The car stuttered to an undignified stop in the middle of what appeared to be nowhere. Cursing to the high heavens, I slammed my palms against the steering wheel. Now the day really couldn't get any worse. As if hearing a challenge in my thoughts the skies opened, sending small chunks of ice bouncing off my car, trapping me inside with the fear of being pelted. I turned the key in the ignition only to be met with a sorry wurring sound that meant I was going nowhere. That's about right, I thought bitterly. I was going nowhere. Nowhere in life, nowhere in this damn car!
As the time passed and the skies began to darken, the hail only grew in momentum. Not one person had driven by and I was starting to feel hungry. I thoroughly regretted throwing my Blackberry at my boss' head; I could really use it right about now. All I had was my iPod, some gum and my Filofax. Sticking some of the gum into my mouth I reached into the backseat for a blanket. I always carried one with me in case my boyfriend, Luke, insisted on bringing Tobin, his dog, on one of our trips. After all, I did not want his two hundred pound mutt scratching my leather seats. I wrapped myself up tightly and tried to see through the hail. Although my attempts were fruitless, I knew that I was surrounded by fields which at any other point in time I may have appreciated. You didn't see much greenery in the city and I often relished at the opportunity to smell freshly cut grass. Right now though, being in Seattle would have had its advantages. For one, the place wasn't completely deserted! My stomach growled in disapproval of not receiving actual food despite my vigorous chewing. I inched down the window and threw the gum onto the grass. The moment it left my hand it disappeared from sight. Darn weather.
As darkness fell over my Prius, I let my imagination wander. If my life were a movie, this entire day would have been reduced down to a two minute montage, backed with some emotive soundtrack. It would end in one of several possible ways, depending on, of course, the genre. If it were a horror movie, I would've left the car and gone ahead on foot. I would do this despite knowing that a crazed lunatic was on the loose intent on hunting me down. Depending on whether or not I was the lead, I would end up either decapitated, or merely injured. I shuddered at the thought, I would obviously play the lead – I would survive, I reassured myself. Suddenly finding every sound eerie I forced my mind to move on. If this were a romantic movie, a white knight would show up and declare his undying love for me. I would resist at first but eventually succumb to his dark, brooding eyes, allowing myself to be whisked to safety in the comfort of his arms. Feeling slightly nauseous about liking the idea that I needed to be rescued I banished the imagine game from my mind and allowed the constant pattering of rain to lull me into a dreamless sleep.
When I woke the sky was still dark, but the hail had stopped. Opening the car door I tentatively stretched my cramped muscles. The air was cold but I still inhaled deeply, enjoying the freshness that only came after heavy rain. Despite the dismal weather it was still warm and I quickly decided that my only option was to walk to help. Flashes of the horror movie scenario rushed into my mind and I reached into the glove box for my 9mm. I placed the gun in my purse, knowing that the chances of me getting to it in time were slim but feeling more secure all the same. I spun around quickly with my eyes closed, letting "fate" decide my direction – onwards or backwards. I stopped facing the front of my car, onwards it was.
I walked until my feet began to hurt and decided to rest in a nearby field. The grass was wet and soaked through my trousers but my feet hurt too much to stand. I was dressed for work, so my attire was formal; black, tailored trousers, a cream ruffled shirt and sleek kitten heels. The heels allowed me to look sexy by adding a slight swagger to my gait, whilst remaining practical for my inherent clumsiness. They weren't, however, practical for a hike. I looked around me, questioning my decision making process for going forward. I still had miles to go before I broke down, and it would have been more sensible if I had turned back. The day was breaking but I could see nothing except green fields surrounded by a distant forest. I stood up, angling for a better view. To my surprise, on my distant left was what looked like a small cabin or house. My inner self jumped for joy, hell, my outer self did too.
The house was much further than I had realised, and lead me away from the main road. Ever the one for caution, I pulled my gun from my purse and carried it in my dominant hand. I had only ever shot it at a shooting range and hoped that today wouldn't be the day for that to change. Drawing closer I could clearly see that it was a house, not a cabin. And it wasn't small. Everything was very quiet and as the sun was only just rising I assumed everyone would be in bed. Tucking the gun into my waist band, I walked up the porch steps to knock on the impressively carved front door. I was met with silence. Pausing for a moment to assess the exterior of the house I noticed that the curtains were open. I knocked again, only this time much louder. The door abruptly opened, leaving my hand knocking air and my heart in my throat.
"Bella?" a male voice asked.
My head swirled and I hit the deck.