Serendipity {Complete}

Chapter 3 - Miraya

It was surreal waking up to the radio, her mind trying to determine if she was dreaming or actually back at her father's house. He used to love listening to the radio as soon as he woke up in the morning. It was one of her fondest memories: getting ready for school while listening to songs about finding and losing love.

The rhythmic movement finally clues her in to the fact that she is in a moving vehicle.

Her eyes, hooded with lingering remnants of her nap, slowly sweep over the lit dashboard. A dainty pink and yellow clay mosaic bird hangs from the rearview mirror, wings out, bobbing about in an eternal flight.

Her gaze travels to a large hand resting over the steering wheel. As hands go by, this was a nice hand, even if it was the size of a dinner plate. Long, tapered fingers lightly grip the steering wheel. Miraya's gaze skips along, taking in the sinewy forearms, a blue shirt sleeve folded over the elbow. Climbing up the biceps straining his sleeves, her eyes come to rest on a stern jawline softened by a thick stubble.

Her fingers itch, wanting to touch that stubbly pelt and scratch it gently. Why is stubble so sexy? Lazily, she ponders-what was it about men's facial hair that instantly made them so irresistible?

Shifting her vision further up a straight, sharp nose to those beautiful long lashes.

Falsies. Sigh.

Thankfully, he was no longer scowling, glaring, or looking pissed. The fingers resting on the steering wheel tap to the beat of the song playing over the music system.

Miraya glides her eyes over the rest of him, enjoying the view. Falsies wasn't just imposingly tall; he was also built like a tank. His shoulders, knees, and elbows spilled out even as he sat folded in his seat.

Lying in her own seat, observing him, she feels slightly better after her nap, even though her bladder signals that she needs to relieve herself.

As the air conditioning effectively cools down the insanity bred by the heat, her mind grows more alert. Like the lens of a camera focusing with crystal clarity, realization dawns sharply over Miraya.

You utterly dumb, brainless twit. You accepted a ride with a strange man, to God knows where! And good job falling promptly asleep. It's a miracle you are still alive. Quit snoozing and get your crap together.

Miraya jolts up in her seat so abruptly that she startles Falsies. The jeep careens sharply to the right, tires squealing before he grips the steering with both hands and jerks it back inside the lane.

"The fuck?" He snaps loudly, his eyes shooting daggers at her. The pink and yellow bird swings violently on its tether.

"S-Sorry!" Miraya mumbles.

She is horrified to realize that she must have slept for at least a couple of hours, as the road ahead is lit only by the headlights of the jeep. It's pitch black on both sides of the highway; so dark is the night that it appears they are driving through an abyss. Miraya did not have a good relationship with the dark.

She should not have dozed off. Not that she knew the way back to Khora or would have recognized any landmark on the highway to confirm they were on the right route. But she should have stayed awake and alert. That was the basic 101 of hitching rides, wasn't it?

She pats her bag, looking for her phone. The battery by now would be dead; it had been so low while she had been waiting for the bus.

"Um... How far? How f-far are we?" Sleep still slurs her voice, making it sound huskier. She clears her throat and tries again. "How far t-to K-Khora?"