"What we need," said Casper, "is a plan."
"What we need," said Leo, "is for me to sit here forever."
"Huh?" said Sam. "How does that work?"
"Well," Leo began, "Death can only proceed to the next on the list when the current target either dies, or is saved by someone. Therefore, as long as I go nowhere near a car for the rest of my life, you are all safe!"
"That's a brilliant plan!" said Danny excitedly.
Drew shook her head. "It's too risky. A car could come in through the window, or something. But the idea is good. That is, as long as you don't mind."
"Trust me," smiled Leo. "I work in a garage. I spend half my time working on cars. I won't be sorry to never see another one again as long as I live."
They talked about it for a while. Gradually, they formed a decent plan. They would head down to the street, to the bus stop. There, they would board a bus – theoretically not in danger from cars. They had overcome the problem of getting to the bus stop in the first place quite simply. Death wouldn't touch any of the others until Leo died. Therefore, if they stood in a circle around him, it was impossible for a car to mount the pavement and run him down. They would take the bus to the docks, where Leo would get a job working on a cruise ship. There, he would get to see the world, and be in no danger from any cars. And they would all live happily ever after.
I don't think so, somehow.
"As long as we get you to the seaside," said Casper, "you should be okay."
Leo smiled grimly. They were walking down the street, and must have looked like a bunch of idiots, all standing in a circle around Leo. But it had worked so far. No car had zoomed towards them.
They actually made it to the bus stop before disaster struck, although they didn't see it.
The bus stop was opposite a huge multi-storey car park.
And on the top level, a car had lost control, and was weaving about wildly.
They arrived at the bus stop.
"You know," Sam joked, "I haven't been on the bus for a while."
Leo looked serious. "None of us have," he said. "Not since… that day."
"Alright, positions, everyone!" shouted Casper.
They arranged themselves in a much wider circle around Leo, so as not to attract attention while waiting for the bus.
The car on the top floor now lost it completely. The driver decided to abandon it, and threw herself out.
Honestly, these women drivers…
Drew looked at the timetable, and reported to the others that the next bus would be there in two minutes.
Unfortunately, that wasn't long enough.
The car, now driverless, zoomed straight at a parked car.
The parked car was a silver BMW.
The other car hit it with sufficient force to send it crashing through the barrier, over the edge. It plummeted downwards.
They all heard the sound, but it was too late.
Leo looked up.
The last thing he saw was the underside of the silver BMW rushing towards him.
He was, pardon the pun, driven into the pavement. Probably to a depth of six feet.
Danny and Sam panicked. They ran to a passing car, and Sam jerked the door open. He seized the driver, saying, "Mind if I test drive your Audi?", and hurled him onto the street.
The pair leapt in the car, and it zoomed off.
"Come back!" screamed Drew. "You're next! We need to stay together!"
She and Casper took off after the car.
Sam and Danny reached the edge of the street.
Further up the next street, a pickup truck was parked. It had a surfboard leaning in the back of it, pointing up and over where the driver would sit.
The guys zoomed across the intersection. They nearly made it.
At the last second, a car going equally fast appeared from the left and cut across them. They ran straight into it.
This began a chain reaction.
Danny and Sam's car came to a sudden halt, jolting them, but not harming them.
The other car, however, was sent skidding along the street.
Drew and Casper caught up. And Drew pulled out the photo of Sam and Danny.
She now noticed something.
Danny had a surfboard on his T-shirt, along with the words, "Surf's Up!"
The spinning car crashed into the pickup truck, banging it into the wall. This caused the surfboard to be fired along the street at high velocity.
Danny realised his head was bleeding. He glanced out the front window, and saw the surfboard flying at him.
Sam screamed as the board pierced the windscreen and carried on, ploughing through Danny's face, and ending up in the back seat.
Sam threw open the door and ran out onto the road.
"Sam!" Drew yelled at him. "You need to calm down!"
He stopped in the middle of the road. He looked at Drew and Casper.
"Listen," said Casper. "You just come with us, back to Drew's house. You're going to be alright."
Sam stood, breathing heavily, and looking at them. Finally, he said, "Okay. Sorry, you guys. You're right."
He took a step forward.
He didn't even see the truck. It hit him at a speed of seventy miles an hour.
There wasn't a lot left of Sam afterwards.