Mike Zephyr: Split/Second

Chapter 7 - Sarah

My eyes flutter open slowly as I take in my new surroundings after only shortly passing out what seemed like only moments ago. Groaning in pain, I open my eyes and glance around, noticing that I was in an apartment bedroom. Looking to my side, I spot Sarah sitting next to the bed in a chair that had been pulled up to the bed's side. Her arms were folded on the bed where she rested her head, gazing at me with her ruby red eyes.

"Finally awake, Speed Racer?"

"I suppose so... How long was I out?"

"A few hours, actually. You had quite a nasty panic attack. I know that this show can get a little messy—"

"Messy? Messy?!" I ask while raising my voice. "Those bastards literally almost turned me into a flattened pancake with a fucking plane! A PLANE!"

"I hate to tell you this, but that's just what they are going to do to all of the racers that partake in this series. That's what Split/Second is. A deathrace. Not a single one is safe here, not me, not you, nobody is safe here."

"Well, that's some comforting bullshit, isn't it?" I reply with a sigh.

"It is the unfortunate truth. They wouldn't be paying us millions upon millions of dollars as prize money if they made the entire thing a cake walk, would they?"

"... still. They threw a fucking plane at me. A goddamn plane."

"Yeah? Well, that is only one out of several deathtraps that they have designed just for their racing series. There's going to be a whole lot more that can kill you if you don't have what it takes."

I huff and grumble to myself, looking away from her as I thought about everything I had just gone through. The producers of this series were absolutely insane, and I wondered how on earth all of this action was even legal. Did they bribe the law to make this show? I had no clue, and was only left bewildered.

"But something tells me you've got some serious balls of steel that you don't even know you have yet. The way you drive is nothing that I have ever seen before. Have you raced before coming here?" She asked with wonder filling her eyes.

"Yeah... But that was long ago. Most of the time I'm just chasing ghosts. Only reason I signed up for the racing is mostly to get back into the racing scene. I knew it was going to be dangerous, but not THIS terrible."

"Well then, surprise, motherfucker. Welcome to the television series where cars go to die." She says with a slight grin.

      I force a chuckle from my lips as I stared up at the ceiling for some time, slowly sitting up from the bed and rubbing my head. I could still remember that plane crashing right towards me, as well as that control tower just barely missing my vehicle when it fell. It was not a pretty memory, but it happened. This was real. It was not a freak nightmare, it was reality. With a heavy sigh, I dangle my feet over the bed side and Sarah plops herself down beside me.

"I know you have absolutely no idea who I am, so let me tell you. I'm Sarah, and I am a huge fan of you and your band, 'Rabid Dogs'. I have been for a good while, and it is an honor to meet you." She says as she offered me her furred paw, which I took and shake firmly.

"Thanks..." I said quietly, before pulling my paw away and frown as I stare down at the floor before I stood back up onto my feet and put on my leather punk boots.

"If you need anything, I can give you my number to call."

"I don't see why not."

We then exchange our mobile digits and head our ways, as I took a bus back to my apartment and left her on her own. The night was long, and it was difficult for me to fall asleep. Most of the time I paced around my room or stared out of the window at the island's cityscape. After having a hot shower, I head off to bed and slowly drift off to sleep after only recently waking up from a nightmare, finally passing out and able to rest for the remaining of the long night.