Chapter 1

"I can't get up." Casey complained. Sophia Dixon walked around the car to her five-year-old daughter hopping insanely, reaching for the door handle. Sophia laughed and picked Casey up, opening the door of her car. It seemed like every mother had an SUV these days, either to say, "Hey, I'm a snobby slut who owns a ten bedroom house!" Or, "I'm a caring mother who will provide safe transportation for my child and her friends." Okay, so only Sophia said the last one.

As she climbed into the car, she looked in the rearview mirror to see Casey rummaging through her Dora the Explorer backpack.

"Momma, wait, I can't find the picture I drew for Miss Keene." She looked at her mom, her blue eyes wide and panicked.

"The one with the cat?"

"No, the one with the horse!" Casey cried. She tried opening the car door, but thanks to child lock, failed, even when she attempted pulling the lock up.

Just then, Matt Dixon came running down the driveway. His tie was half off, and his shoes were untied. He tripped, but caught himself before he fell. Casey giggled at the sight of her father that way. Sophia rolled down her window.

"Casey…" He took a breath, panting, "Forgot… her cat… picture." Matt sighed, grasping the door.

"It's a horse!" Casey pouted as Sophia handed the painting to her.

"Why are you so out of breath?" Sophia questioned, a tinge of worry in her voice. "You're not getting too old, are you?"

"Daddy already is old!" Casey laughed. Matt eyed her.

"I thought you were in the backyard. I saw you go out there. So I ran all around the backyard, then down the two mile driveway!" He over exaggerated.

"I went out there briefly. But I came back in and told you I was leaving."

"Oh. Sorry, I tune you out sometimes." He smiled and gave her a kiss goodbye. Casey made a disgusted face at them.

"Have a good day." Sophia called as he dashed back into the house. She backed slowly out of the driveway.

Matt Dixon peered at his watch as he waited at a red light. Great, great, great. Always red lights when you're late for something, he thought, pounding on the accelerator as the light turned green. He made a sharp turn onto Burnus Avenue, a road swallowed by weeping willows and pine trees. The harsh intensity of the sun died down as Matt drove further and further down the road, shadows dancing across his Toyota. As his car bent around a turn, a large truck came into view. It slowed down and stopped as he passed it, and Matt stopped also, realizing it was Tony Gilbey, the manager down at their local Wal-Mart. They talked a lot considering they had something in common, both running stores. Matt was manager down at the Antique Store in Sunnyville, about five miles from Danton, where he and Sophia lived.

"Hey, Tony. How's it going?"

Tony paused to remove the cigar from his mouth. "Good, Matt. Just wanted to talk business."

Despite the fact that Matt was late, he and Tony conversed about the trials of running stores, and the government, the president, the war, and the high gas prices. They were talking for a good fifteen minutes when Tony interrupted Matt.

"Bender fender?" The husky man grumbled, motioning to the front of Matt's car.

"What?" Matt leaped out, rushing to the front of his car. There was several large scratches and a huge dent the size of his head. "I didn't even know about this!"

"Well, I'll leave you to it then, I'm gonna be late." Tony sighed, throwing his cigar out the window and taking off. As Tony looked back, Matt was still standing in front of his car, inspecting the damage. Tony turned back to the road, and that was when he heard the explosion.

Sophia was waiting at a stop light once again, Casey thumping her legs around.

"Casey- can you stop kicking my seat, please?" The girl sighed and looked down at her picture, then out the window.

Sophia jumped as her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She struggled to remove it just as the light turned green. It was Matt.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Um, you called me-"

"Please state your name, miss, this is the police."

"This is my husband's phone-"

"STATE YOUR NAME!"

"Sophia Dixon."

"And you say this is your husband's cell phone?"

"Yes it is! So, could you please tell me what you're doing with it?"

"What's your husband's name?"

"I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING!"

"I'm a police officer, miss, so you tell me your husband's name!"

"Matthew. Matthew Dixon! Please, could you tell me…"

"Mommy."

"Sweetie, Mommy's on the phone."

"Miss Dixon, where does your husband work?"

"Mommy."

"He works as manager at an Antique Store in Sunnyville. Please, tell me what's going on!"

"What route does he take to work, miss?"

"Mommy."

"SHUT UP, CASEY, JUST SHUT UP!"

Casey started wailing.

"No, no, baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell, please, Mommy's upset. Please, Casey, stop!" Sophia cried. She rubbed her head and the car felt like it was spinning, but it wasn't, it was just driving. It didn't feel like she was driving strait at all. Her head pounded and her ears rang, the overwhelming echo of her heartbeat shut out the officer's voice.

"Did your husband take Burnus Avenue?"

"Always! Every day! Just tell me what's wrong! I know there's something wrong!"

"Is your husband's license plate number 445-DDP?"

At first Sophia nodded, then realized that he couldn't see her.

"Miss?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Then, your husband was killed fifteen minutes ago in a gas explosion." Sophia inhaled. Her body froze. Her phone fell from her hand as she raised her hand to her mouth. It took all her might to keep her breakfast down.

The car swerved into the next lane, right in front of a tractor trailer.

The clash echoed.