars mass by so much that it just collapsed onto me like I was a wall. Sometimes I'm glad I'm smart.

But now we're stuck again. The black car destroyed. And our car broke down. The time slow suddenly stopped. I felt a sudden jolt through my body to confirm it. As I said before. It's so unexplainable, it just feels like something shut off, you can just tell.

I turn around to face the pickup. Yurgof is standing outside the pickup. We lock eyes.

"What the hell was that?" He asks wide eyed.

I smiled innocently at him, "I told you, I like it faster."