Me: I'm back with Chapter 2. Brace yourself for some major drama!! I know
this is a comedy show but oh well...what kind of person besides Tim and Randy
joke when something really serious is going on.....Anyway, thanks for the
reviews so far. I appreciate them all. So let's make this quick and I'll
just say that I don't own anything and just let you guys get on with the
chapter. See ya.
Chapter 2
With severe pain in his chest and legs, Tim unbuckled his seatbelt. Water was filling in the car quickly and he could tell that he only had a few minutes before he wouldn't be able to breathe. The handle on the door was slightly jammed but with much force he was able to pry it loose and open the door slightly. He held it open just enough to get his upper body out. When he went to slide the rest of his body out something pulled him back in. He looked down and saw that in the water, his right foot was caught in between the floorboard and the seat. His breaths got quicker as the water filled to his neck. Without using his right arm, Tim bent over and tried to pull out his foot. His arm hurt so much from the impact of hitting the steering wheel. The water quickly filled to his mouth and he held up his head as far as he could to keep from going under. He tugged hard on his leg to get his foot out but it wasn't moving. The water was so cold that he could barely move his fingers around to grab his pant leg. It kept filling centimeter by centimeter until it was up to his eyes and he had no way of breathing. With bravery he put his full head under the water and pulled. The car jolted forward further into the icy lake and the seat released its grasp on his foot. He shoved his side into the door to open it more so he could get out. Tim swam towards the top of the lake with his good arm. The car kept sinking more slowly now and the force of it pulled him back down. He kept swimming not knowing how long he would be able to hold his breath. After a few seconds the cold air from the late afternoon hit his face and he took in a deep grasping breath. He looked around quickly into his surroundings and saw the frozen water around him. Grumbling noises were in the background and he looked behind him to see his car smashed and still sinking.
He started to whimper. "My car......" He said and climbed onto a patch of ice slowly. "Oh no." He grunted and looked around. When the accident had accured he was somewhere around Midland, Michigan. "I've got to get home." He said ignoring the cold and pain in his body. "I'm only about five hundred and forty miles from Detroit." He calculated. His mind raced at what he would do. Tim took one last glance at his half-sunken vehicle and sighed before slowly making his way out of the lake. Exhaustion filled his body once he hit the ground. He was so glad he was out of the water but the air just seemed to be colder than ever. He rubbed his arm with his good hand and laid back in the snow covered grass. His eyes closed as he felt like he was breathing in ice. The fog from his breath could be seen as the snow from above kept on falling on his limp body.
---------------
Jill walked in the front door with her college friend trailing behind her.
"Burr.....it's freezing out there." Jill said.
"Yeah."
Jill shut the door behind them and they took off their backpacks and coats. Then Jill walked to the kitchen. Her friend semi-followed.
"Thanks for coming over to study Connie." She said. "You want something to drink? I can make some hot tea...."
"That'd be great." Connie responded. "It's no problem. We both need to ace this exam so...why not."
The two women paused as Jill filled up the teapot with water and placed it on the stove.
"Hey Jill? Do you mind if I catch the news. I want to see who won the game yesterday."
"Yeah sure. Help yourself."
Connie walked to the TV and flipped it on and to the news. For awhile it was nothing but weather.
"Geez, the snow is just going to get worse out there." Connie commented as Jill poured the now hot water into two mugs. "The scores should be up in just a minute."
"Ok." Jill said and placed two tea bags in the mugs.
Connie turned up the TV and Jill looked towards it.
"The blizzards out there are just getting more and more heavy people. If it is possible, stay in your homes and stay as warm as you can." The news reporter said. "There was a severe accident around Midland yesterday as a cause of this snow storm."
Jill's gut turned and she walked closer to the TV and stared at it. The reporter was standing on a closed road in the snow. The camera shot to a video of a sky view of a big glassy lake with a red Nomad in the middle of it.
"Oh my god." She said and continued to stare at the TV. It was showing the police doing an airlift of the vehicle out of the water. The front was crushed in and it was covered in ice and snow.
"What?" Connie asked when she saw the look on Jill's face.
"That's our car....." Jill said slowly in shock. Her mouth was dropped open and she was breathing rapidly. "That's the one Tim was driving....." She trailed off as the news went back to the reporter, now standing beside the smashed Nomad.
"The police found the accident early this morning. There seems to be no bodies found yet and no evidence of the owner of the vehicle. The only thing as evidence is this tool belt." The reporter said and pointed to the item lying in a clear bag. "Engraved inside the tool belt are the words 'Tool Time'. The vehicle is a red Nomad but the license plate was too smashed to read. So if you have any information concerning this matter please call your local police department."
Jill cupped her mouth in shock. She stopped breathing as if something had knocked the wind out of her. Connie knew what was going through her mind and she quickly jumped of the couch to comfort her friend. "No." Jill said and shook her head. "No!" The shock couldn't escape her body as she continued to stare at the TV showing the smashed car and tool belt once more. "Tim." She whispered and grabbed Connie's arm for support. Her legs gave out beneath her and she caught herself on the table behind the couch. She looked away from the television and slid to the floor. "No." She repeated and tears started forming in her eyes.
"Jill." Connie said in concern and sat with her on the floor. "I...." She started but stopped.
Jill's body shook with tears and she didn't bother to wipe them away. Her knees were folded underneath her and she wrapped her arms around them. Her face was buried in them and her hair was draping down the sides. Connie rubbed her hand on her back and couldn't help but shed tears herself.
"This can't be happening....." Jill said. Connie offered her a box of tissues from the table. She took one and stared straight in front of her through the water still running down her cheeks. "I can't believe this. NO!!!" She said and scrunched up her face before looking at Connie. "NO!!!!"
They were silent for a little while before Jill got herself off the floor and sat at the dinning room table.
"I'm so sorry." Connie said in words of comfort.
"The last thing we talked about......it was a fight! The last thing I did with my husband was fight!!!!" Jill said and her tears still flowed. "I didn't even get to kiss him goodbye."
Connie looked at her friend with much sympathy. "I...I don't know what to say to you Jill."
"It's ok."
"No, it's not........You just got terrible news and I'm sitting here like an idiot."
Jill didn't respond. She placed her face in her hands and continued to shake with tears. Connie pulled a chair next to hers and placed her arm around Jill. The phone rang.
"Do you want me to answer that?"
Jill nodded.
Connie walked to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?'
"Hi, is Jill there?"
Connie hesitated and looked towards Jill. "May I ask who's calling?"
"It's Heidi."
Connie put the phone down. "Woman named Heidi......"
Jill lifted her head from her hands and walked to the phone. She wiped away her tears. "Hello?"
"Jill.....I saw the news. Please...tell me Tim didn't go....tell me he's still at home."
"I wish I could." She said and started to cry again.
"Oh god."
Jill could hear the woman on the other side of the phone sobbing as well. "But wait....the guy said that there were no bodies found...that doesn't mean that there were no survivors right?"
Her eyes widen with hope. "I don't know anything." She said and grabbed another tissue. "I do know that I should call the police department...maybe they can tell me more."
"Do you want me to come over there....because I can..."
"No, no. You shouldn't drive in this snow. That's how this all started."
"Ok. Jill......I'm so sorry." Heidi said.
"Me to. Will you call Al?"
"Yes, I will."
"I'll talk to you later."
"Ok." She said slowly. "Bye."
Jill hung up the phone and dabbed her eyes with the tissue. Her body was still in shock and she could feel her heart breaking.
"It hurts." She said while looking around the house. Connie looked at her concerned. "It hurts so bad." Jill said again and wiped away her tears. "I just.....I can't believe this."
Jill looked passed Connie and out the glass back doors. She could see Wilson in his yard pacing. Without a word she grabbed her coat and walked out back.
"Wilson?"
"Jill. I thought you'd meet me out here eventually." He said with a sad tone.
"You saw the news?"
"I'm afraid so neighborette. Are you ok?" He asked, now peering from behind the fence with half his face covered.
"No. I feel numb.....helpless........empty."
"Mmmm hmmm."
"And it's as if my heart is actually breaking into a thousand little pieces." She continued slowly and started to cry again. "It hurts."
"I know it does. It's hurting me to."
Jill looked at him through her tears and then around at the snow. "Why did this happen Wilson?...........Stupid snow." She said with anger and kicked some of it across the yard. She looked up and could feel the white flakes hit her face. "The boys....what about the boys? Are they going to be able to get through this Wilson? Am I going to be able to get through this?"
"Grieving is a natural thing Jill. Life and death isn't something that can be controlled by human hands."
She didn't respond.
"The only thing we can do.....is pray."
Jill looked at him now and took in his words. "Pray." She repeated and turned back towards her house. "Umm....yeah. I'm going to go inside, it's freezing. Feel free to come by if you want..."
"Ok." Wilson said and headed back inside his house as well. Their conversations usually lasted longer than that but it was considerably cold outside and Jill was weak.
Connie saw her come in as she was hanging up the phone.
"I called the police department."
"And?"
She shook her head. "Nothing....that wasn't on the news."
Jill sighed and sat down on her couch. Connie brought the box of tissues to her and Jill took a few. Tears were still pouring down her face and she couldn't make them stop.
"I have to call the boys...I think I have the number of the lodge they are staying at." She noted and stood up. She looked through the drawer below the phone and found the piece of paper that had the numbers on them. Her breaths got more rapid and she couldn't get herself to stop crying. "How am I supposed to tell them?!" She yelled and looked up at the ceiling as if she was talking to God. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL MY CHILDREN THAT THEY MIGHT NOT SEE THEY'RE FATHER AGAIN??!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL THEM THAT OUR CAR WAS FOUND IN A FROZEN LAKE AND THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS?!! THAT THEY DON'T KNOW IF HE'S ALIVE OR NOT?!!!" She screamed and sunk to the floor again. Connie stared at her with shock and sympathy.
Jill sat on the kitchen floor, her body limp and her eyes glaring in front of her. Connie was too unsure whether or not to approach her so she stayed standing near the dinning room table.
"I don't know what to do....." Jill said after awhile. "I don't know what to do without him....Connie, he's the only man I've ever loved....and the thought of him not being here any longer....is....killing me. I feel like I can't breath and as if I......as if this can't really be happening...."
Connie approached her now that she was somewhat calmer. The shock of the news hadn't left the room. It hadn't left Jill. She sat down next to her friend again and wrapped an arm around her. Wilson knocked on the back door and she motioned for him to come in. He sat down next to Jill as well and grabbed her hand in his. She leaned forward and hugged the man she had known for so long. Wilson patted his hands on her back and held her weak body as she sobbed.
---------------
Brad, Randy, and Mark made their way home no matter how many objections Jill made. They needed to be home with their mother then, not skiing at some lodge. The shock of the whole situation had been too much for all three of them so one of their friends parents drove them home very cautiously. When they arrived that night, Jill was sitting at the dinning room table with Wilson. Connie had left a few hours earlier on Jill's orders. Wilson protested and stayed though. The three teenagers were greeted with long loving hugs and tears from their mother. They all sat down together while Wilson made hot chocolate for them.
"We still don't know anything." Jill said. "The police said they would call if there were any updates on.....a body...being found or something."
"This must be how dad felt....." Brad said. "When grandpa died......he was a kid, like us."
"We don't know if he's dead yet Brad." Randy said defensively raising his tone.
"Randy...." Jill said calmly. "I know this hurts, believe me...."
"Yeah, you're the one who should be hurting more than anybody Mom." Brad said.
Jill looked around at her three boys. Brad looked towards Randy and Randy looked at his hands. Mark stared at Jill with tears in his eyes. She stared back and shook her head towards him. Wilson broke the silence.
"Hot chocolate is ready." He said and poured the liquid into five different mugs. Jill stood up and served them to her children. Wilson joined them at the table. They all stared at their drinks and then everybody took a sip except Jill. She didn't want any.....She didn't want anything....except Tim. All of a sudden the lights went out.
"What happened?" Randy said.
"I think that was the power." Brad answered and tried to flip on a light switch. Nothing happened. "Yeah, that was the power."
"Oh no." Jill said and carefully walked to the kitchen. She felt for a drawer and opened it as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She pulled out a box of matches and lit one. Then she quickly grabbed a candle that was sitting near the couch and lit it with the match. She did this for three or four more candles and placed them throughout the room. Randy got up and started putting wood in the fireplace. Jill then tossed him the box of matches and he lit the fire.
"It's going to get cold." He stated.
"We should all just sleep down here." Jill noted. "Wilson....I'd feel better if you'd stay with us."
"Then I will." He noted and semi-smiled at her.
"We have another problem." Brad said from the kitchen. They all squinted to see him and then realized he was holding the phone in his hand. "Phone lines dead."
"Oh God." Jill said and sighed. "I can't believe this. How are we going to find out if there are any updates with your father?" She asked, not expecting an answer back from anybody. She started pacing but stopped herself. "It'll be ok. We'll be ok." She said and Randy put his hand in hers. She squeezed it and pulled him in for a hug.
---------------
Tim walked along side the road as fast as he could. The snow was hitting him hard. After he had gotten out of the lake he passed out and woke up at what he thought was early in the morning. With all the strength he had, he got up and headed back in the direction he came from...on foot. He left his sunken Nomad, his suitcases, and his tool belt behind. All he had was the frozen clothes on his body and his drenched wallet in his back pocket. He saw a sign on the side of the road where he was walking that said 'Flint: 12 miles.' Tim didn't know how much more he could take. All the walking and the freezing cold wind and snow pounding against his face weakened him. His left arm was completely numb from hitting the dashboard and he had been limping the whole time because of his foot being jammed. His walking got slower and slower as he walked farther and farther.
A few minutes went by and Tim heard a car pull up behind him. It was a truck and it was stopping for him. The passenger window rolled down when the vehicle was next to him.
"Do you need a ride?" The person driving asked.
Tim hesitated but looked around. The snow was getting heavier and if he kept walking, he would either freeze or collapse. He nodded and got into the truck slowly.
"You look pretty beat up there sir..." The driver said.
Tim looked over and saw an overweight man with a dark beard. He was wearing plaid.
"Oh no." Tim grunted. "Not flannel."
The driver looked at him weird but shrugged it off. "Where you headed?"
"Detroit." Tim answered.
"Well that's about three hundred and something miles from here. That's around five hours."
"I need to get home. My home is in Detroit."
"Well, I can take you as far as Flint. I'm sorry that's where I'm stopping."
"That's good enough. Thank you." Tim said and looked at the man. "Would you mind if we turned up the heat a bit?"
"Not at all." The man said and fiddled with the knobs.
About fifteen minutes later they arrived at a local bar in Flint, Michigan. Tim turned to the man before getting out of the car.
"Thank you sir."
"Listen, I can tell you're freezing. How about I buy you a drink?"
"I couldn't do that." Tim started. The man looked at him and Tim hesitated then shrugged. They walked into the bar and sat down.
"I'll have a beer Joe." The man said to the bartender. "What do you want?" He asked Tim.
"Umm...something warm..." Tim said and looked at the menu. "Hot tea is fine."
The bartender nodded and went to get their drinks. Tim pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it. The thing was practically frozen.
"How long have you been walking out there?"
"Hours." Tim answered. "I was in Midland."
"Wow...you're really determined to get to home aren't you? What happened?"
"Car accident. And yes, I need to get home." Tim said and looked in his wallet. He had cash but it was mostly all frozen from the water and then from the cold weather outside. "I'll pay you for the gas and the drink." He said. Tim was still so cold and shaken up by the accident.
"No, you don't have to. You might just want to put yourself up in a hotel tonight. It's freezing out there and it's dark now." The man suggested.
Tim took in the thought. "You're probably right. I think I have enough here for one night. Where is the local hotel?"
"Just a few miles into town. I'll take you there." The man said.
"Thank you." Tim said and sipped on his tea.
After they were done, they hopped back into the mans car and he drove Tim to the local hotel. Then after making sure he was in and ok, the man left with many thanks. Tim walked into the hotel room and then to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and gasped. His skin was pale and he looked weak. With exhaustion filling his body, he turned on the hot water and decided to get a shower. The water gave him goosebumps and it wasn't long because the feeling of water just brought back the accident in his mind. The pain his body was in about killed him but he ignored it and once out of the shower and covered up in a towel and comforter from the bed, he picked up the phone. His shaking fingers dialed his home number. As soon as the call went through, he got a dead line. With confusion, he dialed the number again but the same thing happened.
"That's odd." He said and hung up the phone. He couldn't get Jill on the phone. He needed to talk to her. Tim lay down on the bed and wrapped himself completely in the sheets and comforter. Within seconds and without even turning out the lights, he fell asleep from exhaustion.
End Chapter 2
Me: Well....I guess you people are just going to have to find out if he makes it home in the next chapter......hehe....I hope you liked it. Review!!!
Chapter 2
With severe pain in his chest and legs, Tim unbuckled his seatbelt. Water was filling in the car quickly and he could tell that he only had a few minutes before he wouldn't be able to breathe. The handle on the door was slightly jammed but with much force he was able to pry it loose and open the door slightly. He held it open just enough to get his upper body out. When he went to slide the rest of his body out something pulled him back in. He looked down and saw that in the water, his right foot was caught in between the floorboard and the seat. His breaths got quicker as the water filled to his neck. Without using his right arm, Tim bent over and tried to pull out his foot. His arm hurt so much from the impact of hitting the steering wheel. The water quickly filled to his mouth and he held up his head as far as he could to keep from going under. He tugged hard on his leg to get his foot out but it wasn't moving. The water was so cold that he could barely move his fingers around to grab his pant leg. It kept filling centimeter by centimeter until it was up to his eyes and he had no way of breathing. With bravery he put his full head under the water and pulled. The car jolted forward further into the icy lake and the seat released its grasp on his foot. He shoved his side into the door to open it more so he could get out. Tim swam towards the top of the lake with his good arm. The car kept sinking more slowly now and the force of it pulled him back down. He kept swimming not knowing how long he would be able to hold his breath. After a few seconds the cold air from the late afternoon hit his face and he took in a deep grasping breath. He looked around quickly into his surroundings and saw the frozen water around him. Grumbling noises were in the background and he looked behind him to see his car smashed and still sinking.
He started to whimper. "My car......" He said and climbed onto a patch of ice slowly. "Oh no." He grunted and looked around. When the accident had accured he was somewhere around Midland, Michigan. "I've got to get home." He said ignoring the cold and pain in his body. "I'm only about five hundred and forty miles from Detroit." He calculated. His mind raced at what he would do. Tim took one last glance at his half-sunken vehicle and sighed before slowly making his way out of the lake. Exhaustion filled his body once he hit the ground. He was so glad he was out of the water but the air just seemed to be colder than ever. He rubbed his arm with his good hand and laid back in the snow covered grass. His eyes closed as he felt like he was breathing in ice. The fog from his breath could be seen as the snow from above kept on falling on his limp body.
---------------
Jill walked in the front door with her college friend trailing behind her.
"Burr.....it's freezing out there." Jill said.
"Yeah."
Jill shut the door behind them and they took off their backpacks and coats. Then Jill walked to the kitchen. Her friend semi-followed.
"Thanks for coming over to study Connie." She said. "You want something to drink? I can make some hot tea...."
"That'd be great." Connie responded. "It's no problem. We both need to ace this exam so...why not."
The two women paused as Jill filled up the teapot with water and placed it on the stove.
"Hey Jill? Do you mind if I catch the news. I want to see who won the game yesterday."
"Yeah sure. Help yourself."
Connie walked to the TV and flipped it on and to the news. For awhile it was nothing but weather.
"Geez, the snow is just going to get worse out there." Connie commented as Jill poured the now hot water into two mugs. "The scores should be up in just a minute."
"Ok." Jill said and placed two tea bags in the mugs.
Connie turned up the TV and Jill looked towards it.
"The blizzards out there are just getting more and more heavy people. If it is possible, stay in your homes and stay as warm as you can." The news reporter said. "There was a severe accident around Midland yesterday as a cause of this snow storm."
Jill's gut turned and she walked closer to the TV and stared at it. The reporter was standing on a closed road in the snow. The camera shot to a video of a sky view of a big glassy lake with a red Nomad in the middle of it.
"Oh my god." She said and continued to stare at the TV. It was showing the police doing an airlift of the vehicle out of the water. The front was crushed in and it was covered in ice and snow.
"What?" Connie asked when she saw the look on Jill's face.
"That's our car....." Jill said slowly in shock. Her mouth was dropped open and she was breathing rapidly. "That's the one Tim was driving....." She trailed off as the news went back to the reporter, now standing beside the smashed Nomad.
"The police found the accident early this morning. There seems to be no bodies found yet and no evidence of the owner of the vehicle. The only thing as evidence is this tool belt." The reporter said and pointed to the item lying in a clear bag. "Engraved inside the tool belt are the words 'Tool Time'. The vehicle is a red Nomad but the license plate was too smashed to read. So if you have any information concerning this matter please call your local police department."
Jill cupped her mouth in shock. She stopped breathing as if something had knocked the wind out of her. Connie knew what was going through her mind and she quickly jumped of the couch to comfort her friend. "No." Jill said and shook her head. "No!" The shock couldn't escape her body as she continued to stare at the TV showing the smashed car and tool belt once more. "Tim." She whispered and grabbed Connie's arm for support. Her legs gave out beneath her and she caught herself on the table behind the couch. She looked away from the television and slid to the floor. "No." She repeated and tears started forming in her eyes.
"Jill." Connie said in concern and sat with her on the floor. "I...." She started but stopped.
Jill's body shook with tears and she didn't bother to wipe them away. Her knees were folded underneath her and she wrapped her arms around them. Her face was buried in them and her hair was draping down the sides. Connie rubbed her hand on her back and couldn't help but shed tears herself.
"This can't be happening....." Jill said. Connie offered her a box of tissues from the table. She took one and stared straight in front of her through the water still running down her cheeks. "I can't believe this. NO!!!" She said and scrunched up her face before looking at Connie. "NO!!!!"
They were silent for a little while before Jill got herself off the floor and sat at the dinning room table.
"I'm so sorry." Connie said in words of comfort.
"The last thing we talked about......it was a fight! The last thing I did with my husband was fight!!!!" Jill said and her tears still flowed. "I didn't even get to kiss him goodbye."
Connie looked at her friend with much sympathy. "I...I don't know what to say to you Jill."
"It's ok."
"No, it's not........You just got terrible news and I'm sitting here like an idiot."
Jill didn't respond. She placed her face in her hands and continued to shake with tears. Connie pulled a chair next to hers and placed her arm around Jill. The phone rang.
"Do you want me to answer that?"
Jill nodded.
Connie walked to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?'
"Hi, is Jill there?"
Connie hesitated and looked towards Jill. "May I ask who's calling?"
"It's Heidi."
Connie put the phone down. "Woman named Heidi......"
Jill lifted her head from her hands and walked to the phone. She wiped away her tears. "Hello?"
"Jill.....I saw the news. Please...tell me Tim didn't go....tell me he's still at home."
"I wish I could." She said and started to cry again.
"Oh god."
Jill could hear the woman on the other side of the phone sobbing as well. "But wait....the guy said that there were no bodies found...that doesn't mean that there were no survivors right?"
Her eyes widen with hope. "I don't know anything." She said and grabbed another tissue. "I do know that I should call the police department...maybe they can tell me more."
"Do you want me to come over there....because I can..."
"No, no. You shouldn't drive in this snow. That's how this all started."
"Ok. Jill......I'm so sorry." Heidi said.
"Me to. Will you call Al?"
"Yes, I will."
"I'll talk to you later."
"Ok." She said slowly. "Bye."
Jill hung up the phone and dabbed her eyes with the tissue. Her body was still in shock and she could feel her heart breaking.
"It hurts." She said while looking around the house. Connie looked at her concerned. "It hurts so bad." Jill said again and wiped away her tears. "I just.....I can't believe this."
Jill looked passed Connie and out the glass back doors. She could see Wilson in his yard pacing. Without a word she grabbed her coat and walked out back.
"Wilson?"
"Jill. I thought you'd meet me out here eventually." He said with a sad tone.
"You saw the news?"
"I'm afraid so neighborette. Are you ok?" He asked, now peering from behind the fence with half his face covered.
"No. I feel numb.....helpless........empty."
"Mmmm hmmm."
"And it's as if my heart is actually breaking into a thousand little pieces." She continued slowly and started to cry again. "It hurts."
"I know it does. It's hurting me to."
Jill looked at him through her tears and then around at the snow. "Why did this happen Wilson?...........Stupid snow." She said with anger and kicked some of it across the yard. She looked up and could feel the white flakes hit her face. "The boys....what about the boys? Are they going to be able to get through this Wilson? Am I going to be able to get through this?"
"Grieving is a natural thing Jill. Life and death isn't something that can be controlled by human hands."
She didn't respond.
"The only thing we can do.....is pray."
Jill looked at him now and took in his words. "Pray." She repeated and turned back towards her house. "Umm....yeah. I'm going to go inside, it's freezing. Feel free to come by if you want..."
"Ok." Wilson said and headed back inside his house as well. Their conversations usually lasted longer than that but it was considerably cold outside and Jill was weak.
Connie saw her come in as she was hanging up the phone.
"I called the police department."
"And?"
She shook her head. "Nothing....that wasn't on the news."
Jill sighed and sat down on her couch. Connie brought the box of tissues to her and Jill took a few. Tears were still pouring down her face and she couldn't make them stop.
"I have to call the boys...I think I have the number of the lodge they are staying at." She noted and stood up. She looked through the drawer below the phone and found the piece of paper that had the numbers on them. Her breaths got more rapid and she couldn't get herself to stop crying. "How am I supposed to tell them?!" She yelled and looked up at the ceiling as if she was talking to God. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL MY CHILDREN THAT THEY MIGHT NOT SEE THEY'RE FATHER AGAIN??!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL THEM THAT OUR CAR WAS FOUND IN A FROZEN LAKE AND THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS?!! THAT THEY DON'T KNOW IF HE'S ALIVE OR NOT?!!!" She screamed and sunk to the floor again. Connie stared at her with shock and sympathy.
Jill sat on the kitchen floor, her body limp and her eyes glaring in front of her. Connie was too unsure whether or not to approach her so she stayed standing near the dinning room table.
"I don't know what to do....." Jill said after awhile. "I don't know what to do without him....Connie, he's the only man I've ever loved....and the thought of him not being here any longer....is....killing me. I feel like I can't breath and as if I......as if this can't really be happening...."
Connie approached her now that she was somewhat calmer. The shock of the news hadn't left the room. It hadn't left Jill. She sat down next to her friend again and wrapped an arm around her. Wilson knocked on the back door and she motioned for him to come in. He sat down next to Jill as well and grabbed her hand in his. She leaned forward and hugged the man she had known for so long. Wilson patted his hands on her back and held her weak body as she sobbed.
---------------
Brad, Randy, and Mark made their way home no matter how many objections Jill made. They needed to be home with their mother then, not skiing at some lodge. The shock of the whole situation had been too much for all three of them so one of their friends parents drove them home very cautiously. When they arrived that night, Jill was sitting at the dinning room table with Wilson. Connie had left a few hours earlier on Jill's orders. Wilson protested and stayed though. The three teenagers were greeted with long loving hugs and tears from their mother. They all sat down together while Wilson made hot chocolate for them.
"We still don't know anything." Jill said. "The police said they would call if there were any updates on.....a body...being found or something."
"This must be how dad felt....." Brad said. "When grandpa died......he was a kid, like us."
"We don't know if he's dead yet Brad." Randy said defensively raising his tone.
"Randy...." Jill said calmly. "I know this hurts, believe me...."
"Yeah, you're the one who should be hurting more than anybody Mom." Brad said.
Jill looked around at her three boys. Brad looked towards Randy and Randy looked at his hands. Mark stared at Jill with tears in his eyes. She stared back and shook her head towards him. Wilson broke the silence.
"Hot chocolate is ready." He said and poured the liquid into five different mugs. Jill stood up and served them to her children. Wilson joined them at the table. They all stared at their drinks and then everybody took a sip except Jill. She didn't want any.....She didn't want anything....except Tim. All of a sudden the lights went out.
"What happened?" Randy said.
"I think that was the power." Brad answered and tried to flip on a light switch. Nothing happened. "Yeah, that was the power."
"Oh no." Jill said and carefully walked to the kitchen. She felt for a drawer and opened it as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She pulled out a box of matches and lit one. Then she quickly grabbed a candle that was sitting near the couch and lit it with the match. She did this for three or four more candles and placed them throughout the room. Randy got up and started putting wood in the fireplace. Jill then tossed him the box of matches and he lit the fire.
"It's going to get cold." He stated.
"We should all just sleep down here." Jill noted. "Wilson....I'd feel better if you'd stay with us."
"Then I will." He noted and semi-smiled at her.
"We have another problem." Brad said from the kitchen. They all squinted to see him and then realized he was holding the phone in his hand. "Phone lines dead."
"Oh God." Jill said and sighed. "I can't believe this. How are we going to find out if there are any updates with your father?" She asked, not expecting an answer back from anybody. She started pacing but stopped herself. "It'll be ok. We'll be ok." She said and Randy put his hand in hers. She squeezed it and pulled him in for a hug.
---------------
Tim walked along side the road as fast as he could. The snow was hitting him hard. After he had gotten out of the lake he passed out and woke up at what he thought was early in the morning. With all the strength he had, he got up and headed back in the direction he came from...on foot. He left his sunken Nomad, his suitcases, and his tool belt behind. All he had was the frozen clothes on his body and his drenched wallet in his back pocket. He saw a sign on the side of the road where he was walking that said 'Flint: 12 miles.' Tim didn't know how much more he could take. All the walking and the freezing cold wind and snow pounding against his face weakened him. His left arm was completely numb from hitting the dashboard and he had been limping the whole time because of his foot being jammed. His walking got slower and slower as he walked farther and farther.
A few minutes went by and Tim heard a car pull up behind him. It was a truck and it was stopping for him. The passenger window rolled down when the vehicle was next to him.
"Do you need a ride?" The person driving asked.
Tim hesitated but looked around. The snow was getting heavier and if he kept walking, he would either freeze or collapse. He nodded and got into the truck slowly.
"You look pretty beat up there sir..." The driver said.
Tim looked over and saw an overweight man with a dark beard. He was wearing plaid.
"Oh no." Tim grunted. "Not flannel."
The driver looked at him weird but shrugged it off. "Where you headed?"
"Detroit." Tim answered.
"Well that's about three hundred and something miles from here. That's around five hours."
"I need to get home. My home is in Detroit."
"Well, I can take you as far as Flint. I'm sorry that's where I'm stopping."
"That's good enough. Thank you." Tim said and looked at the man. "Would you mind if we turned up the heat a bit?"
"Not at all." The man said and fiddled with the knobs.
About fifteen minutes later they arrived at a local bar in Flint, Michigan. Tim turned to the man before getting out of the car.
"Thank you sir."
"Listen, I can tell you're freezing. How about I buy you a drink?"
"I couldn't do that." Tim started. The man looked at him and Tim hesitated then shrugged. They walked into the bar and sat down.
"I'll have a beer Joe." The man said to the bartender. "What do you want?" He asked Tim.
"Umm...something warm..." Tim said and looked at the menu. "Hot tea is fine."
The bartender nodded and went to get their drinks. Tim pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it. The thing was practically frozen.
"How long have you been walking out there?"
"Hours." Tim answered. "I was in Midland."
"Wow...you're really determined to get to home aren't you? What happened?"
"Car accident. And yes, I need to get home." Tim said and looked in his wallet. He had cash but it was mostly all frozen from the water and then from the cold weather outside. "I'll pay you for the gas and the drink." He said. Tim was still so cold and shaken up by the accident.
"No, you don't have to. You might just want to put yourself up in a hotel tonight. It's freezing out there and it's dark now." The man suggested.
Tim took in the thought. "You're probably right. I think I have enough here for one night. Where is the local hotel?"
"Just a few miles into town. I'll take you there." The man said.
"Thank you." Tim said and sipped on his tea.
After they were done, they hopped back into the mans car and he drove Tim to the local hotel. Then after making sure he was in and ok, the man left with many thanks. Tim walked into the hotel room and then to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and gasped. His skin was pale and he looked weak. With exhaustion filling his body, he turned on the hot water and decided to get a shower. The water gave him goosebumps and it wasn't long because the feeling of water just brought back the accident in his mind. The pain his body was in about killed him but he ignored it and once out of the shower and covered up in a towel and comforter from the bed, he picked up the phone. His shaking fingers dialed his home number. As soon as the call went through, he got a dead line. With confusion, he dialed the number again but the same thing happened.
"That's odd." He said and hung up the phone. He couldn't get Jill on the phone. He needed to talk to her. Tim lay down on the bed and wrapped himself completely in the sheets and comforter. Within seconds and without even turning out the lights, he fell asleep from exhaustion.
End Chapter 2
Me: Well....I guess you people are just going to have to find out if he makes it home in the next chapter......hehe....I hope you liked it. Review!!!