Helen gazed at the passing scenery while her father concentrated on his driving. They had not exchanged a word since they set off from home in the jeep a few hours ago. She was upset that her father had insisted she should spend her holiday in the cabin with the family. Helen would rather go camping with her friends. She presumed that her mother and sister who had gone a day earlier must be busy cleaning the cabin and gathering sufficient firewood for their stay.
The mountainous road was winding and full of potholes. The ride was so bumpy that Helen could not wait to get to their destination. Eventually Helen could catch a glimpse of the cabin. Just as she wound up the window on her side, the windshield in front of her darkened abruptly. She screamed as it exploded and bits and pieces of glass scattered everywhere. The jeep swerved sideways from the impact and landed in a ditch on the side of the road.
When Helen recovered from her shock, she realised that she was not hurt. Her father had shielded her from the shower of glass. There were splinters of glass on his hand and back. Despite his injuries, he was more concerned about Helen's condition and was visibly relieved when Helen assured him that she was fine. In a calm voice Helen's father asked her to go to the cabin and tell her mother about the accident.
After calling for an ambulance, Helen's mother followed her to where the jeep was. They saw a dead deer across the road. Helen's mother told her that the deer was probably startled by the headlights of the jeep and leaped on it. Helen held her father's hand tightly while they waited for the ambulance.