Banish Me

Burn, Baby, Burn

The crash went in slow motion, like in the movies. You hear the noises all elongated and deep sounding. The deer came up on the hood of the car, rolling until its hooves crashed through the windshield.

I put my hands up to protect my face but my whole body followed the momentum of the truck and they crashed into the glove compartment. He’d hit the break but the vehicle kept going as he lay unconscious against the steering wheel. I reached over to try and grab the wheel but the truck veered off the road. It finally stopped as it slammed into the side of deep ditch. I was thrown forward again but my arms didn’t protect me this time as my head slammed into the dashboard. I blacked out, I had to because when I woke up minutes later the truck was completely still, the horn blaring.

And it had started raining.

The deer was still flailing around on the hood, his legs kicking at me through the smashed windshield.

“Earth girl? Come on, wake up!”

I groaned and pushed myself up off the dashboard, away from the hooves.

“Oh thank god. I knew you weren’t dead but you wouldn’t wake up either. You have to get out of the truck.”

I blinked several times, trying to clear my vision. I even reached up to wipe at my eyes but instead blood just smeared across my palm.

“Oh my god,” I whispered.

“Try not to think about that right now. You need to focus.”

The cab got colder and I was able to use that to drag myself out of shock. But god I hurt so bad. “Ok.” I blinked a few more times, the only light coming from the headlights.

“Roll down the window and climb out.”

I looked for the window crank but just like with the door handle, there wasn’t one. And it was getting harder to focus, my head was just swimming in pain.

“I can’t…”

“Yes. You can.”

“There is no window thingie. I can’t get out…”

The window started icing over. “Close your eyes; protect your face.”

I did as he told me and I heard the ice pop and crackle. Then something slammed into the window and it broke, glass shattering and flying in at me. The sharp edges cut across my arms and hands before falling away.

“Alright, now, go!”

How I did it, I don’t really remember. I managed to climb out of the car and land on the cold ground, my breath coming out in white puffs. I stared at the truck for a moment before I heard a groan came from inside, relighting the fear inside me.

“Run!” my ghost yelled.

I clamored to my feet and started to run through the woods. I heard my uncle yell behind me along with the sound of an opening door.

“I can’t slow him down for long,” my ghost said. “There’s an old barn about a mile straight ahead. You’re going to have to run faster.”

After that his voice didn’t come back but I kept running, amazingly well in heels. I could get there, running was not a problem. It was the pain in my head and arms from hitting the dashboard and glove compartment that was making this so difficult.

“Cassie!”

I stumbled, hearing my name screamed through the silent darkness just made me flinch unconsciously. I could do this, that’s what I kept telling myself. I regained my footing and started running faster. If I made it through this, I promised myself I would try out for track in the spring and stop wearing heels.