It was her. The driver of the vehicle that almost ended my life was her.
I blink repeatedly and try to wrap my mind around the fact and assimilate it, but... I can't.
'It's just too much to take in... All at once." I think, feeling overwhelmed with the implications of what had been revealed in front of my eyes just now.
My heartbeat begins to increase again and my breathing quickens once more. I try to stay calm and suppress this involuntary feat of anxiety and I succeed... Well, I didn't manage to calm my galloping cord, but at least I could come through with diminishing my breaths.
I just remembered one particular breathing exercise my mother taught me once - as a kid, sometimes I had really bad dreams. I used to wake up in the middle of the night, covered in a layer of cold sweat, terrified - screaming or crying. When this happened, my mom would always come sit by my bedside, take me in her arms and hold me close to her chest.
Flashback
- You need to take deep breaths, darling. Inhale for four seconds... Hold for three... Exhale for five...
And I watch her closely as she shows me how to do it correctly. And I got it.
I begin to breath and count the seconds in my head. After I repeated the exercise a couple of times, I felt a lot more better and calm. And I could sleep peacefully in the end.
End of the flashback
I begin to perform that breathing technique, hoping it would do the trick and as I was doing it, the my mothers voice rang in my head.
'Inhale for four seconds... Hold for three... Exhale for five...'
After a minute or so, I began feeling a lot more calmer and relaxed than I was before. My heart beat became regular and my breathing slow and deep.
My mind also began to fuction properly, the stress that had frozen it momentarily slowly melting away.
One more time I feel both - my body and my mind - getting flooded with the serenity of a lullaby and I feel released from all the negative thoughts.
I take a look around myself, inspecting my surroundings and my eyes land on the fragile body of a girl, sitting on her knees on the dirty cement. I spend a few seconds taking in her features and the more my eyes lingered on them, the more I found her looking quite familiar, until it finally hit me in the face, like a cold splash of water.
'She's the girl driving the BMW.'
But this time, the thought didn't scared me. In fact, it barely had any effect on me at all.
'And what? She didn't kill me. She didn't even hurt me, did she? Here I am, alive and well, so why throwing a tantrum over this?' I thought, thankfull that I have finally returned to my rational self.
Then the image of her skinny body flashed in my mind.
'Besides, she seems so frail and sensitive she couldn't even hurt a fly.'
The thought made me crack a small smirk.
Suddenly, I felt embarrassed by the way I acted on front of her, plus the fact I made myself seem like a scared toddler.
'I ought to apologize and try not to make a fool out of myself even more than I have already done.' I decided.
- I'm sorry for overreacting, I tell her, looking her in the eyes and I notice that my voice also returned to its normal modulation.
The discovery made me smile on the inside.
I see a small smile of her own blooming on her pink lips as she replies:
- It's okay, who could blame you? In fact, it's mostly my fault; I shouldn't have driven with so much speed. We were both lucky I managed to stop the car on time.
I nod in agreement. I never thought it was her though... Anyways, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?
- That was close. You should be more careful from now on, I shyly adviced and she briefly nodded her head in agreement.
She looked down and then quickly uttered:
- Oh, look, you dropped your things, she said. Let me help you.
'What a good way to change the subject, I guess...'
I looked down only for my eyes to be met with my bags fallen on the concrete, a few of the contents scattered around them and Clarissa already picking up the items, one by one, and carefully placing them back inside my plastic bag.
- Clarissa... You don't have to do this. I can pick them up myself, I spoke with further embarrassment, as at the same time, I launched myself down and quickly began gathering my things inside of the bag, with her.
In spite of what I said, Clarissa continued picking up my stuff and putting it in order - even dusting every item off before actually putting it inside of the bag with care and gentleness. I was just brutally shoving them in, not caring if I might break something.
And as both of us were scavenging my belongings from the asphalted ground, I felt something smooth and cold under my touch.
Seconds later I realise it was her hand I was touching. As if I pushed a button or something, I feel my heartbeat beginning to increase its speed again, this time to the point it was threatening to crack one of my blood vessels or something.
But, in spite of this, I don't pull my hand away - neither does her - but I let it rest on her pale and cold hand a little bit more.
It wasn't this cold tonight; the reminiscing warmth of the sun, that had set a few hours ago, could still be felt into the air. It was a bit cold, once the night casted though. But still...
Her skin felt just too cold. Ice cold.
Like a steel blade.
Then I felt a long shiver running down my spine. I didn't think anything of it. I just presumed both of us were cold. And by 'both' I mean I was more concerned about her. I made her sit here with me for maybe more than an hour without considering the freezing air outside.
I had to do something... But I had little to no choices.
I put the last remaining things in my bags and I got up completely. I gave her a serious look:
- You're freezing, I told her. Let's get inside the car, I suggest as I make a gesture towards the vehicle.
She nodded and got up herself. Then I watched her fumbling with the pockets of her jacket again until she reveals something. Although I couldn't see it quite clearly, I knew it was a key.
She pressed a button on it and the next seconds - or less than that - I hear a clicking noise.
I watch her as she opens the door and seats herself in the drivers seat, already buckling her belt.
Then she looks my way again and raises a brow.
- What are you waiting for? Come on, get inside, Clarissa cheered on.
I have to admit. By that point I completely forgot all about the almost accident we have been involved in.
I am ready to open the door next to the passenger seat, but then I remember that I still had my shopping bags in my hands.
I am about to ask Clarissa what to do with them, but as I look at her she already answers my unspoken question.
- Oh, right, she says in a low voice, taking a look at my overfilled bags.
You can put those inside the trunk.
- Thank you.
I begin to turn around, but then I remember something and I spin back to face her.
- Is it unlocked? I ask her, saving myself from the awkward possibility for the trunk to be locked and me uselessly pulling at it to open. For some reason, I was avoiding, even fearing, awkward moments like the plague, because every time they end up with me looking like an idiot and being a source of fun for the people around - no exception. And this is definetly not what I need right now.
I see her pressing a certain button on the board and flashing me a playful grimace, while saying:
- It is now.
I turn on my heels again, spinning in place like a humming top, careful not to clip her car with the bags I was holding as I do so.
I stop in front of the trunk and I place my luggage down again. With my palms, I cup both sides of it and I pull at it - it opens easily. I bent down again to grab my bags, but then a strong smell hits me in the face. I didn't know what it was. It wasn't bad - it seemed like chemicals, something like hydroxymethane, also similar to a strong alcohol - but this thing was stronger and unfamiliar. In fact, it was so strong that made me go into a coughing feat and bend over, dropping my bags once more as I'dthe coughs were shaking my body.
Clarissa must have heard me because, in spite of my hoarse and loud coughs, I could still hear the sound of a car door opening and the sound of heels clicking on the pavement, approaching me.
Then I feel a cold hand on my back and I hear her trying to tell me something. Maybe. I couldn't be sure, since my loud, hoarse coughs were tuning out her words.
When my coughing feat finally subsided, I take a few steps back, putting distance between me and what ever the crap was inside that trunk that had this unbearable smell.
'What the hell is this?' I thought, horrified.
Just like a while ago, when I was sitting on the pavement of the parking lot, Clarissa was by my side again. I could feel her cold hand rubbing my back in a circular motion, patiently waiting for me to recover.
I finally manage to and, after I take a few deep breaths, I look at her, deciding I should be straight forward this time and I ask her:
- What is this smell?
- What smell? she questioned me back. But right when I thought she couldn't be serious, she continued: Oh, you mean the trunk?
'Of course she was aware of this the whole time. But I wouldn't have mind if she had warned me beforehand, at least.'
- Yes.
- Oh, don't worry about the smell. It's just a treatment that I use for the inside of my car. It helps fumigate and kills bacteria and stuff like that, she trailed off at the end. So you can put yours there. Don't worry, nothing is going to perspire through, if that's what you're worried about, she said, chuckling a bit at the end.
'So this is what the smell was. I felt weird for a moment though... Maybe I'm just too stressed. I should just slow down a bit.'
- Sorry for this, I uttered, ashamed of getting scared by something so petty.
'Now that I think about it, all this deal seems cool, in a way.'
And in a way, it was. But there still was something I wanted to ask Clarissa about.
I open my mouth to speak, bu she doesn't allow me.
- Now, if we don't want to find the local closed, I suggest we should get going, she said whilst gesturing me towards the car.
- Right, I whisper under my breath as I open the door and take my seat on the right side.
Soon, she joins me, taking her position behind the steering wheel. She buckles her belt and gestures for me to do the same. After I do as I was told, she starts the engine and pushes the gas pedal. She maneuvers the car out of the parking lot with tenacity and ease and soon we find ourselves on the boulevard, where she increases the speed, leaving the parking lot and the supply store behind us. And off with the night we went.
Word cound: 2213.
A/N: Good evening, guys (and girls, if there are any reading this book)! I have just finished writing the eighth chapter of this book and I'm so excited for what's to come. And actually, I'm also pleased with what I have written so far, as well. I don't know about you, so don't hesitate to share your opinions with me. Any kind of feedback is appreciated.
Now, I'm gonna get to the point. What are your thoughts on this chapter? Actually, more important, what are your theories regarding Clarissa's trunk? The strange odor? What do you think she's hinding there? I'm really curios to see if someone can guess what it is.
Did Y/N made the right choice with trusting Clarissa? There's only one way to find out.
Also, if you find any grammar or spelling mistakes in this chapter, please let me know!
And also if you enjoyed this chapter, please consider giving it a vote. That would be a great help and I would really appreciate it!
Be loved and stay safe!