Before I Met You

Chapter 19

The road was wide and pitch black as the full moon hung in the sky. The two lanes were empty except for my car going a full ten over the speed limit wanting to get home as soon as possible.

I watched the trees, frozen and bare, reflecting on the windshield as if they were trying to protect me from the falling snow with their bare branches. The snow was thickening now into wide clumps making me turn on the wipers.

How many times my dad had driven me down this road himself, me in the back, kicking the back of his seat to make him mad. Just so he'd reach behind and tickle my legs. He used to take me to the bookstore all summer long to keep me out of the house. I would come home to my mother on the couch with bottles surrounding her which always resulted in an argument between them.

Could she have had this ability too? Did I inherit it from her? How did Dylan know about me? Was that why he was so adamant on getting to know me? Was this some sort of weird amusement for him? How could I really know if I could trust him?

All these questions and more swarmed my mind as I tried to see through the heavy snowfall. Although I knew in my heart that Dylan was trustworthy and that I could be open and honest with him.

A part of me wished I never had met him or let him weasel his way into my life. But I couldn't deny the invisible force pulling me closer to him no matter how I tried to deny it.

Suddenly a man stood in the middle of the road, illuminated by my headlights. I saw him milliseconds before impact not realizing how fast I was going. Hitting my breaks as I tried to swerve out of the way but it was too late watching them hit my car as I felt my tires glide on a patch of ice.

The car tumbled and rolled a few times in the middle of the road. My body thrashed around feeling the seat belt lock as my head hit the window and steering wheel. Each window shattered with each roll before it finally stopped.

Hanging upside down by my seatbelt surrounded my shards of glass. My disheveled blonde hair covered my face as I tried to move. Feeling something drip down my nose and forehead as I looked around. Breathing heavily trying to catch my breath, remembering the man hitting my windshield made my eyes bulge out looking around frantically.

"Oh, no." A body laid in the middle of the road some distance away from me. Their head and legs were bent in unnatural positions as tears streamed down my face. "No, please, no." I cried trying to find my phone.

Hearing bones cracking made me stop to look back at the dead body. He stretched out his arm, adjusting his joints forcing them back in place. "What?" My voice was barely audible as I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening.

My heart pounded in my ears as I was overloaded with adrenaline. My mouth hung open as I watched the disfigured man slowly stand back up on his own two feet.

He turned his attention towards me before slowly stalking towards me. "No!" I cried desperately pulling at my seatbelt, praying that it would break me free. Sobbing uncontrollably as I helplessly thrashed around in my seat. Screaming out pleas for help but there wasn't another soul awake at this time of night.

"Please!" My throat and chest ached, yelling out for help and trying desperately to get free. Tears and blood streamed down my face, determined to get out of my car. My vision blurred as I continued to cry out watching his black boots come up right beside my head hanging upside down.

"Please! Somebody help me! What do you want?! Leave me alone!" I cried out full of fear and terror etched in my voice. Suddenly he was gone as if someone snapped their fingers. Crying, trying to hear the man's footsteps when someone crouched down beside my head.

"Hey." Dylan breathed. I practically jumped out of my skin, covering my face. His frantic eyes were wide as I struggled to calm down. "You're alright." He assured me, trying to calm me down. His eyes roamed the scene and of me hanging helpless upside down.