Chapter VI
vi
too big, dark and horned and terrifying, and I yank the steering wheel to the side and there’s a loud bang from nowhere and everywhere, and my stomach drops, world upside down for a second, just a second—
I open my eyes.
Something stings and I blink it away. Everything hurts. Everything hurts and it’s hard to keep my eyes open and the breath I draw into my lungs is ragged. What happened? Where am I?
I’m in my car. I know that. I’m in my car because—because I wanted to leave. I had to leave, so I got in the car and—
Where am I now? I blink rapidly because I can’t see anything through the windscreen, which has a massive crack in the centre. It’s dark out. Not much time must have passed since I—
Did I hit something? Someone? No, I don’t think so. I saw something. I’m sure I saw something, just standing there in the road, like it was waiting for me.
A deer? Pain throbs up my arm, through my temple. Seemed too big for that.
I try to draw in a full breath, but it’s impossible, only bringing jagged edges of pain.
Fuck. I need to get out of here. I don’t know exactly what time it is, and I think I’m only a little way off the road, but I can’t hear another car.
I can’t hear whatever giant animal I saw before. Can’t hear any animal at all, actually.
All I can hear is the engine, the way it goes plink,