Hope's Chance(5)

While still trying to feel better, I noticed a truck pulling to the side of the road. A male driver got out and began to approach me. I always carried pepper spray on my key ring, but it was still stuck in the ignition of the car. My heart started to beat faster and I could feel myself beginning to panic. I wasn’t on a heavy driven road, in fact while I was puking there had been no cars that passed going in either direction.

The man’s voice startled me, signaling he had approached me at a faster rate than I expected. “Are you okay miss? Do you need some help?”

He wore a baseball cap that covered his face, but I noticed the long scar across his cheek. I’m not usually one to stereotype, but he gave me the creeps like he was straight out of a horror movie. He got about a foot away from me and reached for my arm. “Did you hear me miss? I can take you wherever you want to go. Why don’t you come get in my truck?” He suggested.

He had a hold of my arm and I froze. I couldn’t speak and I surely couldn’t scream, not that anyone would even be able to hear me in this area of the highway anyway.

The man had managed to pull me about four feet away from my car before a motorcycle came driving down the road toward us. At first I feared they would keep going, but the driver skidded in between our cars and immediately got his bike into a sitting position. The strange man had released his hold on me as the next person approached.

“Are you okay?’ He asked while still wearing his helmet.

I couldn’t answer. I just shook my head, NO!

He came to stand in front of me, shielding me from the weird guy. “I think you need to leave sir.”

The man backed away from him, assuming he must have known me. When the creepy man finally pulled away I realized I was on the side of the road alone with yet another stranger. I finally came to my senses and began to make a dash for my car, until he grabbed the back of my dress and pulled me close to him. I couldn’t see his face, and after losing all of the fluids in my body, I found myself lightheaded from the fear and anxiety. Then I felt myself fall.



Chance



After my encounter with Mr. Ryan’s daughter, I needed a pack of cigarettes. I decided to hop on my bike and head to the nearest convenience store. When I got about three miles from the house I spotted two vehicles pulled over on the side of the road, and one of the cars happened to be the same one that had been in my driveway just a half hour ago. As I got closer I noticed that a man had his hands on her and I didn’t even think. My bike came to a halt and I immediately approached Hope and the stranger. When the stranger left without incident I knew I had come at just the right moment. He was probably wanted for some type of crime and didn’t want to get involved with the police. I knew how that felt.

When Hope collapsed in my arms I thought about taking her back to her father’s, but when I carried her to the passenger side of the car, I noticed the vomit in the grass. When she darted out of the pool house I assumed she was frustrated and upset, but seeing that she was sick to her stomach confirmed she was having a difficult time with things. I managed to get her reclined in the passenger seat and decided to wait it out in the driver’s seat. There was no way I was leaving her here all alone on this strip of the highway, and I wasn’t about to leave my bike either. It was the only thing I had in my name.

I found a good station on the radio and turned the air on to blow on Hope’s skin. I couldn’t believe I had gotten myself into this situation. My head found a semi comfortable position on the steering wheel as I stared at the girl beside me. Her arms were covered in goose bumps from the cool air, and her hair was blowing in small strands across her face. Her breathing had calmed and her cleavage protruded from the low cut sundress.

I hadn’t been this close to another girl other than my sister in a very long time, and it made me feel uncomfortable. I was an adult and I had no idea how old this girl was sitting next to me. I assumed she was close to my sister’s age, but the bow in her hair made her look like a teenager. The last thing I needed was for someone to get the wrong idea about why we were in this car alone on the side of the road.

As much as I didn’t want to do it, I leaned over and gently smacked on Hope’s cheek.

“Hope? Hey wake up Hope.” I said while patting her face.

She woke up and began screaming, not realizing where she was or what was going on. I held my hands up and placed them on the ceiling of the car. “Whoa, wait a minute. You were approached by a stranger and I stopped and got him to leave. I swear Hope.”

She stopped screaming and trying to get out, and looked at me, finally remembering what happened.

“You passed out in my arms. All I did was carry you to the car. I couldn’t leave you alone so I stayed to make sure you were alright.” I explained.

She looked at her clothes and then her arms. “Did anything else happen?” She asked.

It felt like she kicked me in the balls. I didn’t want to be accused of hurting another person again. I put my head down and frowned. “I promise you that I would never do that. If you are okay, I think it would be best if I got going.”

As I went to climb out of the car, I felt her hand grabbing my arm. “Wait. Please.”

I sat back down in the car and looked directly into those blue eyes. “What?”

“If you hadn’t come, I don’t know what would have happened today. You may have saved my life.” She said while still holding on to my arm.