The First

Chapter 30

Teagan awoke to an agonized scream. She'd heard the sound before, knew who it came from. Pain brought her around. The seatbelt dug into her shoulder and pinched her right boob. Blood dripped from a gash above her left eye. To her right, Ellie looked much the same, swaying in her seatbelt upside down.

"El...El!" Teagan pushed her hand against Ellie's arm.

Ellie stirred but didn't wake.

Teagan continued pushing on Ellie's shoulder. "El...wake up! El!"

Ellie moaned and wriggled at each poke. Even though her airbag deployed, her head had made a spider web crack in the front windshield. Smears of blood coated her face and the destroyed airbag.

Teagan stretched her head around. A lump welled in her throat and her heart flip-flopped. Neither the passenger-side door or Alyssa remained where they should have been. Another gut-wrenching screech echoed through the night. Now she knew exactly who the screams came from but needed to know where they came from.

She probably woke up in the middle of the field, broken, bruised - lost.

Again she swiped at the seatbelt latch. Her bloody fingers slipped and slid over the mechanism. She screamed in frustration and wiped the blood on her pants. The gash in her brow throbbed. Blood poured down her forehead, into her hair and pooled on the ceiling of the car.

"Fucking piece of shit! Let me out!" After taking a couple of deep breaths, she calmed down. There had to be another way out of the seatbelt. Then she remembered an item she kept in the console between the seats.

When she pulled open the lid the contents fell out. Several tampons, three different colors of lipstick, her compact, and her manicure kit crashed to the roof. While she wanted to grab the phone and call for help first, she needed to get free and find Alyssa. She grabbed the kit and pulled out the manicure scissors. Surprised at how well the scissors worked, she cut at the belt just under her breasts.

"Wha...what happened?" Ellie pushed on the crushed ceiling below her.

"We crashed, I'm stuck. Cutting myself loose. Lyssa's missing. Can you get free?'

Ellie checked the back seat. "Is she okay? Did she go for help?"

"I don't know, but I heard her scream a little while ago." Teagan continued cutting at the strap.

"Why didn't you just..." Ellie pushed Teagan's seatbelt button.

Teagan dropped and landed on her head. "Shit."

"Sorry."

When she flopped over to bring herself into an upright position, her foot hit something.

"Ow!" Ellie pushed Teagan's foot away from her face. "Are you hurt?"

Teagan felt the side of her head and wiped some blood from her left brow. "My head feels like shit. I think I busted out my window."

Ellie wiped at the blood on her forehead. "Me too. My forehead's killing me. Can you get out?"

"Yeah. I think I can get through. I'll come get you." The crushed door didn't leave much room, but Teagan thought she could get through.

"Okay." Ellie released herself.

Teagan clutched tufts of ragweed and pulled. The cool, moist grass stunk of sewer water. "Ugh...it stinks."

"Quit bitching and get me out."