Kara
There was an almighty bang and the sound of squealing, tortured metal, that's when the tree I was sleeping in shook violently as something hard impacted with the trunk.
It was lucky for me I had strapped myself to a large wide branch so I wouldn't fall as I slept.
What the hell!
Wrapping my arms tightly around my make shift bed, I leaned over and peered down, there was loud hissing and steam everywhere, blinking my eyes quickly to adjust them to the early morning light, I spied a car, a huge black monster scrunched up against the base of the tree.
Then a small yellow flicker caught my eye then another.
Shit the damn thing was on fire!
Now I'm not the most savvy person on the planet when it comes to cars, but even I know they run on highly inflammable fuel and mixing them together tended to lead to an explosion.
Unfastening myself quickly from the branch grabbing my meager belongings, I slithered down to the ground and just as I was about to beat a hasty retreat, I heard a moan.
Oh god there was someone in the car.
I wrestled with my conscience the need to flee the greater urge, but I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't help.
"Shit!" I screamed, as my moral sense of duty kicked in and I headed to the burning car.
Luckily for me and probably the person inside it was still the right way up and the driver's door had sprung open possibly on impact, but an elderly well dressed man was still strapped in and hunched over the steering wheel with blood oozing from a nasty looking laceration on his forehead.
Dropping my bag on the ground I carefully leaning the guy back causing him to groan in pain, but enabling me to reach his seatbelt.
"Sorry" I muttered.
"But I've got to get you out of here fast"
Leaning across his lap I fought with his seatbelt, it took both my hands and a fair amount of strength to unclip it from its lock and when it sprung free, I had another problem the guy pitched forward and crushed me onto his lap.
Squashed like a sandwich filling I could feel the heat from the flames as they took hold and started to work they way through the car, I knew it wouldn't take long for them to find the fuel tank so I had to work fast.
Pushing up with all my might making the man groan even more I managed to slide out and exit the car.
Grabbing the man under his arm pits and murmuring I was sorry but it was the only way, I pulled and tugged and slowly I managed to drag him free from his seat, though he was moaning a lot I carried on pulling until I felt we were far enough away from the burning wreak.
Then all of a sudden there was a loud explosion and flame shot up in the air, it was then that I realised all my possessions were still by the tree, where I had left then to help.
"Shit!" I yelled again.
"Thank you" came a hoarse whisper from behind me, I turned and locked eyes with the man I had rescued as he lay hunched up against the tree I had rested him against.
"You saved my life"
Forgetting my problems for the moment, I knelt down next to the man.
"You're welcome now I need to get help, do you have a phone on you"
He nodded and this caused him to have a coughing fit, most likely due to smoke inhalation.
"Easy there" as I searched his pockets for a phone, I found it in his outer jacket pocket and after a few attempts to get him to speak without choking I got his password and dialled 911.
Passing on the details of what I knew to have happened and the state the guy was in, I again had to search his pockets to find some identification, pulling his driving license free from his wallet that held a serious amount of cash I recited his name.
"Hi according to his driving license his name is William Horton"
"Did you say Bill Horton" squeaked the female voice on the other end of the line.
"That's what it says, he's a guy in his fifties I guess, neat trimmed beard and close cropped hair going grey.
"Oh sweet jesus, okay ma'am stay calm help is on its way, I will stay on the line until help arrives just in case you need advice"
"Um thanks" I answered confused.
Why was she so flustered, who is this guy?
These thoughts flowed through my mind, until the guy moaned and fell to his side, dropping the phone, I rushed over to him and crouching down I heaved him back up.
"Hey mister don't you die on me, you owe me a new wardrobe"
"Wardrobe?"
I had read somewhere you need to keep the casualty awake so they don't die, so I needed to talk.
Now in my life I have a phobia about talking to people especially about myself, I am by definition a loner, not by choice or by design but by circumstances, but hey I can live with that as all my past interactions with humans always end in disaster usually for me.
Now to save a life I had to engage in conversation all be it a one sided conversation, with a man and the only thing I could talk about was my life and that was full of shit, still better than nothing.
"Yer, wardrobe, all that I own was next to your car when I pulled you out"
"Who are you?" He spluttered.
"Good question" I retorted.
"I go by the name Kara" and I held my hand out for him to shake forgetting he wouldn't be able to.
"Kara eh? That's a pretty name"
I just shrugged.
"So Kara what were you doing up a tree?" It took a while and quite a lot of effort for him to get this sentence out.
Keep him talking was all that went through my mind.
"Well um it's a long story"
"I'm not going anywhere"
So heaving a huge sigh I told him my life story though I omitted a few important details.
When I was six I was on a trip from England to discover the true Mexico with my best friend Autumn Nash and her parents, also like him we were involved in a car accident that resulted in the death of my friend and her family.
I was thrown clear and found by an elderly couple who took me in, I was suffering from mild amnesia so didn't know who I was or for that matter where I was.
I lived with them for a number of years and they christened me Kara, then one day when I was in the field planting crops, bandits attacked and killed my new parents, I hid and when the bandits left so did I.
Surviving by stealing and begging I was picked up and put in the system, that being a children's home in Tijuana, where I was named Kara Seven as I was the seventh intake that day.
I grew up in these homes passed from one to another and all this time my memory was returning, I remembered my parents and I lived in England and I hoped and prayed they were still alive, I don't remember their names or mine but I was on a quest to get back home and find them.
Leaving the home when I was sixteen, I survived on the streets of Mexico city before managing to convince a family to take me with them as they tried to cross the border illegally, unfortunately they were caught but I managed to slip away in the confusion.
I was now treking across America trying to find a way to get back home.
As I was just finishing up my story the bushes surrounding us parted and the emergency service came storming through.
I was manhandled out the way as the paramedics fussed over the guy and I found myself being passed back and back away from him, till my arm was gripped by a police officer.
"Hang on young lady, you need to come with us, we'll need a statement from you"
I could tell they didn't trust me and I don't blame them, I must look like a vagabond, ripped dirty jeans torn t-shirt and sweatshirt all covered in mud, my light brown hair was all matted and in desperate need of a wash, my face scratched and caked in blood and mud.
I watched as William was carried by me on a stretcher with a face mask on and he gave me a quick wink as he was rushed by.
"Hey what's this?" one of the officers asked picking up Williams open wallet off the ground.
Then all eyes fell on me.
"Okay young lady you have got some serious explaining to do"
And with that I was grabbed by two officers and marched out of the woods and unceremoniously dumped in the back of a police car.
Could my life get any worse.