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Hot tears blurred my vision as I watched the passing trees, black and baren, but on the cusp of new life for spring. It was a cruel reminder that life was beginning for them, but for me, it was going to end. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to say goodbye to Troy, to not say “I love you” one last time. I realized I had to tell him, no matter what it took.
I looked over at Veronica focused on the road, her eyes on the horizon that felt like it went on forever no matter how hard she pressed her foot on the gas. I glanced quickly to the backseat, searching for my purse that she had thrown. I saw it in the corner, its contents strewn about the seat and the floor. My eyes quickly scanned for my phone, and then I spotted it, black and sleek on the middle seat. It was just within reach, but I would have to unbuckle my seatbelt to get it. It seemed like an impossible task.
I turned and faced forward again, trying to figure out how I could get my hands on my phone, my only way to Troy, without Veronica stopping me. I would have to be quick. If I could just make it to the backseat and out of reach, I could quickly contact Troy to say goodbye.
Taking deep breaths, I planned my next move. I snuck glances at Veronica every so often, but she remained focused on the road. I knew I had to do it now. Slowly, I reached to my side and pressed my thumb against the red button of the seatbelt. I closed my eyes as I braced myself for the sound of a click that would give me away. The sound didn’t alert Veronica. I let out a slow, quiet breath as I eased the seatbelt off me, knowing that by doing so I was sealing my fate, but I was dead anyway.
I waited for a car to be a distraction, for Veronica to have to weave around it with both hands on the wheel. I spotted a white sedan just up ahead and knew I had seconds until I threw myself into the backseat. I watched as Veronica’s hands tightened around the wheel as she prepared to pass the car ahead. Then I took my chance and pushed myself out of my seat and clambered over the center console.
Veronica screamed, the shrillness piercing my ears as I reached for my phone, but my foot caught between the console and the gear shift. My fingers barely brushed the coolness of my phone when the car swerved suddenly to the left, slamming me into the side of Veronica’s seat. I grunted as pain splintered through me. My phone slid toward the edge of the seat and out of reach. I cried out as I watched it fall, followed by the sound of a clunk as it settled between the back door and the seat. My chance of reaching Troy was now gone.
The car swerved to the right, throwing me against the passenger seat as I felt a hand grab my calf firmly. Veronica’s nails dug into my skin, making me cry out as she pulled me toward the front seat. How she was steering the car and holding onto me was a mystery.
“Get back here, you little bitch,” she spat.
Her nails dug further into me, breaking the skin. I tried to kick free, but my foot was still stuck on the console. I had no choice but to move toward her to free myself. I shifted backward, freeing my foot, but Veronica’s hand was now in my hair. She wrapped her fingers around my scalp and pulled hard. I screamed in pain as I followed her hand back to the front seat, trying to ease her grip.
As I settled back in the same seat I had tried to escape, she pushed my head so hard that it slammed into the cold window. A million jolts of light exploded in my mind as the pain shattered through me. I groaned and closed my eyes, trying to block out the brightness, but it was inside my head. There was no escaping it.
“That’s what you get,” said Veronica.
I felt the car steady itself. Now that I wasn’t a distraction, she could focus on keeping us straight. I wondered why she was dragging it out. She could have just let us crash. With my head still against the window, I reached for my seatbelt and slid it back on, even though I didn’t really see the point.
I peeled my head from the window and felt a stickiness it left behind. My eyes slowly fluttered open to see blood dripping down the window, a red contrast against the barren landscape outside. I put my hand to my head and felt the warm trickle of blood dripping down my temple.
Something else red caught my eye in the wing mirror. A red flash of light. And another. Several flashes of red lights mixed with blue. I blinked a few times to make sure I was really seeing it and it wasn’t the aftermath of what was sure to be a concussion. It wasn’t though. They were the lights of squad cars. Several of them. There had to be at least two dozen closing in behind us.
I sat up a little straighter, feeling myself growing hopeful that they had come to rescue me. I maybe had a chance to get out of this. To live. To see Troy again. I looked out the mirror a little longer before looking at Veronica, who hadn’t seemed to notice the flashing lights that were approaching from behind. The distant sound of sirens reached my ears, and then I saw it register on her face.
She looked up and out of the rearview mirror.
“Shit!” she yelled, slamming her palms against the steering wheel.
“Veronica,” I said softly. “It’s over.”
She stayed silent, her eyes fixed on the road. She wasn’t slowing down.
“There’s no way out of this,” I said.
“Shut up!” she yelled.
“If you just slow down, stop the car, let me go… maybe they’ll let you go.”
Veronica laughed sarcastically.
“I’ll tell them I went with you willingly. I won’t press charges,” I tried again.
She pressed the gas even harder and the car lurched forward. I watched the speedometer pass 100 MPH. I swallowed hard.
“You can have him,” I croaked, my throat dry from fear.
“What?” she spat.
“Troy. You can have him.”
“Ha! He doesn’t want me.”
“He does. He loves you. I was just a distraction, but I know I’ll never live up to you. I know that now.”