The Otherkind Book One:Heart

~*~ 9 ~*~

In my rear-view mirror I could see headlights of another car turn in behind me from the school parking lot. I didn't recognize the vehicle, in this mess I couldn't even see the vehicle. All I knew was it had headlights. I hoped that whomever had pulled in behind me had a better field of vision than I did, and better braking ability!

Turning the car south I was surprised that the vehicle behind me turned as well. Not a lot of kids lived down in the Gully. Most of the kids lived in town and were home already. At this moment I envied them. I still had to maneuver the treacherous twisting roads down through snaking curves. It was gorgeous in the summer but as I had already guessed, hellish in winter.

I realized who was in the vehicle following me. It was Matt. I felt relief and a bit of comfort. At least if my car sailed off the cliff someone would be around to witness it and either come save me, or at least tell my dad where I had disappeared. Staying on the road began to demand all my concentration. I put everything, including Matt out of my mind. My car seemed intent on going four wheeling. It was a battle it seemed to want to win desperately, no matter how I felt about it. Maybe it had a death wish. I quickly shoved that thought from my mind.

My teeth were chattering. I had no coat or gloves and only my sweatshirt for warmth. It had been in the upper fifties and beautiful this morning. It hadn't even entered my mind how fast the weather could change. When I had gotten up this morning dad had already left and I hadn't bothered turning on the radio, so I had been clueless until I got to school.

I was now getting busted for doing what every responsible person should do in the winter time up north. Keep a winter survival kit in the car at all times and always dress like there could be a blizzard, or at least keep winter clothing packed in the car. Tough lesson to learn the hard way. Sad thing was, I knew better.

The only road home had some seriously dangerous curves even when the weather was nice. Driving down the steep roads while gripping the steering wheel tightly, I was holding my breath. Slippery was hardly the word. If I went more than ten miles an hour the rear end of my car cut loose fishtailing all over the place and it was hellish to get it back under control. It was definitely the most uncomfortable drive I'd ever made and I was wishing fervently that it was over.

The headlights behind me drew closer. Ignoring him I began counting the five curves. Driving slowly through the first one, when I had successfully navigated it, I took a deep breath. Four more to go and it would be easier. Next up was a bad one. The road rose in a gentle incline with little curves until I got to the next bad spot which was treacherous. A very sharp turn that dove down toward the Gully at a fairly steep pitch.

It was hard to keep the car at a snail's pace. At least the second curve hadn't been a hairpin. Driving down the mountain road heading for turn number three I managed to keep it on the road and in its lane. It was harrowing but out of the turn I came. Matt had made it as well. I could see his lights like a pair of guardian angels behind me.

Holding my breath and clutching the wheel as hard as I could, I was clamping my jaw tightly to keep my teeth from chattering painfully. Keep it together, I told myself, just two more curves and I would be home, warm and safe. I was more than halfway through the worst of it. What I really wanted to do was just pull over, park and wait it out. That was impossible, there's not much of a shoulder on a curving mountain road, and lumber trucks traveled it frequently. I had to keep going. My eyes hurt from staring unblinkingly through my narrow field of vision. My neck hurt from the strain of keeping it craned at an odd angle. My world had been reduced to a semi-circle of white.

And then it happened. The rear-end cut loose on one of the worst curves, the fourth one. Sucking in my breath I felt my stomach flutter. There was the sickening feeling of no contact between my wheels and the pavement. I had absolutely no control of where my car was going or where I was going to end up.