The Ravine

The next morning came earlier than expected and with it, the heat. Carol looked at the water bottle and sighed. There was only enough for a few good, earnest drinks. Water rationing had now become a desperate struggle. And while she had been hoping for the sun they were now receiving, before being stranded, she now prayed for rain. She lifted the bottle up to Jameson’s lips. When she was done with that, she took off his diaper and checked his underside. To her relief there was only a slight indication of a rash. She looked back to the trunk and then outside beyond the car. She waited and studied the surroundings. Maybe the monsters were gone now. Maybe she had scared them off for good. Maybe she had showed the alpha who’s boss. There was a low, brief growl in the distance. It sounded like it had come from above them, but with her head the way it was, she couldn’t tell for sure.

Carol jingled the keys in her pocket and looked outside again. Then she looked at the trunk and to her leg. The pain had deadened a bit, but she felt that that was in part because of the poor circulation from sitting in one position too long. All that she was certain of was that she had to get to the trunk and the diaper bag. There might even be extra food and drinkable liquids of some sort there. Her head pounded off and on in response to the growing dehydration and the stress of the situation.

If there was any moment to move, it was now, she thought.

“Jamey, Momma’s gonna go out and get some stuff for us. I’ll be right here, okay?” Jameson nodded as if he understood. Carol kissed his sweat-drenched brow. She then positioned him under the steering wheel like before and crawled her way to the front passenger door, gritting her teeth and cursing in pain. Carol turned the handle and slowly pushed it away from her. It was movable but, at a certain point, it got stuck on the dented metal. Carol strained and pushed harder, causing a loud groan. She stopped and held her breath.

Did the monsters hear?

She waited. Hearing no movement, she opened the door wider, the groan of the aggravated metal grew louder than before. At half-way open, she pushed herself forward on the seat and planted her hands on the ground below and—

“No!”

From her right, one of the monsters rushed up, plunging its teeth into the flesh of her right arm. She screamed and pulled away. Flesh tore and hot blood splattered the ground, the car, and her face. She looked right into its bloodthirsty eyes and, to her horror, they seemed to roll over white.

“Bastards!”

Another one rushed up and smashed into the side of the door, sending it swinging; crashing square into the injured spot on her head, which exploded

in agony. Carol’s stomach turned at the rolling pain and she felt like vomiting. Jameson screamed again. Carol retreated through the space in the door and closed it, pinning the beast, its jaws still snapping like some kind of bloodied steel trap at Carol. With all her might she pulled the door shut, hoping that she would decapitate the fucker. It yelped from the pain of both Carol’s pulling on the door and its accomplice slamming itself against the other side. Eventually, as if knowing that it wouldn’t make it, it squeezed its head out and retreated with the others back into the trees. Carol once again turned to console Jameson.

“I’m sorry, sir. We haven’t had anyone check in here by that name.”

“Okay,” Martin replied. “If she does make her way there can you have her call me?”

“Yes, sir. I most certainly will,” an aging gentleman’s voice on the other side replied. “What’s the number where I can reach you?”

“It’s 555-0213. Thank you.” The voice from the other side complied and Martin hung up. He picked up the phone again and dialed.

“Hey, Kim.”

“Oh hey, Martin,” Kim’s voice chirped from the other side of the line.

“How’s work going? Carol tells me you got a big deadline.”

“Yeah,” Martin replied, scratching his head. “It’s going.” He trailed off and the line grew silent and serious.

“Something wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know, Kim. You heard from Carol lately?” There was a pause.

“Uh, no. I haven’t. I just figured that she got a late start or that she checked into someplace like she said she might.”

“Yeah, well, I thought that, too,” Martin replied. “I just got off the phone with the Roeder Inn and they have no record of her checking in.” He exhaled deeply.

“That’s not like her. Especially with Jameson.”

“Yeah. It’s been how long since she took off, Martin?”

He checked the clock on the wall. “About twenty hours now.”

“Well, you said you checked with the place she said she’d stay at and you know for sure that she’s not checked into some other place and just passed out with Jameson, figuring she’d call you later?”

“No, I know my wife. She’d always call. Especially with Jameson in her company.”

“Oh, I’m not saying I don’t believe you, Martin,” Kim said defensively. “I just don’t want you worrying yourself over nothing.”

There was a pause on the line.

“Look,” Kim continued. “If I hear from her I’ll tell her to call you the second she’s in, okay?”

“Okay,” Martin said. “I’ll do the same.”

“Thank you, Martin. I appreciate that. I hope it’s nothing.”

“Yeah,” Martin replied. “Me too. I gotta get back to work now. Take care, Kim.”

“Take care, Martin.” Kim and hung up and Martin followed.

Martin looked outside his office’s window and then down at his work. He couldn’t focus and the morning was tempting enough to hop on his Kawasaki KZ1000 and clear his mind on down the road. Outside, he startled the bike and fired it up, shifting it into gear and rolling down the driveway, gaining speed as it eventually met with the main road leading into town. At about the time Martin came upon the dam of debris blocking the road, the day’s peak heat was already starting to settle in.

No way Carol could get past this, he thought.

Martin took off his helmet and flipped the kickstand out from under his bike. He thought for a moment.

The old logging road.

It would take quite a bit more time, but she’d still be able to make it to her sister’s, if not, the Roeder Inn within a twenty-hour time frame.

Only one way to know for sure.

Martin got on his bike, started it up and made a U-turn back towards the entrance of the old logging road, arriving at its entrance in record time. He proceeded down the incoming slopes with caution, keeping an even distance between the hillside and the shoulder as it narrowed to a car length’s width. He slowed down when he reached the descending curve; studying its width and comparing it to their sedan’s.

Carol could have made it through this.