Page 1 of Angel Unchained
Samantha
The music blasted through the car speakers, thumping against my chest. I pasted on a smile and hoped it didn’t come out as a grimace while the student drive whizzed down the road. Please don’t crash, please.
“Turn left at the light,” I said as he drove through the suburbs. Homes and scattered trees dotted both sides of the road.
“What?” the Nebobite teen shouted over the song. His second set of ears twitched while the fur on his hands stood up like a scared cat.
I flipped off the radio for the third time and tightened my seatbelt. “Left at the light, turn.”
The Nebobit jerked the wheel, not even looking behind him, cars honked and brakes squealed behind us. The scent of burning rubber filled my nostrils. I crossed myself with jerky movements.
“It’s red!” I shrieked at the stoplight overhead, bracing myself. My foot smacking down on the invisible brake pad. Damn Mr. Simmons for not paying the extra for dual controls in this vehicle or at least an extra brake for the instructor—me.
Then again, at least I had this job because Simmons didn’t like aliens or robots. Though, both were trying to take over his business.
“Left is okay on red, right?” Preston asked in a mocking tone.
“No, no, no.” I hung onto the door as the vehicle slung wide, one of the back tire bumping into the curb.
The Nebobite teen straightened the wheel and we blasted down the road.
“Uh… watch your speed,” I managed to croak out, but with him humming loudly like he could care less, I’ve no idea if he heard me or not.
Pedestrians jumped back onto the sidewalk in front of us. My stomach lurched into my throat. I had bad student drivers before, but Preston was setting a new level.
“I’m pretty good at driving, huh, Ms. Clemmons?” He smacked his gum, staring over at me.
“Eyes on the road.” All six of them I wanted to add, but being rude to the clients never worked out for me.
“You know, you’re pretty for an old lady.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Too bad you’re not teaching flying spaceships. Like the X90.”
Old lady?I huffed. I was only twenty-six. But I guess to this sixteen-year-old, I might as well be eighty. Wasn’t his fault. I remember being that young and thinking that thirty-year-olds were ancient.
“You got nice legs and—”
“If you talk about any part of my anatomy again, I’m going to forbid you from a taking this test ever again, Preston.” I straightened, clicking the pen on to mark X’s on his driving, though he had already failed by my standards before the come-on. What was it with my love life? Either guys were married or they were too young, like my student here. I had to have a neon sign over my head that said, “Any unavailable men, here I am.”
Just once, I’d like to meet a guy close to my age who wasn’t married.
I glanced up at the road and a ball darted across the front of us. Time seemed to slow down as a little boy raced forward, not even looking. Preston’s words congealing to form a sound with no meaning. My heart slammed into my throat.
There’s no time to warn him.
I reached over, yanking hard on the steering wheel. No way could I reach the brake pedal from my seat.
Preston yelled, fighting me, but I held on. The car slid sideways, throwing us into a tailspin.
“Brakes, brakes,” I shrieked, swerving again.
Preston jammed his foot on the brake. We jerked forward; the tires screeched but we were going too fast. The car skidded right, then skittered left. And we were going too fast. Rushing toward a street light.
Had we missed the kid? Oh God, please let us have missed him.
Everything slowed down even more as we drew closer to the streetlight and I knew we weren’t going to stop in time. I had to relax or the wreck would make my injuries worse. But my arms and legs had locked up. My breathing high and sticking in my chest as I watched us veer like a train sideways.
The car smashed into the pole on my side. Metal crunched and my window shattered. Glass sprinkled across me.
The airbag punched me in the face and chest. I smacked my head against the side of the door, pain whipped through my skull.
A rippled effect warped through the car and my body was flung back and forward against the airbag.
Pain exploded all over my body, then everything went dark.