At the Speed of Light

At the speed of light, a deer flashed into my headlights. Instinct pulled at the steering wheel, slammed the brakes. The car slid off a cliff, falling, rolling, spinning into a wooded canyon. Trees cracked. Metal shrieked. Boulders bashed. A branch pierced the shattered windshield, grazing my head. I landed upside down, crushed against my splintered side window. I hung suspended by the seatbelt, dripping blood from my forehead. I struggled with the latch and crashed to the ceiling.

The engine whined, sputtered, and stopped. Then came smothering silence. Crawling through the battered windshield, shredded glass tore at my leg.

Headlights cast trees above as slinking ghosts. Beyond, all was void. Clutching dirt and scrub, I pulled myself up the steep hill. Brush and trees crowded me, tripping, reaching, clawing, stabbing. My heartbeat pulsed in my ears. My lungs ached, my breath short, shallow.

Finally I reached the top, bleeding, sweat soaked, dirt streaked. Shaking, I stood on the hot road. The real pain started then. A jolt. Electric pain radiated up my leg. I’d been in shock, suddenly worn off.

Black hills rose over me. The only sound, my heavy breathing. I didn’t know where I was. I couldn’t remember where I was going. I was lost. Broken. Terrified.

Darkness felt surreal, like a nightmare. Stars shrank into space. Hills seemed to rise. Huge boulders loomed above, threatening. I felt surrounded. I turned, to look behind me. A warm aura crowned a hill. The glow of city lights.

Each step was a dull ache, with sudden stabs when I twisted wrong. Blood congealed on a gash running from my knee to ankle. My shoe was gone. I dragged my foot over crumbling asphalt. Head down, I trudged on, tears flooding my eyes.

Car lights approached from behind a hill. Sudden relief rushed over me. I moved to the middle of the road as the car crested the hill. Its bright lights flashed, lighting up the road, blinding me. I waved my arms wildly above my head. Nearing, the car slowed. Help had come. I howled in relief. Suddenly accelerating, it swerved around me and sped away into darkness.

Dust swirled as I stood watching it disappear. How could they leave me behind? I looked at my hands, shadows in the dark, streaked in mud and sweat, stained in blood. I realized then, I’d frightened away my savior. A wave of dizziness rocked me. Nausea rose in my stomach. Air pressure swelled. Stars swarmed in the black sky. Hills rolled like waves. All went black.

A strange sensation brought me back to consciousness. I opened my eyes to the sky, a black dome over me. A strange, soothing tickle ran up and down my leg. I looked down. A puppy was licking at the crusting blood of my wound. It felt strangely soothing, warm to cool. I wondered how a puppy came to be loose in the hills.

A low growl rose from the shadows behind the pup. A monstrous animal rose up. The shock sent a chill through me, realizing it was a coyote. A mother and it’s cub. I braced on my elbows. The pup licked on, a carnivore tasting my blood. The mother crouched, lips curled, watching me.

Cold ran through me. I felt paralyzed, frozen in fear of prompting an attack. As the pup licked at the open wound, I could only watch. My mind seemed apart from my body, seeing this strange spectacle. Terror ran through me. I was about to be torn apart. Eaten alive.

In that eternal moment I imagined being ripped to shreds. I hoped to pass out, to avoid the agony. What would it be like? Where would it attack me? My leg? My groin? Throat? How could I fight back? My hands were useless defense. I was helpless. Hopeless.

The mother lowered her head, approaching. One step. Another. It crept closer. It’s narrowed eyes flashed. Bearing it’s teeth, a low, guttural rumble rose from it’s chest.

I screamed from my core, a primal cry for help. A plea for mercy. A call into the void. A desperate prayer for my being. My voice raged to its limit. To resignation.

Startled, the pup stared up at me. I shook, barely breathing, watching the mother. My scream had stopped her. Then again, crouching low on outstretched paws, she crept toward me.

The beast leapt, mouth gaping, fangs flashing. Time warped, slowing, as I watched it soar at me, diving at my leg.

Snatching it’s pup by the neck, the mother carried her baby away into the dark. A hot stream washed over my lap. I’d wet my pants. I lay back on the hot road. Stars swirled. My head pounded. I closed my eyes.

I must have passed out. Coming out of a daze I heard a low, rumbling pulse approach. Bright light flashed behind my eyelids. My eyes opened slits against the brilliant assault. I covered my face with my arm. A deep-throated roar dropped over me. Hot air whipped me in spinning dust.

A shadow spread over me. I squinted through closed dyes. A silhouette moved. Another joined. Pain stabbed through my me. I felt consciousness fade away. Time distorted, jumping staccato steps. On the ride of my life, I rose into a thunderous cyclone, swirling into the sky.

In my delirium, I was transported into an alien craft on a beam of light. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t open my eyes. Strange beings hovered around me, poking and probing. Strange sounds droned. Distant voices beyond my understanding, soothed me, assured me I would be all right. We sped away at the speed of light.