The Last One Home

Part 11

She hit the snow with a dull thud. Jerking violently onto her stomach she kicked wildly with both feet. Her left foot connected painfully with his left wrist. Swearing loudly, Max let her go. He clutched his stinging wrist protectively to his body.

He had no idea what to do next. He hadn't thought this through. He had acted completely on instinct.

The woman cowered at the front bumper of the car. Her knees sinking into the deep snow. Her arms crossed her chest and her shoulders shook. He took a step toward her.

"Don't!....Come near me you freaking psycho!" She shakily climbed to her feet. She pushed off the hood of the car to keep her balance.

Max worried that she might go on the offense and come at him. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He just really needed her car. It was too late to take back what he had done. There was no going back. He would just have to take the car and deal with the consequences later. 

She stared him down with hatred in her eyes. Max noticed that the keys were still in the ignition and her phone lay just in front of the brake pedal on the floor of the car.

"I'm taking the car now.""Just stay where you are and I won't hurt you." She whimpered in reply. Max pulled open the drivers door and lowered himself into the seat. The vehicle was incredibly warm. His eyes wandered over the dashboard. There was a family picture tucked just under the speedometer. A rosary hung from the rearview mirror. Everything seemed so unfamiliar. So alien.

As much as he wanted to keep her phone so that he would be able to continue to try and contact his family, he knew that he couldn't leave her out here without it. He pictured her calling the police as he pulled away. Would he have time to get home? He didn't know. It was a risk he would just have to take. He picked up her phone and held it out the open drivers window. She hesitantly approached. At the window she held his gaze as she snatched the phone from his hand. She immediately stepped back from the car.

Max wanted desperately to apologize to the woman. He also wanted to ask her to please hold off on calling the police but he knew it wouldn't matter.

Putting the gearshift in drive, he slowly pulled away. The tires still spun on the soft shoulder. In the mirror he could see her staring hatefully back at him. For as long as he could see her, she didn't bring the phone to her ear.