Short Scenes ♧

Anxiety for the First Time

The cherry-colored van was meant for nine people, yet only five were strapped in the safety restraints. The sheets of glass almost encompassed the entirety of the sides with a vivid view of the exterior world. My father controlled the wheel as we spiraled up the narrow road. Time moved as if I were staring at a clock, counting the number of dashes the long arrow ticked by. Yet, I was not watching an extended, black line circle continuously. Instead, I gazed upon the vast Earth which filled the windowpane like the Grand Canyon captured in a picture frame. The picture was too realistic to only be a photo, and unfortunately, that was precisely the case. My vision blurred every few minutes, reminding my brain that I must blink for optimal seeing. At the same time, my fingers gripped the scratchy fabric of the armrests. Every few moments, my mind teased me as my fingertips felt a strange pulsation through the seat, tricking into thinking it was alive. My heartbeat's rhythm increased drastically with every slight sway of the van. The thought of another vehicle approaching ours incited an icy shiver to run up my spine. And then, when another engine faced us, I held my breath each time. I was reminded of the Titanic sinking into the depths of the ocean within those thirty seconds. One minuscule scratch or bump, much like the disastrous iceberg, could be the catalyst of a tragic story.

"Dad, are we there yet?" Six-year-old Teal begged from the behind the driver's seat.

"Are we at the top?" He remarked.

"No," I mumbled.

"Then are we there yet?" He asked, glancing at me in the rear-view mirror.

The van regained the deafening silence from before I had spoken.

I peered over the edge of the window once more, keeping an eagle-eye on the ground beneath.

It'll be fine, I thought, The Titanic sinking was unbelievably unlucky, this is nothing like it.

Even as that thought lolled in my mind, I could only think of how easy it would be for one of the four wheels to slip over the edge.

A/N

This description is based on the time I was going up the Road to Haleakala in Maui,  Hawaii. 

I have posted a picture close to what I remembered for this scene at the chapter beginning.

Please: Comment, Vote, and Share if you like this and want similar scenarios!

Picture used from https://www.paradise-found-in-maui.com/haleakala-highway.html

Copyright © 2020 by Me_Myself_i1023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.