PARADISE

one. complete collapse

THE CAR sped down the road, serving in and out, avoiding other vehicles. Rory's head rested against her hand, and her arm against the door as she stared out the window. She didn't know the driver, and she didn't know the man next to the driver. She didn't know the woman sat next to her, or the young boy next to her. What Rory did know, however, was that this was the best possible outcome for her situation.

The woman next to her stifled a sob - she'd been crying for the past hour non stop. Her white shirt was a dyed red from blood. Whether it was hers, or someone else's, Rory didn't know. She was the last person to get in the car.

It was one of those movie like scenarios. Everything was fine one minute, and then the next, you're running for your life. It was like that. One minute, Rory was walking down the street to meet a friend for their birthday, and the next, she was dodging a bloodied man lunging towards her.

Rory wasn't even from Washington. She lived in Wyoming and flew in for the weekend. She didn't notice the chaos around her until someone ran into her, knocking the phone from her hand. She had picked it up and shouted, but her voice trailed off. People were running past her, shoving into her, screaming. Murder. A blood bath. And she didn't want to stick around to watch what was going on.

So she started running. And she kept running until she reached the start of the highway, just outside of Seattle. Maybe. She didn't know. She just picked a direction that looked safe and went from there.

Cars zoomed past her. Some of them swerved in and out, knocking over pedestrians in an attempt to get out of the city. Others drove on the grass next to the highway, trying to avoid a hit and run case. Like many others, Rory was on foot. She didn't have a car, and couldn't ride a bike. Running was her best option.

Thankfully for her, this car pulled up. Usually if a man pulled up in a car and offered her a ride, she'd tell them to fuck off, but this seemed like a good exception. She practically dived into the car, and it took off before she had time to close it. And that's where she was now. Flying down a highway, with four strangers (one of whom was still sobbing), and staring out of the window.

There was a silence in the car, but it wasn't uncomfortable. There was no reason to be uncomfortable since everyone shared the same feelings - fear. Rory was curious as to who everyone was. Did they know each other? Was she the odd one out? She didn't want to be the one to break the silence, however. She bit her tongue, and continued looking outside.

As if he read her mind, the man driving cleared his throat. Rory glanced and saw him looking into the rear view mirror. His eyes went from the young boy, to the crying woman, and then to Rory. He cleared his throat again.

"How you holding up?" he asked Rory. She tried to find the words, but they didn't come out. Her mouth was opening and closing like a fish, and the man smiled. "You're in shock. That's alright."

The woman next to Rory was calming down now. She was probably out of tears. Rory offered her a small, sympathetic smile, before looking back to the driver.

"Rory," she said, before realising he didn't ask her name, but how she was. "Aurora. And I'm good, I think. I don't know."

The driver nodded and smiled. He had smile lines on his face, and wrinkles around his eyes. His mouth was surrounded by brown stubble, and Rory couldn't help but notice a scar just above his right eye.

"Dean," the driver responded, "you're not hurt, are you?"

Rory shook her head, becoming aware of her slowing heart rate. The adrenaline from running was beginning to wear off, and now she was left wondering the hell actually happened. She didn't have time to think; she just acted on pure instinct. She could feel her pulse in her head, pounding louder and louder. It felt like she was having an aneurysm.