But then the tires catch on something.
The car stops.
I try to go forward. Nothing.
Reverse. Still nothing.
“No,” I moan, slapping the steering wheel. “Come on, baby! You can do it!”
Then I feel it.
The water’s getting higher. Fast. It seeps in through the passenger-side door like it owns the place, and the Prius gives a sickening jerk, like it’s thinking about floating.
Panic flashes hot through me.
Will my insurance cover this? Probably not. Will the rental company kill me? Definitely. Will anyone back home know what happened to me? Unlikely.
The engine sputters and stalls.
Water creeps in faster now, soaking through the seams of the door, licking at the floor mats.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice from a public service announcement floats up:Turn around, don’t drown.
A nervous, almost hysterical laugh bubbles out of me. “Too late now.”
Because, as it turns out, I’ve driven straight into a raging flood.
And now I’m stuck.
In a Prius.
In rural Wyoming.
In April.
The water’s climbing fast, the current tugging at the car like it’s daring it to drift.
And here’s the worst part. I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to get myself out of this. No cell service. No one who knows where I’m at. No clue what I’m doing.
The panic rises, hot and sour in the back of my throat. My hands are shaking as I fumble to unbuckle my seatbelt. The water is pooling around my shins now, dark and cold, and all I can think is this can’t be how it ends.
Drowned in a rental car. On the way to investigate a missing country star.
Frederick would love that headline.
I push the door, but the water pressure fights back. It won’t budge.
And that’s when I realize something.
If I don’t get out now, I might not get out at all.
3
This is bad.
I shove against the door again, harder this time. Nothing.
The water’s up to my knees now, icy and relentless. My breath comes in short, shallow bursts as panic threatens to boil over. And it’s so cold in here. How did the temperature drop so fast? More importantly, why am I shivering so much? This can’t be good.
