Secrets, Lies and Dragonflies

Chapter 20

Chuck delivered us just as planned, but now I'm beyond late. I don't even dare stop to call. There's no time. Picturing Spencer's worried face makes me push myself to bike the trail faster than ever before.

All the time I've spent crossing this mountain range is being put to good use. The slice of moonlight is barely strong enough to help guide my way, but I know exactly where I am. The steep climb brings me to the peak where the southwest becomes visible. Once that's in view, the trail turns to the right and I'll be seconds from the top.

Adrenaline and hope fuels me as I fly across the imaginary state line to begin my decent. Approaching my favorite thinking spot, it's all downhill from there. Just when I believe I may actually have a chance to make up the lost time, out of nowhere, a shadowy figure lunges onto my path.

Trying to steer away from the lurker, I run square into the thick brush, crashing somewhere between a giant bolder and thorny bushes.

Buried deep in the foliage, my bike is pinned on top of me. It's so dark, I don't know if I'm facing up or down. I spin in the direction of crunching leaves. The apparition of what scared me off the trail is slowly approaching. Suddenly a massive creature blasts through the bushes across the trail and is heading straight for me.

Trapped by my fallen bicycle, I cannot move and prepare for the worst. The animal is almost on top of me. Screaming louder than I've ever screamed before, I'm certain my life is imminently ending.

"Hey, whoa, calm down," the stranger says. He pauses, appearing to adjust his belt.

"Stay back!" I cry. By this time, the ferocious beast makes it to my face and I brace for the horrific attack. Eyes closed with my head turned away, I can feel the first vicious bite on my cheek. It's so....wet.

"Zacchaeus. No!" shouts the stranger. "Get over here, boy. Come on. You're scaring her."

The humongous beast gets a few more slobbery licks in before he retreats. Apparently, the wild animal attack is coming from an incredibly large dog.....named Zacchaeus.

Relieved my face is still intact, I struggled to pull the bicycle off my legs.

The dog's owner comes at me again. "Hey. Are you alright?" he says.

The light catches his features when the stranger swipes the hoodie of his jacket off his head. I can't catch much with the exception of his eyes. They're glistening like the ocean, glossed over as if he's been crying.

"Sorry about that," he says, trying to help move the bicycle off my legs. "I didn't know people biked up here this late."

Suddenly, I remember I've got to get out of here.

"Hold on. Let me help you," he says, offering his hand. He looks a little older than me, with dark brown wavy hair.

"I can do it myself," I say, refusing the gesture. "What's the matter with you anyway? Prowling around in the corner of the woods like some crazy person."

"Hey, hey, hey. Settle down. I said I was sorry. Besides, what the heck are you doing up here on a bike? It's pitch dark out. A little dangerous don't ya think?"

"Are you kidding? The only thing dangerous is you bringing your attack dog up here and scaring people half off the mountain." I swat away the leaves and branches attached to my hair. "And were you....peeing?"

"First of all, Zach is no attack dog. Unless you count licking someone half to death a real threat. And second, we are in the woods. Everyone pees in the woods. Zach and I were taking a walk and well...when you gotta go, you gotta go."

"People actually come to this spot, you know. And now you ruined it." I'm growing furious at this person who is making me even later.

"Well, if you must know, I'm never on the trail when I go and I always aim for the bushes. Zach on the other hand? Not so much."

Without seeing his face, I can't tell if he's trying to be funny or not. But in either case, I'm in no mood. "Whatever. Will you just get out of my way, please?"

He obliges and steps to the side. "Come to think of it, if anyone should be angry, it should be me. In fact, you could have spooked me right off this cliff." He motions toward the opening by my spot. The spot where I stand and wonder how different things would be if only I had just gone to see my grandparents over Christmas with Spencer.

I let out a loud growl. "I don't have time for this. Unbelievable. This town is chock full of chauvinistic pigs!"

"Chauvinistic pig? That's a stretch, don't ya think?"

Finally in a position to jump on my bike, I feel my knee throb.

"Hey, you're limping. Come on. Let me help you," he says.

"I don't need any more of your help, thank you," I say, speeding down the path.

"No Zach. Get back here!" he yells in the distance.

Darkness has completely enveloped the trail, but I know it's coming to an end. I slow slightly to make the turn before jetting out onto Main Street to get Spencer. It'll be faster than weaving through the back roads. I promised Aunt Amy I wouldn't, but desperate times call for desperate measures. With no traffic to navigate through, I can cruise at a pace I'd never normally hit.

Hugging the right side of the roadway, headlights of an approaching vehicle from around the corner are coming at me fast. The driver must be one of those out-of-towners who blow past the 25 mph speed limit signs. Sheriff Miller's normally out here catching the violators, but just my luck he's no where around.

I pick up the tempo even more to get under a streetlight so this driver can see me. The car sways back and forth, and I'm still too far away to be noticed. When it drifts in my direction, blinding me with its lights, I scream at the top of my lungs, "No- No- No- STOP!"

I'm no longer on my bicycle. Violently flying across the front of the vehicle, my arm hits something and a loud crack reverberates through my entire body. Skidding erratically along the side of the road, my limbs thrash against jagged chunks of rocks and debris. My neck is craned so drastically I can hardly catch my breath.

Everything is turning dark.