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It would take time for him to backtrack to reach the child? He dabbed his hand at his watch aware that he still had the child’s attention, or so it seemed, fixed on him? Then pointed at himself and the child? The meaning of such action was to tell the child he was on his way!
Fifteen minutes later, though to him, it seemed an eternity! The rear of the car, could be seen and coming into view the child wrapped in a jacket with a fur lined hood, some snow resting on the top of it as her hands reached up to shake the hood dislodging the flakes of snow.
There was he noted an expression of panic on the child’s face as he approached, being careful not to slip on a patch of ice, within feet of the car and getting ever closer to it, he could understand why it had come to a halt.
Across the front of the car a section of a tree, that had cracked and crunched down. Not because it had suddenly decided to do so. Whoever had been driving, had crashed into the hedgerow, causing the old dead trunk, to crack and fall across the bonnet of the car. Not much damage but enough to bring the car to a sudden halt, stall the engine.
But WHO was the driver, were they alive or? Scrambling into the car, he found the driver, a female slumped over the wheel. She had a pulse. Some relief, was breathing though seemingly in deep sleep?
Trying to rouse her, met with some resistance. Why did he sense whoever the female was, was incapable because of exhaustion? Making sure she was slumped back, as comfortable as he could get her, he stepped out of the car.
Move that tree trunk? Normally it would have weighed far too much! But it was a cream colored barren piece of light dead wood! Not much weight at all to it.
He managed to pull at it and dislodge it away from the car!
Onto the next task, could he get the car back to the house?
Shifting her? Onto the passenger seat, with again, resistance, moaning and groaning; almost dead weight, but with the child’s help he finally did it!
The child had climbed into the back of the car, as he turned the key, in the ignition and prayed! Pumping the accelerator there was a cough and on the third attempt the engine fired up.
He could as it crunched, get the car into reverse and some minutes later as the wheels spun like crazy slowly manage to back it up the lane to the entrance, to reverse it onto the driveway.
Parking the car up, there was a hiss, as he turned the engine off and steam poured from beneath the bonnet! Still, he had got it here. Now to get her and the child into the house. Stepping across to the main door, he unlocked it and opened it wide.
With a lot of effort, help from the child he now discovered was a girl called Mia?
It was possible, to get the woman he suspected was her mother, in past the front door, along the hallway and finally, to slump down onto the sofa.
Laid out and still, fast asleep. He went to close the front door, noting the weather was worsening, thick snow flakes and the wind picking up with a soft howl.
He fetched a duvet, some pillows and then left Mia as she made her mother comfortable.
Some hot chocolate for Mia and he grabbed a swig of some very warming Malt Whiskey Handing Mia the drink, warning her to be careful, it was hot!
Picking up the tongues he lifted another log onto the fire disturbing the dying embers of the one that had kept the room warm.
Mia seemed mesmerised by the sparks, those little specks of light dancing across the log. It was not necessary for them to talk, She was, he could see, tired. Not as exhausted as her mother but, yes; confirmed as she started yawning.
Suddenly the tears were falling, he fetched a box of tissue and she pulled several from it to wipe her eyes. Minutes passed before Mia, was spilling the story to him, of what had transpired to bring them to his door.
They were on the run from a guy, who was her mother's ex boyfriend? A real nasty piece of work by all accounts, a violent drunk. From the first time she had hooked up with him, things had gone from bad to worse. Week after week, it continued.
To breaking point on her mother's part. Whatever they did, however the law got involved, the animal managed to cause trouble at every opportunity.
She had lost her job as a teacher, no money coming in and finally she had cracked! Bundled Mia into the car and driven off into the night.
Miles and miles. To where? Anywhere but there. Just drive, drive, drive. Mia had fallen asleep woken by the crash into the hedgerow and the noise of that crack as it brought the branches of the tree down on them.
Fear and panic as she found it impossible to rouse her mother..
Day 8 please click here
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