Chapter 1 - Fall from Grace
They left a trail of dust behind them as they sped down the narrow forest path. The small, muddy red four-by-four held everything that remained of their belongings. The suspension creaked with every little bump in the road, hurling them from one side of the vehicle to the other. The run down car once served as an open top response vehicle, a relic of the soviet era; now it was their only chance of escape.
“It won’t hold out much longer!” cried Steve as he worked to keep the car from falling off the road into the steep valley below; the dust and gravel offering precious little in the form of grip.
“You told us you could drive, it can’t be that hard!” replied Jenn, an edge of concern in her voice.
Steve gritted his teeth. “We’re going to have to unload something.”
“Like what? Water? Food? We can’t leave any of it!”
“Just pick something, and fast!”
Phil and Emily sat silently in back, hanging on to any possessions they could grab and trying to stop whatever they could from flying out of the ex-army Jeep. They could barely hear the commotion in the front over the roar of the tires on gravel.
“Guys! Guys!” Phil shouted, trying to get their attention, “Shouldn’t we be slowing down?”
Tires shredded across the uneven trail high above a deep forested ravine. Even the hand break wasn’t enough to stop them as they careened from side to side, becoming ever closer to the grassy banks of the road.
One flip. Two. There was no going back. For a split second, the jeep flew through the air and then plummeted off the side of the road. The steel water canister flew through the open side of the car, splitting open on the roll cage. Medical supplies were crushed under the weight of Phil, desperately trying to hold on and maintain what little grip he had left. Emily had been flung from the rear of the car at high speed. She flew past trees and across sharp, rocky terrain. Jenn was lucky enough to wear the old car’s only seatbelt; although she wondered what her fate would be if she couldn’t get it off.
Just as suddenly as the fall began, the car ground to a halt in a small clearing. Adrenaline coursed through Phil’s veins as he struggled to orient himself, having been flung from the car himself. He sat up and saw the nearby overturned car.
“Is everyone OK?” He called. He waited a moment, but no response came. “Hello?”
The forest was eerily quiet in the midday sun. Phil tried to calm his breathing as the rush of adrenalin slowly faded from his system.
“Come on guys!” He called again. Nothing.
He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to panic, and surveyed the situation. Steve remained trapped underneath the front wheel arch. He was struggling to breathe and had a deep gash across his forehead. Phil stood up gingerly and made his way over to the fuming wreckage. He had hoped for the best, but soon realized the severity of the situation.
Immediately his EMT training kicked in. Ignoring his own injuries, he spoke to Steve in a gentle voice. He gave him a stick to bite on and slowly tipped the car back into an upright position. With not even a first aid kit left from the crash, he wasn’t sure of what to do next.
After elevating Steve’s legs, he made his way over to a now conscious Jenn and gently sat her in an upright position, making sure she didn’t have any other major injuries. The twisted undergrowth made moving around a painful ordeal, so Phil tried to keep all movement to a minimum.
“What happened?” Said Jenn as she slowly came around, “Where am I?”
“The car lost control. You’re fine. I can’t see any deep cuts. Can you try and stand up for me? Yep, slowly, watch that rock, slow…”
Jenn crashed back down in a heap on the ground pulling Phil with her, struggling to keep her head upright.
“Where am I?” She asked again, panic in her voice. She began to hyperventilate, grasping for oxygen in the thick, moist
They left a trail of dust behind them as they sped down the narrow forest path. The small, muddy red four-by-four held everything that remained of their belongings. The suspension creaked with every little bump in the road, hurling them from one side of the vehicle to the other. The run down car once served as an open top response vehicle, a relic of the soviet era; now it was their only chance of escape.
“It won’t hold out much longer!” cried Steve as he worked to keep the car from falling off the road into the steep valley below; the dust and gravel offering precious little in the form of grip.
“You told us you could drive, it can’t be that hard!” replied Jenn, an edge of concern in her voice.
Steve gritted his teeth. “We’re going to have to unload something.”
“Like what? Water? Food? We can’t leave any of it!”
“Just pick something, and fast!”
Phil and Emily sat silently in back, hanging on to any possessions they could grab and trying to stop whatever they could from flying out of the ex-army Jeep. They could barely hear the commotion in the front over the roar of the tires on gravel.
“Guys! Guys!” Phil shouted, trying to get their attention, “Shouldn’t we be slowing down?”
Tires shredded across the uneven trail high above a deep forested ravine. Even the hand break wasn’t enough to stop them as they careened from side to side, becoming ever closer to the grassy banks of the road.
One flip. Two. There was no going back. For a split second, the jeep flew through the air and then plummeted off the side of the road. The steel water canister flew through the open side of the car, splitting open on the roll cage. Medical supplies were crushed under the weight of Phil, desperately trying to hold on and maintain what little grip he had left. Emily had been flung from the rear of the car at high speed. She flew past trees and across sharp, rocky terrain. Jenn was lucky enough to wear the old car’s only seatbelt; although she wondered what her fate would be if she couldn’t get it off.
Just as suddenly as the fall began, the car ground to a halt in a small clearing. Adrenaline coursed through Phil’s veins as he struggled to orient himself, having been flung from the car himself. He sat up and saw the nearby overturned car.
“Is everyone OK?” He called. He waited a moment, but no response came. “Hello?”
The forest was eerily quiet in the midday sun. Phil tried to calm his breathing as the rush of adrenalin slowly faded from his system.
“Come on guys!” He called again. Nothing.
He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to panic, and surveyed the situation. Steve remained trapped underneath the front wheel arch. He was struggling to breathe and had a deep gash across his forehead. Phil stood up gingerly and made his way over to the fuming wreckage. He had hoped for the best, but soon realized the severity of the situation.
Immediately his EMT training kicked in. Ignoring his own injuries, he spoke to Steve in a gentle voice. He gave him a stick to bite on and slowly tipped the car back into an upright position. With not even a first aid kit left from the crash, he wasn’t sure of what to do next.
After elevating Steve’s legs, he made his way over to a now conscious Jenn and gently sat her in an upright position, making sure she didn’t have any other major injuries. The twisted undergrowth made moving around a painful ordeal, so Phil tried to keep all movement to a minimum.
“What happened?” Said Jenn as she slowly came around, “Where am I?”
“The car lost control. You’re fine. I can’t see any deep cuts. Can you try and stand up for me? Yep, slowly, watch that rock, slow…”
Jenn crashed back down in a heap on the ground pulling Phil with her, struggling to keep her head upright.
“Where am I?” She asked again, panic in her voice. She began to hyperventilate, grasping for oxygen in the thick, moist
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