Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: TRUST (07/21/16)
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TITLE: Peril at Pearl River | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jennifer Champion
07/26/16 -
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The door to the 1980 Trans Am creaked as Rob opened it. He slid into the driver’s seat and instinctively reached over and squeezed my leg. The door slammed shut and bits and pieces of the headliner above us sprinkled down. I shook my hair out and looked at him with frustration.
“When are you going to do something about this stuff? Every time I ride with you, I get out looking like I have orange dandruff.” I shook my head again and stuck my tongue out at Rob. It was hard to be mad at him.
He pinched his cigarette off and put the stub of what was left in the ashtray. He cranked the car and the rumble of the glass packs under the hood rumbled loudly. The guy at tank four cringed a little and looked at us as we sped off sending gravel and dirt high into the air.
Highway 60 stretched out before us in a straight line with dusty earth on each side. Occasionally we would pass a nameless turn off road through the desert leading to who knows where. We rode for miles with the windows down feeling the hot Arizona wind biting our skin. The car had no air conditioning but we didn’t care because it gave us an excuse to turn up the radio even louder. As we crossed over the county line, I checked my lipstick in the mirror. It was then that I saw the flashing lights.
“Cops!” I yelled at Rob. He glanced in the rear view mirror and pushed the gas pedal to the floor.
“What are you doing? Stop the car!” I clenched the strap of my seat belt as the car roared down the highway. Up ahead I saw a detour sign.
“The bridge is out at the river. Stop the car, Rob!” I punched Rob on the arm and watched as the river came into appearance.
“We can make it baby. I’m gonna jump it.” With his left hand on the steering wheel and his right hand on the gear shifter, he looked at me and smiled with that ‘don’t you trust me’ look that he often give me when he is about to do something dangerous.
“I don’t know why I love you Rob.” I shouted.
The cops were closing in us and the river was now only a few feet away. I clenched my teeth, shut my eyes and held on to the dash as Rob pushed the pedal even further, threw the car into gear and raced towards the end of the road before us.
My eyes were shut as we took flight. For a moment I felt very heavy and then opened my eyes. We were in the air and I stuck my head out the window and looked down below at the greenness of Pearl River. Rob was yelling in victory with his left fist high in the air.
We came down hard on the other side and the jolt of the landing through me up into the top of the car. I hit my head and then we started to roll. I must have blacked out because I don’t remember anything until the paramedics showed up. I could hear them talking above me and when I came to, I could open one eye just slightly. I saw the car upside down. I couldn’t move.
I heard someone speaking to me. “You’re going to be okay, Tammi. Trust me.”
“Thanks, man.” It was all I had the energy to say.
I watched the silhouettes in the distance standing near the car. They were circled up around something on the ground. The smoke from car billowed up like angels on their way to heaven. I shut my eyes as they put me in the ambulance and the door creaked shut.
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