Entrapped

11 - The Abyss

Lyle awakes and looks sleepily at Zoey. "How far are we from the mountain pass, Mother?"

Zoey smiles at him: "Don't you worry, Lyle. I'll wake you up. I know you don't want to miss the ride through the pass."

She looks in her back mirror and frowns. "I wonder why this lorry keeps trailing us and doesn't pass. He has been sitting on our tail since we left town."

Lyle turns around and looks at the lorry. "He's now showing he wants to overtake us, mother."

"Thank heavens. It really is starting to work on my nerves. At last!"

Lyle follows the lorry as it overtakes them. Two men are hiding on the open backside against the wind. The lorry accelerates and drives away quickly and becomes smaller in the distance.

Zoey talks to the driver as if he can hear her: "Why haven't you done it a long time ago? Did you have to pester me all the way?"

"They look as if they are in a hurry, mother."

Lyle sees something in his back mirror. "Now there is a monster truck behind us, mother."

Zoey looks in her mirror: "What a strange monster is this, Lyle, it looks like an adapted truck and the driver is hiding behind tinted windows."

"I've seen monsters like this on TV. They rush and jump over high obstacles and they are fast and powerful."

"The wheels look like tractor tyres. I've never seen such a thing on our roads! Look at that thick bars right around the thing! He will surely easily bump something right off the road. Wow, what a monster! What make is it? I can't believe it is locally made."

"To me, it looks like one or other adapted American truck with a strong engine. It may be a V8 or even a bigger, stronger and quicker version."

"Oh no! Why doesn't he pass us? He is now tailing us just like the previous lorry."

"Don't worry, mother. I'm sure the driver will become impatient and then overtake us."

When they reach the 40 k/h sign, Zoey knows she must reduce speed. It is the start of the mountain pass. The monster is still following hot on their heels.

Zoey is disappointed. "Doesn't this man realise that I'm going to creep up the mountain pass and that he will have to follow at my slow pace?"

Zoey reduces speed and Lyle opens his window completely and he realizes that the bad wind of the city isn't blowing here. Here it is a sunny, windless, perfect day. The road becomes narrow and steep with the rock face on their right and the abyss right here at Lyle's side. He puts his head out of the window and inhales the fresh mountain air and listens to the unique sounds of the mountain. He tries to peep to the left over the low boundary wall between them and the abyss but can see nothing beyond the wall. The abyss is straight down and deep.

Zoey drives very slowly while Lyle enjoys the sounds and visions of this high mountain. The noises of birds and cicadas echo from the cliffs and it is if the wall of the mountain amplifies it. He savours the beautiful scenes of lush, green vegetation against the rock face. He wishes the drive could go on forever.

The path zigzags higher and higher up the mountain with the threatening abyss near him. He enjoys the ride here on the edge of danger. He now looks back at the monster and wonders how the driver keeps that giant wheels in check within the limits of the road. There will be no room for a lorry that comes from the front.

This time of year few people use the pass. They usually prefer the much quicker toll road. The hostel is just on the other side of the mountain, so for them, it is the most practical route from the farm. Maybe the monster's owner is a game farmer and uses it for hunting or driving over difficult terrain because that thing can probably drive over almost anything.