possibly known?
“I’m sorry, Travis-- I really am-- but this is absolutely necessary.”
Before I knew what was happening, her hand darted out, she started the engine, shifted into drive, and jammed on the accelerator. The car roared across the clearing toward the drop.
Ohmigod, flashed through my mind. I started to reach over to try to turn off the engine, but she stopped me with two words: “Seat belt.” She said it in a creepy, calm way, as she looked forward, determined, two hands gripping the wheel tightly.
There wasn’t enough time to stop her. There was barely enough time to sit back in my seat and lock the seat belt.
The car reached the edge of the clearing and flew out into nothingness. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and the entire world was muted by an eerie hush. The car didn’t fall right away, but seemed to linger in space, like a cartoon character that has to realize there is no ground under him before he starts to fall. When it did start to drop, it seemed at first that it would go straight down and hit the water below flat on its bottom, but then the rear end of the car started to rise so that we were heading nose down toward the water. The car continued to flip over. We were upside, then, with the rear end starting to dip. Just before we hit the water, I could look straight out the front window and see the blue sky and the huddle of green trees looking down at us. The rear of the car hit the water with a thunderous roar, and water splashed high in all directions as the car dipped deep down. It bobbed back up, and the front of the car suddenly dropped, the underside of the car slapping down hard on the water. When that happened, we were both jerked violently forward against our seat belts. Just then, I caught a glimpse of Eliza, her head snapping forward. For some reason, her shoulder strap didn’t catch hold fast enough, and her head crashed against the steering wheel. When the car settled down, she flopped back in her seat, unconscious, a large gash across her forehead. The impact had blown out the back window, and water was rushing in over the back seat as the rear end of the car starting to dip underwater. I ripped off my seat belt, my mind racing in a thousand directions. I must have seen a hundred cable programs that explained what to do if your car is sinking in water, but I couldn’t think of a single helpful fact. There was something you had to do, something important, for you to survive. What was it? I just couldn’t remember. I reached over to unbuckle Eliza’s seat beat, but it wouldn’t unlock. I pressed the button in and pulled as hard as I could, but it was jammed. The water was rising up from the floor fast. Wait, that was it: the car had to fill with water, or else you couldn’t get the doors open to get out. Still the murky water would be impossible for me to see through so that I could get her out. I grabbed the keys out of the ignition, and unlocked the glove compartment, hoping to find some tools. I didn’t find much, but there was an old disposable box cutter-- the really cheap kind. I grabbed the cutter, and leaned over to try to cut through her belt. The water was already up to her chest, and I had to feel under the water for the belt. I held the belt in place with one hand, and with my other hand tried to use the cutter to cut through the heavy nylon. The blade was very dull, and I had to pull it across the belt again and again, hoping it hit the same spot enough times to cut her free. I managed to cut halfway across the belt, and then tried to cut the rest of the way through by hooking the blade in the slit I’d cut, and pulling it through the rest of the way. It took four or five times, but I finally cut through, and the belt loosened as the shoulder harness retracted back into its plastic holder next to the door. I turned her sideways, and hooked an arm under
“I’m sorry, Travis-- I really am-- but this is absolutely necessary.”
Before I knew what was happening, her hand darted out, she started the engine, shifted into drive, and jammed on the accelerator. The car roared across the clearing toward the drop.
Ohmigod, flashed through my mind. I started to reach over to try to turn off the engine, but she stopped me with two words: “Seat belt.” She said it in a creepy, calm way, as she looked forward, determined, two hands gripping the wheel tightly.
There wasn’t enough time to stop her. There was barely enough time to sit back in my seat and lock the seat belt.
The car reached the edge of the clearing and flew out into nothingness. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and the entire world was muted by an eerie hush. The car didn’t fall right away, but seemed to linger in space, like a cartoon character that has to realize there is no ground under him before he starts to fall. When it did start to drop, it seemed at first that it would go straight down and hit the water below flat on its bottom, but then the rear end of the car started to rise so that we were heading nose down toward the water. The car continued to flip over. We were upside, then, with the rear end starting to dip. Just before we hit the water, I could look straight out the front window and see the blue sky and the huddle of green trees looking down at us. The rear of the car hit the water with a thunderous roar, and water splashed high in all directions as the car dipped deep down. It bobbed back up, and the front of the car suddenly dropped, the underside of the car slapping down hard on the water. When that happened, we were both jerked violently forward against our seat belts. Just then, I caught a glimpse of Eliza, her head snapping forward. For some reason, her shoulder strap didn’t catch hold fast enough, and her head crashed against the steering wheel. When the car settled down, she flopped back in her seat, unconscious, a large gash across her forehead. The impact had blown out the back window, and water was rushing in over the back seat as the rear end of the car starting to dip underwater. I ripped off my seat belt, my mind racing in a thousand directions. I must have seen a hundred cable programs that explained what to do if your car is sinking in water, but I couldn’t think of a single helpful fact. There was something you had to do, something important, for you to survive. What was it? I just couldn’t remember. I reached over to unbuckle Eliza’s seat beat, but it wouldn’t unlock. I pressed the button in and pulled as hard as I could, but it was jammed. The water was rising up from the floor fast. Wait, that was it: the car had to fill with water, or else you couldn’t get the doors open to get out. Still the murky water would be impossible for me to see through so that I could get her out. I grabbed the keys out of the ignition, and unlocked the glove compartment, hoping to find some tools. I didn’t find much, but there was an old disposable box cutter-- the really cheap kind. I grabbed the cutter, and leaned over to try to cut through her belt. The water was already up to her chest, and I had to feel under the water for the belt. I held the belt in place with one hand, and with my other hand tried to use the cutter to cut through the heavy nylon. The blade was very dull, and I had to pull it across the belt again and again, hoping it hit the same spot enough times to cut her free. I managed to cut halfway across the belt, and then tried to cut the rest of the way through by hooking the blade in the slit I’d cut, and pulling it through the rest of the way. It took four or five times, but I finally cut through, and the belt loosened as the shoulder harness retracted back into its plastic holder next to the door. I turned her sideways, and hooked an arm under
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