She felt immense pain before she opened her eyes. She could feel blood trickling down her face before she touched the open wound. She opened the car door, grateful for the light. The accident had made her forget the heavy rain and harsh wind. Her hair blew all around her face, sticking to the open wound on her face. It hurt to move her left foot and she was positive she had broken her wrist or her arm or both.
Her hand shook as she tried to pull up Conrad's name on her contacts. The rain hit her smart phone, making it hard to hit the button. She tried to wipe it off, but couldn't steady her hands enough. Instead, she dropped her phone onto the wet ground. She tried over and over to get the phone to work but the screen stayed black.
Conrad stared out the window, wishing he would see headlights approaching the Manor. He regretted fighting with Victoria and knew that he never should have mentioned David Clarke. It was a hot button issue for her and yet he could never learn to bite his tongue. Deep down, it was jealousy. David was able to see a side of Victoria that he hadn't seen in decades, maybe ever. It hurt him to think of how angry she must have been to opt for a storm instead of being close to him. She had always been terrified of storms. He made light of it but he knew the flash of panic at the rumbling of thunder. He made jokes that she would melt like the wicked witch of the west at the slightest rain fall but tonight he wasn't laughing.
His wife's unanswered calls quickly turned to voicemail so he knew her phone had either died or was off. He couldn't think of a single scenario where that wouldn't be proof of an emergency. He knew he needed to find her; he just didn't know how.
Feeling anxious, he dialed the number again. Straight to voicemail. He cursed her name out loud. Why did she have to be so difficult? Why did she have to run out into the night? Where was she now? He made one more call.
"Any word on my wife?" He demanded. "I don't give a damn. If your job title is head of security than I expect you to keep us secure. Find my wife!" He growled before hanging up.
He glanced up at her coat hanging by the door. She must be freezing. She was always cold. He grabbed his keys and drove off. He prayed this would be one of those made for TV movie moments where his heart suddenly knows which way to his wife. This was not one of those times.
Victoria's leg gave out and she fell to the ground. Wet leaves stuck to her and her thin clothes were now soaked. She hobbled back to the car, trying to start the engine. Instead of purring to life the engine sputtered. Victoria rolled her eyes. Today was not her day.
A wave of helplessness fell over her as she curled into the back seat of her car. She didn't have any blankets or even her coat, nothing to give her warmth. Without the engine starting she couldn't even turn the heat on. She curled into a small ball, shivering in the backseat of her car. The tears fell freely; she had no use in hiding them. She was completely alone. No one knew where she was. No one knew where she was. There was a strong possibility that no one cared. She had no idea of what injuries she may have sustained in the crash. For all she knew she would die in this car. She wished Conrad would just show up and save her. As if there were some magical beam projecting from her that only he could see. She had no magic, no way to tell him where she was. She didn't even know where she was.
Her frail body shook from the cold, but if nothing else the car gave her shelter from the elements outside. Like a small child, she cried and cried until she was unable to keep her heavy eyelids open. After a while, she drifted to sleep, dreaming of being rescued by her husband.
