Chapter One (partial)

     I’m going to die!

     The scream of crushing metal followed right behind this thought, filling Julie Baker’s ears.  Her neck jerked back and her head slammed against the headrest of her seat.  Pain exploded behind her eyes.  Fear squeezed her throat as acid teased the back of her tongue.  

     The momentum of the 1981 Buick threw her forward and her forehead smacked against the steering wheel.  Straightening, she blinked away the tears that threatened to blind her. 

     Her tires bumped off the side of the pavement, jarring her muddled brain back to reality.  Instinct kicked in and she slapped her foot on the brake pedal.  She twisted the steering wheel in an attempt to get the vehicle under control.  The back end fishtailed before finally coming up onto the road.    

     Crash! 

     Twisting steel echoed in her head as gravity pressed her body against the seat.  A split second later, she flew forward.  This time her seat belt locked in place over her shoulder.  The nylon strap scraped her skin raw on the side of her neck.  The weight of her body straining against the strap cut off her airway.  Just when she thought her chest would explode, the pressure eased and the sweet rush of oxygen filled her lungs.  The bitterness of blood now mixed with the acid in her mouth.  

     With her foot on the brake, she glanced in her rear view mirror.  The headlights of the car behind her rushed closer.  The engine revved as it closed the gap. 

     Dear God, he’s coming back.  Hoping to soften this next impact, Julie lifted her foot off the brake and hit the gas.  Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, she locked her elbows. 

     Slam! 

     Her joints ached as she was thrown back, but she was able to keep her body from crashing forward a third time.  Seconds ticked by as confusion clouded her brain.  What the hell?  Were they welded together?  The steering wheel twisted beneath her hands as his car pushed hers forward. 

     “Oh, no!”  Panic twisted her stomach when she looked up in the distance and saw a pair of oncoming headlights.  She gave a sharp jerk of the wheel and headed back to her side of the road, the maniac still pushing her forward. 

     The seconds ticked by as the scene slowed to a crawl.  Fear clawed at the inside of her stomach.  Her eyes darted back and forth from the rear view mirror as she waited for the other car to pass.  “Come on, come on, come on,” she muttered.

     Shit!  I’m an idiot!  How could she have been so stupid?  She was about to let an opportunity for help pass.  Flashing her lights, she hoped to get the other driver’s attention. 

     Drops of sweat trickled down the side of her face and her arms started to ache as she fought with the wheel.  She reached down to flash her lights again. 

     “Please, help me!”  She screamed these words as the lights drew closer. 

     The steering wheel slipped beneath her sweaty fingers and a sick feeling turned her stomach when her car started to swerve erratically. 

     Her head was pounding as tears streamed down her face.  How could she have made it this far only to die so close to finding the answers she was looking for? 

     Finally, she couldn’t hold on any longer.  When her car spun around, her headlights reflected off the inside of the vehicle behind her.  She caught a glimpse of the manic face of her husband moments before she plunged off the side of the road.  As darkness threatened to consume her, her only thoughts were that the bastard had finally won.