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KUNATI BOOK PUBLISHERS
Infinity Publishing
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Journey's End (Excerpt)by Jordan Hall |
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The gap widened between her and the cars in front so she
depressed the accelerator, increasing her speed. At this rate, she would
soon be home. From the corner of her eye, Vanessa saw a large tanker
trundling up the ramp. It failed to slow and yield to the traffic on the
highway. Red brake lights lit up her windshield. The cars in front slowed. Vanessa
swore and stamped on the brake. The vehicle riding alongside blared his
horn. She gripped the wheel as her car aquaplaned. This time she pumped
the brake. The car in front loomed closer. Her course didn’t change. She
yanked the wheel and her car and the world spun. She ploughed into the
other vehicle. The impact caused a pain to jar right up her arms to her
shoulders and neck. Her chest slammed against the steering wheel. The
noise was deafening. She
sat still for a moment trying to analyze where she hurt. Her body ached
all over. Her wiper blades sloshed the heavy rain away from her
windshield. A sudden movement caught the corner of her eye. Her head
whipped round. Flames licked the underside of the tanker, two cars away. A
wave of panic rushed over her. She tasted blood from her chewed lower lip
and concentrated on trying to open her door. It was jammed hard and
wouldn’t budge. By
now, other people were getting out of their cars and moving around. “Help
me!” She shouted, pounding on the window with her palm. “The door’s
stuck!” She
tried to shake the door, but no one came to help. Panic pumped through her
and her eyes darted around the interior of the car. She spotted the catch
for the sunroof above her head and tugged it with trembling hands. At
first, it wouldn’t budge, but then it began to slide back. She
stood on the seat, reached for her dress bag and hauled herself up
swinging her legs round until she was sitting on the roof. The rain pelted
down and people ran everywhere. Her long hair was in her eyes. She slid
down the windshield on her belly and onto the hood. The flames outside the
tanker had grown higher. She jumped to the ground swiping her soaking wet
hair from her eyes. Another car was jammed into the rear of hers, so she
scampered across the carriageway away from the accident site. Her breath rasped in her throat and her feet pounded the tarmac. Her ankle twisted and she stumbled, leaving behind a sandal. She hurried on, limping as fast as she could. Crowds of people were bunched together talking, some on the road and others still sitting inside their cars. She waved her hands, trying to scream and warn them of the imminent danger, but her voice was barely audible. Just as she reached a grass verge, an enormous roar sounded from behind accompanied by searing heat. Voices screamed and then nothing.
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