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Chapter 4
Miranda felt as if her chest was going to explode by the time she arrived at their SUV. She had run all the way, knowing that Lizzie wouldn't have much time. As she opened the driver's door and climbed in, she realized the vehicles was sitting at an odd angle. Looking toward the back, Miranda realized that the tire was flat.
"Shit!" she exclaimed, "Why are you letting this happen." She screamed at the air, "Why? She never did anything to you. She is a good person, always thinking of others and never once, has she ever put herself first. How could you?" She cried. Falling to her knees, Miranda sobbed, "She is my best friend. You can't have her. I need her. She's mine, not yours. Please, please don't take her."
Miranda's passionate plea; however, did not go unnoticed. From nowhere, Miranda felt a gentle breeze cross over her body, and a feeling of peace enveloped her. It was like the wind whispered to her, "You must hurry if you want to help your friend. Get up. Do whatever you must to get help."
Miranda wiped away her tears, and took a deep breath. Walking to the back of the SUV, she rummaged around until she found the spare tire and jack. Working faster than a Nascar pit crew, she changed the tire and was on her way to get help. She knew it was at least two hours to the nearest town, but hopefully, she would come across the police or some other emergency worker that could help her.
"Where is a cop when you need one?" she asked to no one in particular. She looked down at the speedometer and it was registering 100mph. "If this were any other time, I would have been stopped and arrested by now." She muttered in frustration.
Miranda wondered how Lizzie was doing. She was scared and knew that if Lizzie were going to make it, a miracle would have to happen and soon. She wondered if Gordo would be okay if something happened to Lizzie. How would he handle it? He already felt guilty about the situation. It was going to be hard for all of them, but Gordo, she knew, would feel even more responsible for the accident.
She thought back to all the times they had together in jr. high and high school. Gordo had always carried a torch for Lizzie. Whenever she was in trouble, Gordo would try everything within his power to bale her out. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't, but he always tried. Most of the time, Lizzie would feel so guilty about him getting into trouble on her behalf; she would come clean and blow all his efforts. Miranda smiled at the fond memory.
Suddenly there was a flash in the sky followed by the sound of thunder. In a matter of seconds, it was raining so hard; Miranda could barely see the road in front of her. "Not now." She cried. "Please, we don't have time for this." Miranda never backed off the gas.
The rain came down harder and harder. Miranda never saw the police car sitting by the side of the road until his lights were flashing behind her. So excited she had finally found someone who could help her, she slammed on breaks. The wheels locked up immediately and Miranda could no longer control the vehicle. Hitting a standing puddle of water, the SUV careened across the road, jumped a ditch and landed upright on the other side.
In the moments of the wild ride, Miranda hit her head on the driver side window. Unaware of the blood running down the side of her face, Miranda unbuckled her seat belt, jumped out the SUV, and ran toward the officer.
When the officer saw Miranda running toward him, he put his hand out and yelled. "Ma'am please stop. Stop right there. Don't come any closer."
Miranda was confused. All she wanted was his help. "Please officer, we need your help. Please."
"Okay ma'am. I am going to help you, but first you need to put your hands were I can see them."
"You don't understand," Miranda cried hysterically, "If you don't hurry, she's going to die."
The officer shined his flashlight directly into Miranda's eyes. "Ma'am please. I will help you, but first do what I said. Let me see your hands."
Exasperated, Miranda placed her hands in the air. "Here, as you can see I have nothing in my frigin' hands. Now help me damn it!"
"Okay ma'am, please walk toward me very slowly." The officer said. She could tell that he was very tense, and his hand resting upon the butt of his gun. Deciding that cooperation would make things move faster, Miranda swallowed her impatience and complied with the officer's requests.
Once Miranda had come within a couple feet of the officer, he saw the wound on her head. "Ma'am are you okay?" he asked.
"No I'm not." Miranda replied, "My friend is hurt, I was going to get help. When your lights come on, I slammed on breaks, so I could ask for your help and then you treat me like a common criminal and...." Miranda became unsteady on her feet and swayed slightly.
"Steady there. Maybe you should sit down a minute." The officer said. He grasped Miranda by the elbow and directed her to the backseat of his squad car.
"Don't have time to sit." Miranda said. Her words were a little slurred. "Have to get help to Lizzie."
"Yeah." Said the officer, "You mentioned that, but I think we need to take care of you first."
"No." Miranda yelled. "We have to get help to them now. She won't make it much longer. Please," she begged, "we have to help her now."
"Okay tell me everything. We will get help to her as soon as possible."
Miranda looked hopefully at the officer and then began to relay the story to him as to what happened. At the end, she looked up at him with tears rolling down her face. "When I left, she was bleeding from the mouth. I know she has internal injuries. You see, if we don't hurry, she is going to die."
The officer looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. He knew that the chances of Lizzie still being alive after an accident like the one Miranda described was almost impossible, but he could not bring himself to say that to her. Instead he smiled and said, "You hang in there. I will get help to your friend. We need to go to the station first and get some rescue crews together. Then you can lead us to her okay?"
Miranda nodded and smiled her appreciation. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Officer Mallery." He replied, handing her his handkerchief. "Use this for your head and just sit back and relax. We will have help to your friend as soon as possible."
The ride to the police station was quicker than Miranda expected. Officer Mallery escorted her to his desk and told her to take a seat. She could hear him talking to some of the other officers explaining the situation. Finally, he came over and sat down beside Miranda. "How's your head?" he asked.
"I'll be fine." She replied. "What about the rescue? When do we leave?"
"Well, that's what I need to talk to you about." He started, "Miranda, there is no way that we can go to the canyon tonight. The rain..."
Miranda was on her feet the instant he said they couldn't go. "No." she yelled. "You don't understand. She won't make it through the night. We have to get to her now! Don't you understand."
"Miranda, please." Officer Mallery begged, "There is nothing we can do. The rain is bad enough, but it makes it almost impossible to get into the canyons when it is like this. There is just no way. Please trust in your friend Gordo. If he is anything like you said, he will keep her safe until we can get there tomorrow."
Miranda looked back at him with tears rolling down her cheeks. The shock of it all was beginning to settle in. She was able to control her fear as long as she had a goal, but now, her goal had been achieved and it was out of her hands. "Oh God." She cried, "She's gonna die. She's gonna die and you bunch of yellow belly bastards are just standing around with your fingers up your noses."
"Miranda, please." Officer Mallery was trying to calm her.
"No. Damn you. If she dies, I will never forgive any of you. She is my best friend. What if it was one of you? Would you just leave your friend out there to suffer?"
"Miranda, we can't" Officer Mallery tried to explain. He tried to take her hand, but she stepped back. Crying hysterically, Miranda sank to her knees in despair.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she rocked back and forth, "I promised, I promised. Oh God, help me."
Bending down, Officer Mallery put his arm around her. "Come on." He said. "Lets go help your friend."
Miranda looked up at him. "Do you mean it?"
"Yeah I mean it. My shift is over. Lets go."
Miranda stood up and leaned against Officer Mallery. As they started out of the station, they stopped when they heard a call from behind them. "Hey James?"
Officer Mallery turned toward the voice. "Yeah David?"
"Hang on. I'm coming with you." Miranda watched at a young man with an EMT badge on his shirt came around the counter toward them.
"Are you sure?" Asked Officer Mallery.
"Yeah, my shift is over too. We can't have people out there needing our help and do nothing about it."
Miranda looked over at Officer Mallery and the EMT attendant that she knew only as David, "Thank you." She breathed.
Walking toward the door, Miranda whispered. "Hang on Lizzie. We will be there soon. Just hang in there."
Chapter 4
Miranda felt as if her chest was going to explode by the time she arrived at their SUV. She had run all the way, knowing that Lizzie wouldn't have much time. As she opened the driver's door and climbed in, she realized the vehicles was sitting at an odd angle. Looking toward the back, Miranda realized that the tire was flat.
"Shit!" she exclaimed, "Why are you letting this happen." She screamed at the air, "Why? She never did anything to you. She is a good person, always thinking of others and never once, has she ever put herself first. How could you?" She cried. Falling to her knees, Miranda sobbed, "She is my best friend. You can't have her. I need her. She's mine, not yours. Please, please don't take her."
Miranda's passionate plea; however, did not go unnoticed. From nowhere, Miranda felt a gentle breeze cross over her body, and a feeling of peace enveloped her. It was like the wind whispered to her, "You must hurry if you want to help your friend. Get up. Do whatever you must to get help."
Miranda wiped away her tears, and took a deep breath. Walking to the back of the SUV, she rummaged around until she found the spare tire and jack. Working faster than a Nascar pit crew, she changed the tire and was on her way to get help. She knew it was at least two hours to the nearest town, but hopefully, she would come across the police or some other emergency worker that could help her.
"Where is a cop when you need one?" she asked to no one in particular. She looked down at the speedometer and it was registering 100mph. "If this were any other time, I would have been stopped and arrested by now." She muttered in frustration.
Miranda wondered how Lizzie was doing. She was scared and knew that if Lizzie were going to make it, a miracle would have to happen and soon. She wondered if Gordo would be okay if something happened to Lizzie. How would he handle it? He already felt guilty about the situation. It was going to be hard for all of them, but Gordo, she knew, would feel even more responsible for the accident.
She thought back to all the times they had together in jr. high and high school. Gordo had always carried a torch for Lizzie. Whenever she was in trouble, Gordo would try everything within his power to bale her out. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't, but he always tried. Most of the time, Lizzie would feel so guilty about him getting into trouble on her behalf; she would come clean and blow all his efforts. Miranda smiled at the fond memory.
Suddenly there was a flash in the sky followed by the sound of thunder. In a matter of seconds, it was raining so hard; Miranda could barely see the road in front of her. "Not now." She cried. "Please, we don't have time for this." Miranda never backed off the gas.
The rain came down harder and harder. Miranda never saw the police car sitting by the side of the road until his lights were flashing behind her. So excited she had finally found someone who could help her, she slammed on breaks. The wheels locked up immediately and Miranda could no longer control the vehicle. Hitting a standing puddle of water, the SUV careened across the road, jumped a ditch and landed upright on the other side.
In the moments of the wild ride, Miranda hit her head on the driver side window. Unaware of the blood running down the side of her face, Miranda unbuckled her seat belt, jumped out the SUV, and ran toward the officer.
When the officer saw Miranda running toward him, he put his hand out and yelled. "Ma'am please stop. Stop right there. Don't come any closer."
Miranda was confused. All she wanted was his help. "Please officer, we need your help. Please."
"Okay ma'am. I am going to help you, but first you need to put your hands were I can see them."
"You don't understand," Miranda cried hysterically, "If you don't hurry, she's going to die."
The officer shined his flashlight directly into Miranda's eyes. "Ma'am please. I will help you, but first do what I said. Let me see your hands."
Exasperated, Miranda placed her hands in the air. "Here, as you can see I have nothing in my frigin' hands. Now help me damn it!"
"Okay ma'am, please walk toward me very slowly." The officer said. She could tell that he was very tense, and his hand resting upon the butt of his gun. Deciding that cooperation would make things move faster, Miranda swallowed her impatience and complied with the officer's requests.
Once Miranda had come within a couple feet of the officer, he saw the wound on her head. "Ma'am are you okay?" he asked.
"No I'm not." Miranda replied, "My friend is hurt, I was going to get help. When your lights come on, I slammed on breaks, so I could ask for your help and then you treat me like a common criminal and...." Miranda became unsteady on her feet and swayed slightly.
"Steady there. Maybe you should sit down a minute." The officer said. He grasped Miranda by the elbow and directed her to the backseat of his squad car.
"Don't have time to sit." Miranda said. Her words were a little slurred. "Have to get help to Lizzie."
"Yeah." Said the officer, "You mentioned that, but I think we need to take care of you first."
"No." Miranda yelled. "We have to get help to them now. She won't make it much longer. Please," she begged, "we have to help her now."
"Okay tell me everything. We will get help to her as soon as possible."
Miranda looked hopefully at the officer and then began to relay the story to him as to what happened. At the end, she looked up at him with tears rolling down her face. "When I left, she was bleeding from the mouth. I know she has internal injuries. You see, if we don't hurry, she is going to die."
The officer looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. He knew that the chances of Lizzie still being alive after an accident like the one Miranda described was almost impossible, but he could not bring himself to say that to her. Instead he smiled and said, "You hang in there. I will get help to your friend. We need to go to the station first and get some rescue crews together. Then you can lead us to her okay?"
Miranda nodded and smiled her appreciation. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Officer Mallery." He replied, handing her his handkerchief. "Use this for your head and just sit back and relax. We will have help to your friend as soon as possible."
The ride to the police station was quicker than Miranda expected. Officer Mallery escorted her to his desk and told her to take a seat. She could hear him talking to some of the other officers explaining the situation. Finally, he came over and sat down beside Miranda. "How's your head?" he asked.
"I'll be fine." She replied. "What about the rescue? When do we leave?"
"Well, that's what I need to talk to you about." He started, "Miranda, there is no way that we can go to the canyon tonight. The rain..."
Miranda was on her feet the instant he said they couldn't go. "No." she yelled. "You don't understand. She won't make it through the night. We have to get to her now! Don't you understand."
"Miranda, please." Officer Mallery begged, "There is nothing we can do. The rain is bad enough, but it makes it almost impossible to get into the canyons when it is like this. There is just no way. Please trust in your friend Gordo. If he is anything like you said, he will keep her safe until we can get there tomorrow."
Miranda looked back at him with tears rolling down her cheeks. The shock of it all was beginning to settle in. She was able to control her fear as long as she had a goal, but now, her goal had been achieved and it was out of her hands. "Oh God." She cried, "She's gonna die. She's gonna die and you bunch of yellow belly bastards are just standing around with your fingers up your noses."
"Miranda, please." Officer Mallery was trying to calm her.
"No. Damn you. If she dies, I will never forgive any of you. She is my best friend. What if it was one of you? Would you just leave your friend out there to suffer?"
"Miranda, we can't" Officer Mallery tried to explain. He tried to take her hand, but she stepped back. Crying hysterically, Miranda sank to her knees in despair.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she rocked back and forth, "I promised, I promised. Oh God, help me."
Bending down, Officer Mallery put his arm around her. "Come on." He said. "Lets go help your friend."
Miranda looked up at him. "Do you mean it?"
"Yeah I mean it. My shift is over. Lets go."
Miranda stood up and leaned against Officer Mallery. As they started out of the station, they stopped when they heard a call from behind them. "Hey James?"
Officer Mallery turned toward the voice. "Yeah David?"
"Hang on. I'm coming with you." Miranda watched at a young man with an EMT badge on his shirt came around the counter toward them.
"Are you sure?" Asked Officer Mallery.
"Yeah, my shift is over too. We can't have people out there needing our help and do nothing about it."
Miranda looked over at Officer Mallery and the EMT attendant that she knew only as David, "Thank you." She breathed.
Walking toward the door, Miranda whispered. "Hang on Lizzie. We will be there soon. Just hang in there."