Chapter Thirty-Two



Annabel had no clue where they were headed as Clear pressed her foot harder on the gas pedal. However, where they were going was the last question on Annabel's mind.
"What just happened? I mean, I don't mean to disrespect your 'idea' about what exactly is going on with me but I didn't save Carter from the collapsing overhang!" Annabel said, her voice straining.
"I know but I think I have it figured out now. Finally." Clear muttered and hit the car's break. The car screeched to a halt and Annabel was nearly choked by the seatbelt.
"Please explain." Joshua muttered.
"All right, Carter and I skipped Death once before and I think with you we've been worked back into the plan. Death isn't finished with us, any of us. I mean, the way I see it, no one in this car is safe." Clear said, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning around to face Annabel.
"Whoa, I don't like that plan. Why not?" Joshua asked.
"Yeah, Joshua didn't have anything to do with the overhang or the airplane, why isn't he safe?" Annabel asked.
"The same reason why Carter and I aren't safe, we've cheated Death before and we've been added back into the plan." Clear answered.
"Cheated Death before?" Joshua repeated. "But I haven't; I haven't walked off an airplane and like Annabel said I wasn't anywhere near the airport that day." Joshua added, his voice sounding somewhat worried.
The car was silent for a beat before Clear said, "Everyone's cheated Death before, just not in ways 'that' big. You mean to tell me your mother has never run a red light and barely missed oncoming cars? Or that you've never slipped in the shower and just barely caught yourself before your skull bashed into the side of the wall?"
Annabel's eyes darted nervously in her head as she thought about what Clear had said; she had a point, now that Annabel thought about it.
Joshua didn't seem as calm about Clear's words as Annabel and Nicolas did. "Are you trying to tell me that I'm doomed because I'm around Annabel now?" Joshua yelled.
As though accenting his words there was a large crash of thunder. Annabel hadn't even noticed the sky clouding over but she hadn't really been paying attention. Everyone in the car looked around, slightly worried and skittish. Everything now was a possible Death Threat -for lack of better words; everything held some potential in ending their lives.
Joshua seemed to sense this even more; he climbed over the middle armrest and unlocked the doors to the car and opened the drivers' side door. Instead of climbing out of the car like Annabel expected, Joshua shoved Clear out of the car and sat in the drivers seat.
"Are you crazy?" Nicolas asked as Joshua slammed his foot on the gas pedal.
"I'm getting us out of here and somewhere safe." Joshua said, though he seemed more to be talking to himself then to Annabel or Nicolas.
"You're crazy." Annabel muttered and unseat-belted herself. She leaned over the back of the drivers seat and attempted to keep Joshua's foot off the pedal.
There was a crash of thunder and a spark of lightening as Annabel managed to keep Joshua from pressing his foot on the pedal.
The car screeched to a halt and bounced a little as it stopped on railroad tracks. The halt of the car knocked off what little balance Annabel head and jerked her backward. Her head knocked on the rear-windshield of the car as her body collided with the seat. Annabel saw stars and blacked out for a few seconds, stunned by the surprised blow.
Joshua cursed and climbed out of the car; he slammed the drivers' door hard enough to shake the car. Joshua turned around to see Clear running as fast as she could toward the car.
There was another flash of lightening but instead of being at a distance like it was before, the lightening struck the trunk of a nearby tree. The tree snapped and fell toward the car; Joshua had to hurriedly dodge the tree before it crashed down onto the car.
Annabel let out a surprised scream as the car smashed through the windshield as though it were paper. In the front of the car, she could hear Nicolas utter a surprised groan as the tree pinned him to his seat.
Annabel struggled to free herself as lightening struck the ground, nearer to the car. She heard a popping noise and begun to feel some sort of heat as she attempted to free herself. It took her a second to realize that the lightening had ignited a patch of dry grass and the flames were licking the crushed car.
Outside the car, Annabel could hear Clear calling her name and yelling out instructions to her such as 'tell us where you are and we'll pull you out' and 'stay calm'. Annabel pulled herself out from under the tree and climbed through one of the jagged holes in what used to be the hood of the car.
Joshua helped her climb down and held her tight as she attempted to tell them that Nicolas was still in the car. The fire had surrounded the car as well as most of the bushes and grass around it.
"If we don't get him out of there now, he'll die." Clear muttered.
"It's his turn then! Don't risk your life for him!" Joshua yelled as Clear ran over to Nicolas's side of the car.
Ignoring Joshua's desperate pleas, Annabel followed Clear and joined her. Nicolas was trying to tell Clear exactly where he was buried under the car but it was hard to see him.
The firewall was getting taller and hotter but Annabel wasn't going to just leave Nicolas trapped. She begun breaking off branches and tossing them aside; Clear begun to help her and soon they could see Nicolas. They grabbed a hold of his arms and begun to tug him out. The task seemed impossible; Annabel's arms felt like they were on fire as she tugged on Nicolas's trapped body.
"Joshua, help!" Annabel managed to choke out between strained gasps.
"No way." Annabel could hear him reply.
Annabel grunted and felt the flames lick her bare legs and her arms; Clear groaned in exertion but it was obvious that neither of the girls were going to give up.
After what seemed like forever -but was really only ten minutes- Annabel could feel Nicolas's body giving way. With a groan, Nicolas slid free; the three of them toppled backward and not a moment too soon. The car exploded, sending pieces of metal showering down upon the ground.
Annabel shielded her face with her arms as the heat charred the arms on her arms. When the fire seemingly died down, Annabel uncovered her face and looked around; panting beside her was Clear, her hair slightly charred but she was otherwise fine. Nicolas seemed more surprised then anything; when he caught Annabel looking at him, he forced a smile, attempting to show the gratitude he felt.
Annabel looked in front of her to see Joshua looking down at the debris the car had left. He refused to look at Annabel, Clear and Nicolas though Annabel could feel his eyes on her.
"That was a really brave thing you did." Annabel whispered to Clear, granting her a smile.
Clear let out a little laugh. "Me? You were pretty brave yourself." Clear muttered.
"Well, I don't think it was brave. I think it was stupid; really stupid!" Joshua said, looking up and locking eyes with Annabel. "Come on Annabel, you could have gotten killed! After everything that Clear just said you go and basically throw yourself in a burning car for someone else! It was obviously his time; you should have.." Joshua continued but Annabel cut him off.
"Let him burn? Oh yeah, I could live with myself after that!" Annabel yelled back, standing up and looking like she was going to walk toward him.
"At least you could have lived." Joshua muttered. "But fine, throw yourself in a burning car. You're not takin' me with you!" Joshua snapped.
Before anyone could say anything else there was another crack of lightening; this one was closer then any of the other strikes. The bolt hit one of the larger, knife-like, pieces of the destroyed car and launched it into the air. The piece flew like a discus toward Joshua and sliced through Joshua's neck. His eyes clouded over and his head dropped to the ground.
Annabel let out a surprised gasp and sucked in a breath. With a mournful sigh, she collapsed to the ground, once again unconscious.