| “What?” “Never mind, just drive.” They drove silently for a few more moments until it started to rain. “Uh-oh.” Piper said, bringing the car to a stop. “Why is it that I don’t like when you say uh-oh?” “It’s raining!” “Yeah, I can see that.” “Well, what am I supposed to do? I can’t see out the windshield!” “Turn on the windshield wipers.” “Yeah, but how?” They both searched for the button to turn on the windshield wipers and finally found it a few minutes later. Piper pushed it and watched the wipers glide across the glistened windshield. “Max, it is pouring outside.” “Yes, yes it is.” “I don’t know if I can drive in the rain.” “Piper, you didn’t know how to drive at all before you drove here, I think you can handle driving in the rain.” “Easy for you to say.” “Just try.” Piper switched gears again and began driving down the road, faster than before. The ground was already covered in inches of water. The rain pounded on the roof above them. They continued driving, running over a few curbs but never seriously injuring themselves or the car. “Piper, you should slow down, the gate might be shut.” Max said as Piper neared the entrance to the park. “I can’t.” Piper yelled as she realized that she had lost control of the breaks and the steering wheel. “What do you mean, you can’t?” Max screamed. “Duck!” Piper yelled. Max quickly took off her seatbelt and scrambled to the floor below. She crouched as far as she could under the dashboard and protectively put her arms over her head. Piper scrambled out of her seatbelt but with the pedals in her way so she jumped over the front seat into the back. She crouched onto the floor and tried her best to cover her head. The car sped down the slick, muddy road, picking up speed as it went. Both Piper and Max felt it when the car slammed into the small gate that prohibited people from entering the park. But the small gate didn’t stop the car. It continued barreling down the road, still gaining speed. Finally, Piper and Max heard a large crash and felt a slight impact before stopping. Piper prayed that both Max and the car were okay. She knew she had heard some of the windows and possible the windshield breaking and she hoped that that was the extent of the damage. When she finally realized that the car had actually stopped for good, Piper tried to get up. Her legs hurt from staying in the uncomfortable position for so long but she managed to boost herself up onto the seat. She looked over to the front seat and saw that both airbags were out. She couldn’t see Max. “Max?” Piper said. She heard a muffled cry. “Okay, hold on, I’m gonna come get you.” Piper tried to open her door but it was stuck. She braced herself and began kicking it. Finally, it opened and Piper squirmed out. There was glass everywhere. She tried not to touch it but in some places it became impossible so she tried her best to ignore the tiny cuts that formed on her hands. She walked around the car to the passenger side. The window was already broken but the door wouldn’t open. Piper kicked at it a few times but it didn’t budge. After making sure there were no sharp pieces of glass left on the window, Piper crawled through, being careful not to hit the airbag or the surrounding vicinity. “Okay Max, move your hand around, I’m going to try pulling you out.” Piper waited, looking for a sign of Max’s hand. The airbag moved slightly as Max shuffled around. Piper realized that she was stuck behind it. “Okay, wait…stop. I think I can reach you.” Piper said, finally seeing Max’s hand. Piper grabbed Max’s wrist with her right hand and began to pull. She used her left hand to try to hold back the airbag as best she could. After much pulling, moaning, and groaning, Max began to emerge from the floor. “I thought I was going to suffocate down there.” Max said, finally being able to use her arms to pull her up with Piper’s assistance. “You okay?” Piper asked her. They sat next to each other on the seat, their legs tucked underneath them. “I think so. You?” Max responded. “Yeah.” Piper answered, not really knowing if that was the truth. She was physically okay aside from a few scratches and bruises but she was scared to death. “Did you see what we hit?” “It was too dark to see.” Piper said, searching around the backseat before finding her backpack. She grabbed it and pulled it up front with her. She located her flashlight and took it out. Piper slung the backpack out of her shoulder and attempted to open the driver’s side door. “Is it stuck?” Max asked as she sensed Piper’s frustration. “They’re all stuck.” Piper answered. She began kicking at it but like the other door, it wouldn’t budge. “Well, we climbed down a wall, I’m sure we can manage climbing out a window.” Max said, turning around. She boosted herself up and stuck her feet out the window. “Be careful of the glass.” Piper warned as Max climbed through. “Throw me the backpack.” Max commanded. Piper threw it through the window. Max caught it and then dropped it at her feet. The flashlight came flying at her next. Max caught it and flashed it on the window. Piper fell out of the car, headfirst, tumbling to the ground. Max bent over and helped her get up. Piper picked up the backpack and then walked to the front of the car. “Well, that would be a lovely guarder rail.” Max commented. “Yup.” Piper agreed. “Looks new aside from the lovely dent we made.” “They’ve never had guarder rails in the park before.” Piper observed. She grabbed the flashlight from Max’s hand and began scanning the area. “Max, we’re on the outskirts of the woods.” “Well, yeah, we’re at the entrance.” “No, I mean we’re on the other side.” “The other side?” “The car must have coasted somehow through the woods or something and now we’re on the other side. This is where they’re doing the government work. Look.” Piper said, pointing the flashlight to a large sign that said keep out. “You know, by the damage of the car I’d say we might have hit a few over sized bushes hear or there.” “That would explain the stuck doors.” “Yeah, well now what do we do?” Piper took off her backpack and searched through it. “What are you looking for?” “My cell-phone.” “Piper, you don’t own a cell-phone.” “I know, it’s my sister’s.” “So not only did you steal her car, but you also stole her cell-phone? That’s just great. She’s really going to talk to you now.” “Yeah, well not only did I steal both things but I also broke them both.” “Don’t tell me the phone doesn’t work.” “Okay, I won’t.” “Piper!” “Well, it’s not my fault that the car crashed and broke the phone! Don’t you have your phone?!” “I was in the hospital! Think about it, Piper! Do you think I have my cell-phone?!” “The point is, we’re here where we want to be.” “Where we want to be? We’re supposed to find Jeff, not this government buildings!” “Yeah, but think about it. Not that we’re here, we mine as well explore. We wanted to talk to the government people, so let’s talk to them.” “It’s after one o’clock in the morning, who do you think is here?” Piper was about to respond when she heard footsteps. She looked over at Max and turned off her flashlight. “What are you doing?” Piper cupped her hand over Max’s mouth. “Quiet. There’s someone out there.” Piper said quietly. “It’s probably an animal.” Max whispered. “An animal does not walk like a human.” “Yeah, well according to you, a wailing squirrel sounds like a possessed child.” “Oh shut up.” Piper grabbed Max’s shoulder and dragged her behind a large bush. Two men with flashlights began walking towards them. Neither of them actually seemed like they were looking for anything in particular. “Maybe we should talk to them, see if they can help us.” Max whispered. “They may be government people and lock us up for test subjects.” Piper responded quietly. “You watch too much TV. Besides, they look like they’re out here to camp, not to test on poor humans.” “It could be a disguise.” |