Alyssa stopped dead in her tracks, struck dumb by his rejection.
Crushed by the blow, she rushed for the nearest bathroom and once she locked the door behind her, she looked with troubled eyes into the mirror above the sink. The stranger staring back at her did not accurately portray her true self. No, she was not the young woman in that mirror. She was just a girl. A stupid, foolish kid. What on earth had she been thinking to allow her mother to dress her up like this? She was nothing more than a child playing dress up. Cole probably thought it was all a funny joke. The thought made her wilt inside. She sank down onto the toilet seat and stared morosely at the tiled floor. How was she ever going to face him again? Had he recognized the look on her face when she'd stared at him? She could only pray that he did not guess at her secret yearning.
It took a long time for her to gather her courage and leave the security of the bathroom and when she finally did so, she did it with caution. At the entrance to the living room, she paused to scan its occupants and was relieved to see that Cole wasn’t anywhere in sight. A momentary reprieve. She still had the entire evening to get through. Then she'd noticed Trisha headed her way.
Coming to a stop a few feet away, Trisha looked up above her head and grinned with mischievous intent. “Hey, Cole, guess what Alyssa is standing under?”
Cole? Her heart pounding with dread, Alyssa turned and saw that he was only an arm's length away.
As one, they both looked up at the sprig of mistletoe. Her lips parted in an “oh” of surprise and she looked at him with trepidation charging through her. His face was hard as granite, his eyes blazing with irritation. There was nothing approachable about his expression. It was a look so unfamiliar on him that she became even more uncomfortable.
“It’s mistletoe,” Trisha said, her teasing voice pointing out the obvious.
It took a moment for Cole to say something and when he did, his voice was soft, nearly dead-pan. “So it is.”
Trisha moved closer. “Well? It’s tradition, you know, to kiss whoever is standing beneath the mistletoe.”
Alyssa was rigid with clamoring nerves and she felt her face grow hot as Cole stepped towards her. His light blue eyes looked glacial and it chilled her to the bone. A nerve twitched in his cheek. “Who am I to break tradition?” Though he spoke lightly, there was a hint of something else in his voice. Derision? Disgust? For sure annoyance.
Worried that he would see she was far more taken with him than he was with her, Alyssa lifted a shaky hand to ward him off. “That’s quite all right, Cole. I’ll just stand somewhere else.” She made to do just that but Cole’s hand touched her shoulder and held her gently in place. She glanced at him in confusion, her silly heart pounding like a frantic drummer in her chest.
“Are you running from me, Alyssa?”
The soft, low rumble of his voice made butterflies scatter in her stomach. "N...no."
Cole's gaze lowered to her mouth and then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
Alyssa let out a breath she wasn’t even aware of holding. With a wan smile she stepped away from him and turned towards Trisha. “I think I’ll go get something to drink. Would you like anything?” Her cheek tingled from Cole's kiss and she had to fight against the urge to lift her hand and touch the spot with her fingers.
Trisha nodded. “Sure, anything.” She skipped past Alyssa, grinning ear to ear. “Now Cole is under the mistletoe.” She flung her arms around her brother and planted a sisterly kiss on his mouth. “I love you, Cole.”
Cole wrapped his arms around her and grinned back. “I love you too, sweet pea.”
Glad for the escape, Alyssa hurried away as confusion assailed her. Cole usually treated her with easy charm and a playful smile. Something had changed. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the way she was dressed, but she did know with certainty that Cole was not impressed.
He didn’t go near her the rest of the night. Their next awkward moment came when it was time to leave. As they did every year, Trisha’s entire family stood at the door to see everyone off. Hugs were expected. Alyssa had no problem with it until she got to Cole.
“Goodbye, Cole. Merry Christmas.” She stood there feeling unsure as to what to do, waiting for his cue yet dreading what it might be. Though she had given him plenty of hugs over the years, she did not feel at liberty in that moment to even shake his hand.
“Merry Christmas, Alyssa.” There was a strange quality to his voice and Alyssa had no time to wonder about it before he made a small sound, like a quick expelling of his breath, and slid his arms around her.
Shocked and relieved, Alyssa closed her eyes and melted against him. She relished the warm feelings engulfing her and thought there was no moment better than that one. It was an incredible feeling to be held by him and she didn’t imagine it when, just for an instant, he tightened his hold and pulled her even closer against him.
Then he let go and stood back, that shuttered look back in place. Without another word he turned away from her and spoke to her mother. That was the last time they'd touched each other until a week ago when Trisha had forced them into that ridiculous kiss. It was also the last time he called her Alyssa until last night. Cole’s brotherly attitude vanished and the cold stranger she came to loathe emerged.
Heaving a tired sigh, Alyssa rubbed a hand across her eyes then exclaimed with annoyance when she passed her exit.
It was several more miles before another appeared and once she left the interstate and found a safe place to do so, she pulled over to consult her phone for directions. Although it was a bit out of her way, there was another route available that would eventually get her back on course. Since she preferred country driving to interstate driving, she decided to go with that and pulled back onto the road.
Not a half hour later she found herself traveling down a quiet country road that made her wonder if she had taken a wrong turn somewhere. Houses were few and far between. The countryside was quite pretty, though, so Alyssa affirmed to herself that she would just enjoy the view and keep going. Besides, her phone said she was right where she was supposed to be. So what if it was taking her home via an obscure route? She had plenty of time.
When her phone died a short while later, Alyssa pulled over to look for her charging cord. Then she remembered letting her mother borrow it. If only she didn't own such an old car. Most of the new ones these days came with navigational systems. Then again, she was loath to resent its lack of modern technology because it had been a gift from her grandmother.
Heaving a sigh, Alyssa patted the dashboard. “It’s just you and me from here on out.” With high hopes that she could remember the route, she once again put the car in gear and pulled back onto the road.
The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow on the budding trees and gave vibrancy to the early spring wildflowers in bloom everywhere. Aside from the autumn months, spring was Alyssa’s favorite time of year. So rather than get irritated over the unexpected detour, she needed to take advantage of the situation and appreciate the chance to explore new territory.
Her mood lightening, Alyssa turned on the car radio just in time to hear one of her favorite songs and turned up the volume so she could sing along, belting out the words at the top of her lungs. Seriously, there was no better therapy for the soul than music. This is just what she needed…a drive along a quaint country road while singing along with the radio. To heck with Cole. She wasn’t going to worry about him anymore. The thought was so uplifting that she laughed out loud.
Going along with the moment, Alyssa pressed a little harder on the accelerator. What could be the harm? There were no other cars on this lonely forgotten road so why not? For that matter, there didn’t even seem to be any other life aside from vegetation.
Then a little brown rabbit hopped out in front of her.
Alyssa’s reaction was reflexive and automatic. Knowing she couldn't stop in time, she jerked the wheel in an attempt to go around it. The sudden change in direction, however, was not a goo
d move either. Her car swerved unto the soft shoulder of the road and fish tailed. She jammed her foot onto the brake pedal but it only made her swerve worse and just like that her car was out of control. Time slowed down, her mind froze and she watched in fascinated horror as the world went into a spin. Although she should have been terrified, a strange, curious calm descended over her. She was aware of everything, the screech of tires, the sickening crunch of metal, the shattering of glass. Then absolute silence.
Once it fully registered that she had come to a violent, abrupt halt, Alyssa took note of many things all at once. The first being the fact that her head was resting against the steering wheel which, to her dismay, was a lot closer than it should be. The thought then ran through her head that if she had a new car instead of her grandparents’ old Escort, she would be resting her face in an airbag right now. That thought was followed by bone-deep regret for she was pretty sure her reliable little car had just met its end. Sorrow speared through her. As her grandparents weren't ones to travel and they no longer had use for it, the Escort came to her as a gift. It's incredibly low mileage combined with their excellent care made for a vehicle that was nearly as good as new. Although her parents offered to buy her a new one upon her graduation from high school, Alyssa had talked them into funding a cruise instead. Her old but well-maintained Escort was more than adequate for her needs. And so, thanks to this car, she went on a lovely cruise to the Bahamas. Trisha went with her. They'd had so much fun. And pleasant though the memories were, she needed to focus on the here and now.
Taking care to remain still, Alyssa conducted a mental scan of her body. She felt bruised, sore, but everything seemed to be functioning. When her lungs began to burn she realized she was holding her breath and slowly, cautiously, she drew in some air. Yup, working fine. So far so good. Her heart was fine, she could hear it pounding in her ears.
Still she didn’t open her eyes. Not yet. She just wasn’t quite ready to face what happened. Instead she focused on the sensations her other senses were giving her. For instance, aside from the fact that the steering wheel was almost crushing her, she could hear a hissing sound coming from her car’s engine. The pungent odor of burned rubber stung her nose but didn't stop her from detecting the strong smell of spilled fuel. No smoke though. That was a good sign.
Her heart was pounding so hard she could actually feel it beating. Surely that was another good sign. If her heartbeat was that strong, she was probably not in danger of dying.
Finally she opened her eyes.
The dashboard was unrecognizable and the windshield was shattered. Alyssa stared in shock, not moving until her attention was drawn elsewhere.
Something was trickling down the front of her face, getting into her eyes. She lifted a shaking hand to touch it and felt something warm and sticky. When she drew her hand away, it was covered in blood. Panic rushed through her. Pure, unchecked panic. But then that practical, controlled side of herself came to her rescue, offering a calming voice of reason.
Okay, Alyssa, get a grip. First thing to do is get out of the car.
Obeying that internal voice, Alyssa fumbled with her seatbelt. Her hands shook so badly it took a couple of tries to release the catch. Next she tried her door. It wouldn’t budge. The impact had forced part of it to fold inward. She moved her legs experimentally. No problems there. Good. So far so good. She wiggled and squirmed her way out of her seat then continued her struggle for the passenger door. There wasn't a lot of room to maneuver about but she managed it somehow and although she had to give the door a few hard pushes, she eventually got it open and slid out onto the ground.
Once she felt strong enough to do so, she staggered to her feet then was immediately overcome with nausea. Using the crushed metal behind her for support, she turned to survey the destruction with tearful eyes. It was totaled, no question there.
The nasty metallic taste of blood wiped all other concerns from her mind. A steady stream of it was flowing from her forehead. Funny that. She felt no pain at all. Not sure if that was a good sign or not, she watched with horror as the front of her white sweater grew gruesomely crimson. Then, as the taste began to make her gag, she swiped at the blood and covered her mouth with her hand.
Feeling more panic rising, Alyssa glanced around her and realized just how isolated she was. Not a soul in sight, not a house to be seen. Good Lord…was she going to bleed to death?
Find something to staunch the blood flow, Alyssa.
Glad for her practical voice of reason, Alyssa told herself that head wounds always bled a lot. What she needed to do was find something to press against it.
Ok, Alyssa, just focus on what you need to do and stay calm. Panic never helped anyone.
Pushing herself away from the car, she turned to survey it with mournful eyes. She didn't commiserate long, though, because blood began to trickle over her lips. Sputtering over the nasty taste, Alyssa once again covered her mouth with her hand and got back to the business of taking care of her needs. There was a first aid box under the back seat. She had her father to thank for that. His cautious, prepared-for-anything nature had rubbed off onto her. Well to some degree anyway. Caution sure hadn’t landed her in this mess.
Thankfully the back door had sustained no damage and opened easily. The crash had sent the first aid box crashing against the back seat and most of its contents were strewed all over the floor. She grabbed a thick pad and some gauze and made quick work of it staunching the flow of blood. Judging from the tender spot on her forehead, she was pretty sure that was causing the problem. After pressing the cloth to the spot for a short while, the bleeding stopped.
That little chore taken care of, she pushed upright and took a shaky step away from the car. Talking to herself in a quiet, soothing tone, she made her way to the small embankment leading back up to the road and sank weakly down onto the grass. It was then that she allowed the tears to fall. Her head buried in her arms, her knees drawn up, she cried until too exhausted to continue. It was just nerves. Relief that she was alive.
After allowing a few moments of emotional release, she lifted her head and wiped at her face with the sleeve of her sweater. Glancing back at the road, she saw no sign of a furry body splattered to it. Well at least the rabbit was okay. She uttered a short, sharp laugh. Although she felt on the verge of hysterics, she had to keep a clear head and figure out what to do. A glance at her watch told her it was just after five. It would be dark in a couple hours or so. Surely someone would come by soon?
With a sense of detachment she looked at her car. Strange how life could change so suddenly. One minute she’s singing a happy tune, driving along a country road, the next she’s sitting in the grass looking at her scrunched up, mutilated car. She was lucky. She could have been killed. How many others had swerved to miss an animal and paid for it with their lives? How many others would have simply run over the poor, defenseless creature and not given it a thought?
Okay, now what? A cool breeze wafted over her and she shivered. Along with the dark would come the cold. Early spring evenings were still quite cool, even near freezing on some nights. She couldn’t just sit there. She thought about her cell phone and its dead battery and groaned again. Never would she ever go anywhere without a charging cord!
Although she felt a little dizzy, Alyssa forced herself to stand up. While she stood there waiting for the dizziness to pass, she looked up and down the road. What were the chances of a car coming along anytime soon? She hadn't seen one in a long time. Since long before the accident. There was nothing for it but to start walking and hope there was a house nearby.
She gave her car one last, regretful look. It was hard to believe she was walking away from such a mangled scrap heap and she sent up a prayer of thanks, glad that her guardian angel was watching over her. Things could have been a lot worse.
After giving both directions a considering look, she decided to continue in the same direction she'd been heading. There was no telling how far she’d have to go for
help but there was nothing to be done for it than to start walking.
It didn’t take long, however, before she realized her high heeled shoes needed to go and she paused to remove them. Muttering a sound of disgust, she threw them in the ditch. The road was still warm from the day’s sun but that would change before long. Her calf-length black skirt was going to offer nothing in the way of protection. Why hadn’t she just put on jeans this morning? She gave her clothing a derisive glance and saw that her stockings were ruined so she stopped again and removed them. As she did so, her bandages slipped off. It was soaked in blood but had done its job. She didn’t feel anything trickling down her face so she left the bloodied bandage where it fell and tossed her torn stockings into the ditch. A smile appeared as a ridiculous thought entered her head. At this rate, I’ll be naked by the time I find help. Wouldn’t that cause a stir? She laughed at the silliness of her thoughts. Get a hold of yourself, Alyssa, this could be a long night. Don’t start losing it now.
She walked for another mile (or so it seemed to her) before fear began to set in. No cars, no houses. She sure did pick a good road to have an accident on. As the fear increased, so did her heart beats and her mind began racing with a myriad of complaints. Her head ached. Her feet were sore. She was cold and tired of walking. Her stomach was upset and she was thirsty. Well, now that she had her complaint system in full working order, there was nothing left to do but pray. She had no sooner finished a heartfelt plea to the higher forces when she saw a mailbox up ahead. Grinning with relief, she glanced up. “Thanks.” Where there was a mailbox, there was a house to go with it. With hope in her heart, her pace quickened.
The trees gave way to a fenced-in pasture where several cows idly grazed. Far up on a hill and adjacent to the pasture was a house. A car was parked in the driveway and she took that as a pretty good sign that whoever lived there was home. A long driveway wound itself from the road to the house. Although it wasn't far, perhaps a hundred yards or so, Alyssa wondered if she'd make it. She was tired and sore and wasn't sure how much longer she was going to manage to hold herself up. The shorter route would be to cut through the pasture.
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