repetition of guiding the vehicle, the powerful dragon she commanded, around the oval, one lap after another, faster and faster.
“Looking good, Evie,” Ben said over the intercom. “No need to go any faster. It’s like you drove yesterday.”
In a way that was true. Evie drove every single night. She went to bed, began to dream, and soon she was adding lap after lap, just like now. At first there’d be no other cars, just her and the Viper, happy, feeling invincible. Then smoke, flames, pain.
“What’s going on? Evie?”
The Viper swayed faintly, its rear beginning to pull toward the outer part of the oval.
“Slow down, Evie.”
Evie blinked. Familiar voice, just like in the dream. She pressed the accelerator. Go low. Go low!
“Evie, damn it. Slow down.”
“Too much smoke. I can’t see!” Evie blinked as the acrid smoke started to fill the car.
“Evie, snap out of it. Evie!”
*
“She’s losing it.” Ben tossed his baseball cap to the ground. “We were wrong. It was too soon. I can’t fucking reach her.”
Blythe ran up to the crew and set her camera down on the table behind them. “What’s going on?” She raised her hand to block out the sun, staring at the far end of the oval where the red Viper tore through the turn.
“She’s not listening to me.” Ben tried to call her again. “Talk to me, Evie.” His lips a tight line, he glanced at Blythe. “You try.” He handed his headset to her. “Just press the button.”
“Okay.” She could see the Viper accelerating further. Her stomach twitched as she donned the headset. “Evie? It’s Blythe. You’ve got to slow down!” The intercom crackled. “Please. Whatever you think is going on out there, it’s just your mind playing tricks on you. Listen to me, and slow down.”
“Blythe?” Evie’s voice sounded raw over the headset. “I—there was smoke. I could’ve sworn there was smoke.”
“Tell her to pull over.” Ben picked up his baseball cap and put it back on.
She shook her head. “No. She has to work through this.”
“Hey, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ben said angrily.
“Regarding cars or racing, no. Regarding PTSD, I know more than most. If she pulls over now, before she gets any sense of normalcy out there, any chance of feeling in charge, you can forget about her comeback.” She calmly met Ben’s eyes. She’d never understood how it was easy to be eloquent and stand up for others when she was on a job, but not when she was personally involved.
“PTSD, huh?” Ben unwrapped a piece of gum and popped it into his mouth, chewing energetically. “All right. Keep talking to her. Have her do five laps at the current pace. Then if I could have my headset back just for a wee moment, I’d be happy.”
“Sure thing.” She nodded regally and kept talking to Evie, merely to prove to her that she was still there. Thankfully, Evie’s voice sounded calm and steady. Willing her hands not to tremble, she picked up her camera and continued to work.
“Getting any good ones?” Evie asked in her ears.
“Yes. Focus on driving.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Her finger busy on the release, Blythe went into the zone, documenting the speed of the beautiful car as it swept past them repeatedly.
“Time for her to come into the pit.” Ben extended his hand and Blythe handed him the headset without a word. “Good job there, Ms. Pierce.”
“Blythe. Please.”
“Blythe. I’m Ben.”
“I know.” She nodded, hoping she looked friendly. She still wasn’t sure about everyone on Evie’s team. She hadn’t worked long with any of them last year, and some of the faces this year were new. Ben had treated her with suspicion back then, but now he looked like he was warming up a bit. That would make her job a lot easier.
Ben ordered Evie to return, which she did. Blythe kept shooting, going in close as Blythe exited through the side window opening. Taking off her helmet and balaclava,
“Looking good, Evie,” Ben said over the intercom. “No need to go any faster. It’s like you drove yesterday.”
In a way that was true. Evie drove every single night. She went to bed, began to dream, and soon she was adding lap after lap, just like now. At first there’d be no other cars, just her and the Viper, happy, feeling invincible. Then smoke, flames, pain.
“What’s going on? Evie?”
The Viper swayed faintly, its rear beginning to pull toward the outer part of the oval.
“Slow down, Evie.”
Evie blinked. Familiar voice, just like in the dream. She pressed the accelerator. Go low. Go low!
“Evie, damn it. Slow down.”
“Too much smoke. I can’t see!” Evie blinked as the acrid smoke started to fill the car.
“Evie, snap out of it. Evie!”
*
“She’s losing it.” Ben tossed his baseball cap to the ground. “We were wrong. It was too soon. I can’t fucking reach her.”
Blythe ran up to the crew and set her camera down on the table behind them. “What’s going on?” She raised her hand to block out the sun, staring at the far end of the oval where the red Viper tore through the turn.
“She’s not listening to me.” Ben tried to call her again. “Talk to me, Evie.” His lips a tight line, he glanced at Blythe. “You try.” He handed his headset to her. “Just press the button.”
“Okay.” She could see the Viper accelerating further. Her stomach twitched as she donned the headset. “Evie? It’s Blythe. You’ve got to slow down!” The intercom crackled. “Please. Whatever you think is going on out there, it’s just your mind playing tricks on you. Listen to me, and slow down.”
“Blythe?” Evie’s voice sounded raw over the headset. “I—there was smoke. I could’ve sworn there was smoke.”
“Tell her to pull over.” Ben picked up his baseball cap and put it back on.
She shook her head. “No. She has to work through this.”
“Hey, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ben said angrily.
“Regarding cars or racing, no. Regarding PTSD, I know more than most. If she pulls over now, before she gets any sense of normalcy out there, any chance of feeling in charge, you can forget about her comeback.” She calmly met Ben’s eyes. She’d never understood how it was easy to be eloquent and stand up for others when she was on a job, but not when she was personally involved.
“PTSD, huh?” Ben unwrapped a piece of gum and popped it into his mouth, chewing energetically. “All right. Keep talking to her. Have her do five laps at the current pace. Then if I could have my headset back just for a wee moment, I’d be happy.”
“Sure thing.” She nodded regally and kept talking to Evie, merely to prove to her that she was still there. Thankfully, Evie’s voice sounded calm and steady. Willing her hands not to tremble, she picked up her camera and continued to work.
“Getting any good ones?” Evie asked in her ears.
“Yes. Focus on driving.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Her finger busy on the release, Blythe went into the zone, documenting the speed of the beautiful car as it swept past them repeatedly.
“Time for her to come into the pit.” Ben extended his hand and Blythe handed him the headset without a word. “Good job there, Ms. Pierce.”
“Blythe. Please.”
“Blythe. I’m Ben.”
“I know.” She nodded, hoping she looked friendly. She still wasn’t sure about everyone on Evie’s team. She hadn’t worked long with any of them last year, and some of the faces this year were new. Ben had treated her with suspicion back then, but now he looked like he was warming up a bit. That would make her job a lot easier.
Ben ordered Evie to return, which she did. Blythe kept shooting, going in close as Blythe exited through the side window opening. Taking off her helmet and balaclava,
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