The Road Not Taken
Chapter 7 Continues....
As a logical person, today’s events were simply illogical and incomprehensible to me. The more I tried to concentrate on what to do next, the foggier my mind became. Having Cargo with me, brought me great comfort. At least I wasn’t alone. I had Cargo there if I needed protection, not to mention Cargo was excellent company. So there we stood, on the side of the highway, not moving or speaking. I kept waiting for something to happen. A car to stop, or to at least put their brakes on when they passed us, but no such thing happened. The day was nearly gone and night fall was upon us. I found it amazing how fast the day had come and gone. I knew my mind was not registering the events of the day accurately, but for whatever reason, it didn’t seem to concern me.
Suddenly, across the roadway a small, brown rabbit appeared. Cargo’s ears went up when he caught sight of the furry creature. The rabbit upon seeing us froze. The three of us stood motionless, like statues planted along the roadway for someone‘s amusement.
Locked in a battle of wits, the stare down between the rabbit and Cargo continued. I kept waiting for something to happen. Like the rabbit to change positions, to run away - to do anything that seemed normal for a rabbit to do. Instead the rabbit remained still, hoping I suppose, we would walk away, leaving him in peace.
Just as I made the decision that Cargo and I should walk home, the rabbit moved. Cargo moved. Then the rabbit sprinted full force back in to the darken forest with Cargo in full pursuit. As Cargo’s paws hit the payment, the light of an oncoming car fell upon him. As I raced behind Cargo, the brightness of the headlights blinded me, leaving me frozen in the roadway. As the car was about to strike me, a blaring noise filled my entire body. I covered my face and screamed as loudly as I could.Chapter 8
I sat up in my bed, my heart pounding so violently, I could feel the blood racing through my veins. The alarm clock I had set to wake me was blaring on the end table. The TV had turned on to the weather channel, filling the darkened bedroom with light. Cargo was sleeping at the end of my bed, refusing to open his eyes and acknowledge it was morning. My black, long haired cat who was draped across my pillow, slowly stretched her legs and flexed her claws while yawning.
As I sat there upright in bed, struggling to regain my senses, the phone rang. It was Donna.
“Just checking to see if you are awake. See you in an hour” she said. “You do still want to go today, don’t’ you?”
My immediate response was no. ‘Would you mind if we walked the trails out by the lake instead” I asked. “I don’t feel like making the road trip today. Is that okay?” The dream was an omen to stay home. I wasn't about to tempt faith by making the journey now.
The great thing about Donna, was that she was easy going and always went with the flow. As long as we were going somewhere and doing something, she was happy.
“No shopping?” she stated surprisingly. “Okay. I’ll put on my hiking boots instead. Bring bug screen and water. See you shortly”.
Hanging up the phone, I laid back down in bed, feeling relieved we weren't traveling to Bend. As I reached across the bed to pet Cargo’s long, soft, black fur, knowing Cargo was alive and safe, filled me with joy. Cargo, on the other hand, was just happy to resume his morning nap.
With the blankets pulled up over my shoulders, I gently closed my eyes and my mind began to relax. In the background I could hear the weatherman on TV. "High temperature for Monday, 86 degrees. Overcast tomorrow morning with rain most likely on Wednesday. If traveling out on the highways this weekend, be sure to take plenty of water with you and drive safely".
Return To Short Stories By Katherine Elizabeth MacIntyre
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