The Chosen

Chapter 3

"This is such a bad idea," Elizabeth said. She'd been up since the nightmare woke her at four that morning.

She had been sorely tempted to stay home for the day.

And she should have, then she wouldn't be driving in this torrential rain.

The rain, coupled with swirling dark gray clouds, drastically restricted her visibility. Elizabeth could barely see what was outside her car, but she stiffened as a sudden chill ran through her.

Instinct.

Or fear. Irrational fear.

Still, Elizabeth reduced the already nominal pressure she had on the gas pedal as thunder rumbled in the dark sky that lit up momentarily each time lightning streaked across it.

Her hands on the steering wheel grew clammy. Any time now, the car would flip. And she and the car would be hurled beyond the barrier before plummeting to the lake below.

"Stop it, Elizabeth," she said to herself. "Nightmares are just that—nightmares."

Last night was the final straw. She couldn't allow the nightmares to continue plaguing her.

If she didn't do something, she really might go crazy.

So here she was—driving.

She hadn't driven since getting the nightmares, but she was done letting fear rule her.

She needed to face up to her fear. It was the only way to stop the nightmares. She was sure of it.

Elizabeth jumped when her car's audio system cut from her playlist to the bone-chilling yet strength-inducing screech of an electric cello—her ringtone of Wonder Woman's theme song.

She glanced over at her car's display panel and enjoyed the momentary injection of courage from Wonder Woman instead of picking up Nate Holloway's, her neighbor's, call.

When her eyes returned to the road ahead, she spotted a blotch of something white beyond the water pouring down her windshield. With the heavy sheets of rain pelting on her windshield, all the colors outside were mashed together, and she couldn't make out much.

Elizabeth leaned forward, squinting.

The wiper brushed away the rain pouring down on the windshield. In that split second before the rain could blur her vision again, her brain registered what the blotch was.

A man.

"Jesus!" Elizabeth slammed on the brake pedal, and the screech of her locked rubber tires against the tarmac road made her cringe.

Her eyes sprang open the moment her car came to a complete stop.

There was nothing in front of her car. She hadn't felt a bump either.

The man had disappeared.

Had she imagined him?

Elizabeth pressed a hand against her chest.

The pressure on her chest did nothing to ease her heart back to its regular beat. She was sure she saw a man in white T-shirt and dark blue jeans standing right in the middle of the lane.

She ran her hand through her hair and twisted her torso to look out the rear window, but the rain was pouring so hard and fast it was impossible to see anything.

"Keep driving, Elizabeth."

She swiveled around and screamed as she slammed herself back against the door.

She was supposed to be alone in the car. Yet there was now a man in a white T-shirt and dark blue jeans sitting next to her. "Oh, my god. Did I run over you? Are you a ghost?"