Getting Home

Part 41

Henry and I had to hop out of the way of the rolling car.

"Henry, what's going on?"

"I don't know!"

I immediately took off after it. The Civic continued towards where the dense, gray waves lapped against the dullish gray shore. By the time I was able to get close to the driver's side door—hopefully to pull the parking brake—the Civic made it to the water, the bowed and warped tires hitting the waves—

And continuing to sink forwards into it.

"Wait, stop!" I yelled, completely forgetting I was yelling at a car. "Henry, what do we—"

I suddenly realized the front of the Civic wasn't sinking into the thick, gray waves—it was floating on them.

You can get on the roof and float across if you hurry!

The car continued further into the water, almost halfway in now.

But what if it sinks further out? What if it just floats to nowhere—forever?

Henry looked at me, his face panicked, his shoulders shrugged—I don't know.

The Civic's rear tires reached the gray ocean turf.

No time—it's now or never!

I was frozen; paralyzed with choice—safety or danger.

Life or death.

Henry.

"Go!" I shouted.

We burst forward at the same time, dashing towards the car. The Civic fully made it into the water, the rear tires beginning to fully submerge as it left the shore.

Faster!

The stretch between me and the Civic seemed like a football field—but it was only a few short yards away. I could see the crumpled trunk, floating farther and farther, as I took one last sharp breath and one last burst of—

I jumped.

The tips of my sneakers barely cleared the liquid on the shore. I landed stomach first on the crumpled deck of the trunk, half my body sliding through the broken rear window. I quickly pulled myself out, scrambling up onto the already dented and beaten roof.

Henry thumped immediately after, sliding headfirst so only his legs and butt stuck out.

"Henry!" I helped pull him out—and even in that moment, I relished my hands grabbing at his legs, at his—

Okay, mood swing central.

Now that I didn't doubt.

"We made it, Henry!" I exclaimed, reaching down from where I knelt on the hood, wrapping my arms around his neck, and planting kisses all over his face, which was so—

Ah... go ahead.

AMAZING.

I wanted to kiss his beautiful, perfect face forever. I could feel the hardness of his jaw line underneath the soft skin of my lips, dragging across the slightly marbled texture of his skin—

The Civic suddenly rocked, and I almost flew off the roof. I slid off into Henry's arms, where he was kneeling on the crumpled trunk.

"Definitely the right choice," I said, stretching out as his thick, strong arms wrapped and cradled around me.

He smiled down at me, pulling me in closer and squeezing me tighter in his arms, squishing me in literally the most absolute perfect way.

Yeah, I'm not leaving this spot. EVER.

Henry dropped me on the trunk.

"Henry!" I exclaimed. "What the heck?"

He hopped over me, his sneakers clunking on the dented roof of the Civic. He stood posed, like a captain standing at the front of his ship, looking out heroically towards the turbulent sea.

"They're there, Ava," he said excitedly. "I can see them."

Them?

I squinted, seeing nothing but the endless rolling of dull, silvery waves as we floated. "I don't see anything—"

There was a sudden loud, muffled BANG!

I jumped from how loud it was, my heart jackhammering and feeling like it was in my throat, my body locked and shaken.

There were three more muffled explosions.

"What was that?" Henry whispered, his eyes wide.

I peered over the side.

"The tires," I said, peering over the side. "They're exploding." I could see the black rubber floating on the swell—as I watched, the rubber began to boil and melt.

Then the paint on the side of the Civic began to bubble and smoke

It disappeared, eaten away as the gray substance splashed up against the fenders and doors, leaving behind only the shiny, silver surface of the metal underneath.

Oh wow.

"Henry, do not fall in," I said, trying to stay as centered on the roof as I could. Henry nodded, grabbing onto the rear window frame and biting his lip.

The Civic began move forward through the water

Slowly at first—then increasing in speed. The car began to slice through the water like a shark, cutting through the waves as if being pulled by an invisible force.

Which it had to be—there was no way the Civic could move itself like that.

"Henry, hang on!" I shouted, laying flat and wrapping my hands on either sides of the roof.

The Civic continued to gather speed.

The front of the hood rose up, the water being violently torn apart in our wake as we streaked across the gray ocean. Splatters of the water sprayed up, splashing along the sides of the car and dropping on the roof around me, making the paint bubble and peel and smoke.

Henry fought against the wind, scaling up the rear of the Civic like he was climbing a mountain. He threw himself down on top of me, his chest coming to lightly rest against my back, the side of his face pressing up against my ear as his arms spread out to lay over mine. He was somehow able to keep his full weight off from crushing me—

Although in that moment, I didn't mind at all.

The wind was burning my eyes now—I couldn't even keep them open anymore. My hair whipped violently against mine and Henry's face. I think Henry was trying to yell something, but I couldn't hear anything but the roaring of wind; I was only able to catch glimpses of a violent, turbulent vortex of gray waves that exploded out from us like rising mountains from the sea, moving so fast everything was a blur, the roaring of the wind rising and rising and—

We slammed into the shore.