It was at least ninety degrees outside. Sara opened the door. Blazing hot, humid air hit her in the face. She darned near got back inside. She leaned her back against the fender of her Crown Victoria and moved her phone around in all directions. No signal. She stepped several feet from the car. No signal. She took several slow breaths.
“Think logically, Sara. Great!” she snorted. “I sound like Mr. Spock. No, I don’t. If I’d been thinking logically, I wouldn’t be in this predicament. Calm down, Sara. You can’t think if you panic. You might do something irresponsible, like run off by yourself without making sure your car had enough gas! Note to self. In the future, when running away from love, make sure the car has gas! OK, think Sara, think! Choices?”
She reasoned she had three. Walk around and hope her phone picked up a signal. Sit in the car until someone came along, but since a car hadn’t passed for over half an hour, that option didn’t look particularly promising. Her other option was even less appealing; walk until she found a store or a house where she could use a phone.
Sara had heard horror stories, where young girls or women knocked on doors for help and got raped or killed. Compared to the other two, that option sounded the safest. If she were lucky, she’d find a gas station where she could call someone. “But who do I call?” She shook her head.
Of course, her first thought was Jared, but she couldn’t call him. He was the person she was running away from. Even if he wanted to see her again, he would probably be mad at her. She fought stinging tears. She sighed, swallowed hard and dismissed that thought. She could call Lucy. She might be upset, but she could deal with that, or she could call Steve. He might call her stupid, but at least he wouldn’t look at her with accusing eyes. One thing for sure, standing around wasn’t solving anything. If she didn’t do something quick, she would fry in this heat.
“Boy, I picked a nice day for a hike – not! I wish I’d at least thought to buy some bottled water.” Sara also wished she’d worn different clothes. At least jeans and a T-shirt would’ve protected her from sunburn. Her halter set wouldn’t. “I wish I’d,” she broke off. “No! Stop beating yourself up, Sara! Now’s the time to act, not panic and feel sorry for yourself!”
She wedged a note under her windshield wiper, telling whoever might come looking for her, which direction she’s gone. She shielded her eyes, glanced up at the sun and put on her sunshades.
It was a long time until dark. She hoped she found something before then. Surely, there must be some kind of populated community out there somewhere. She began walking. “I’m glad I wore my sneakers this morning,” she sighed. “Sandals or knee boots would’ve been disastrous on this highway!”
~ ~ ~
An hour later, Sara was still walking. To be honest, she hadn’t tried to flag anyone down. Every time she heard someone coming, she thought about stopping them, but fear ruled out. She’d hidden at the edge of the trees until they’d passed.
Sweat ran down the sides of her temples and under her hair at the base of her neck. She rummaged through her purse and used a rubber band to pile her hair high on top of her head. She didn’t have a mirror to see how straight it was. She honestly didn’t care. At least when there was a breeze, she could feel it on her neck. Unfortunately, there was hardly any breeze.
~ ~ ~
She walked another quarter of a mile or so and sat under a huge oak. It felt good to relax. Her feet ached from the hot, asphalt shoulder. With the humidity factor and the heat rising off the highway, it was hitting at least 95, maybe more. Her throat was parched. Her lips were dry. She licked them and looked in her purse for some Carmex. It wasn’t in there. The bubble gum lip gloss she’d put on earlier had dried up. Now her lips were sticky, and she was even thirstier than before.
~ ~ ~
Lunchtime came and went. Sara’s stomach growled reminding her, she didn’t have anything to appease it. “That sandwich didn’t last long. Man, what I wouldn’t give for an ice cream sundae.” Regardless of how hungry she was, she would probably bathe in the ice cream, rather than eat it. She rested a few more minutes and began walking again. As soon as she reached the top of the steep hill she’d been climbing, she decided to try her phone again. About halfway up the hill, it vibrated against her left hip. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Rescued!”
She reached for it and stopped; her eyes widened. “Oh, no! What if it’s him?”
Jared would be mad. Why shouldn’t he be? Maybe it was Lucy or Steve, or even her mother. Sara would rather have talked to any of them, than Jared, but her inner voice screamed it was him. She squeezed her eyes and read the name through a tiny crack. She swallowed hard, put on a plastic smile and accepted the call. She didn’t even get her mouth open.
“Where in the hell are you? Sara! I’ve been trying to call you for over an hour.”
She was right. He was seething. She glanced around, but nothing looked familiar. “I don’t know, Jared. Does it matter where I am?” she countered, trying not to sound out of breath.
“What do you mean, does it matter?” He softened his voice but only slightly. “Of course, it matters!”
She reasoned it was his professional way of negotiating with a crazy person. “Jared I….”
“You’re off on your own, in a strange place, out in this heat!” he interjected. “Did you take any water with you?”
“No,” she drew out timidly.
“What?” He was yelling again.
Sara’s eyes filled with tears. Even with all her doubt, she’d come to life at the sound of his voice. Jared was furious, but she took comfort in knowing he was on the other end of the line.
“What were you thinking, Sara? Are you trying to drive me crazy? If anything happens to you,” his voice trailed off.
Now she felt guilty. She hadn’t thought about how her leaving would’ve affected him. She’d thought about how noble she’d been for walking away. “No, I….”
“Of all the incredibly irresponsible things you could do,” he broke in. “It’s ninety degrees in the shade, Sara. You’ll dehydrate or have a heatstroke, whichever comes first. I’m at your car – again! Where are you?”
“Again?”
“Yes, I found your note. I’ve gone all the way to the next town, which is eighteen miles away. There was no sign of you.”
Sara laughed sarcastically.
He groaned. “I fail to see what you find so funny. Sara, you could die out here. What if someone had stopped and,” he broke off. “Never mind. I don’t wanna think about that. I’m coming to get you. Where are you?”
Tears streamed down her face. Although well deserved, his anger had hurt her more than she wanted it to. Yes, she was stupid. Yes, she should’ve made better preparations, but right now, she would’ve thought he’d have been more interested in finding her and getting her to safety than lecturing her. She knew she’d messed up. Did he need to rub salt in her wounds? “I don’t know!” she cried.
Jared forced his breath out. “Don’t cry. You’ll only dehydrate yourself more. Calm down and I’ll try to calm down, as well. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me, to us, after everything I told you. Did you walk in the direction you said?”
“Yes,” she sniffed.
“How long have you been walking?”
“I don’t know, an hour, maybe two.”
“And you walked in,” he hesitated. “That’s not possible, Sara! Unless you made yourself invisible, I should’ve seen you.”
“I was too chicken to stay on the side of the road. When I heard something coming, I hid in the trees.”
“Sara, you silly girl,” he laughed. “Do you have anything in your purse, you can tie to a tree? A ribbon, a scarf, anything?”
“I don’t know, hang on, I’ll look.” She searched through her purse. “No.”
------------
Jared held a hand over the microphone and sighed. “Aargh!” he groaned. “Women carry the damned house in their purses, and this would be one time mine doesn’t have anything!” He closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. “Sara, are you wearing a bra?”
“What!”
He winced; with his enhanced hearing, her shouting wasn’t a pleasant experience. “Are you wearing a bra?” he enunciated.
“No! What’s that gotta do with it?”
He grinned. She probably thought that was a little sexist. “What are you wearing?”
“What do you think this is? A fashion show? I’m wearing a halter top and a pair of shorts! Do you wanna know what color they are?”
Jared laughed.
“Don’t laugh at me!” she whimpered.
“I’m not laughing at you. It’s just, well. If you thought my last question was presumptuous, this one’s gonna make me come across as a complete pervert.”
“What?”
“Listen for cars. Make sure nothing’s coming. I want you to take off your halter top and tie it to a tree, next to the shoulder of the road.”
------------
Sara’s mouth gaped. “What? I will not! Are you crazy? I’m turning into a piece of jerky out here, and you want me to strip for you? I’m hanging up!” She couldn’t believe he was being so selfish and inconsiderate.
“Hang on! Don’t! Just listen. I don’t wanna risk you sitting on the side of the road, waiting for me. The wrong type of person might stop. Will you please let me finish?”
She clenched her teeth. “Go ahead, but you better have a good reason for this.”
“I do, trust me. I wouldn’t do anything to put you at risk. Once you’ve made sure no one’s coming, take off your halter top, and quickly tie it to a tree by the road where I can see it. By the way, what color is it?”
“Green!”
“Great!” he groaned. “Should be easy to find among the longleaf pines in this area. I’ll have to search carefully. Once you’ve tied it to the tree, hide in the brush. You’re probably starting to dehydrate, so make sure it’s well shaded. Sit and wait for me. I’ll find you as fast as I can.”
She swallowed hard and glanced around. “What about wild animals?”
“Sara, a wild animal isn’t gonna care if you're topless.”
“I was more worried about becoming some wolf’s late lunch than being raped, Jared!”
“They’ve got better sense than to come out of their dens on a day like this. It’s too hot for them.”
“And I don’t? Are you implying a wild animal has more sense than me? What if they have the same idea? Laying in the shade, hoping for an easy kill?” Sara gulped. “Jared, I’m scared!”
“I wasn’t implying anything. Calm down, Sara. You’re not stupid, you’re confused. You’ll be alright. I’ll find you. I promise.”
Suddenly, seeing his accusing eyes didn’t seem so bad, after all. Looking down a long, furry snout at a pair of yellow eyes, sounded worse. “Please hurry.”
“I will, baby, I will. Just do what I told you. I’ll see you in a few minutes. Just stay hidden.”
“Alright,” she said, but he was gone.
Sara swallowed hard and untied the bottom string to her halter. She was alone, but it felt like a thousand eyes were staring at her. “How did I get into a situation like this? This is what my mother lectured me about, time and time again!”
With fumbling fingers, she untied her top and held it against her body, preserving her last shred of dignity. She listened carefully, for what must’ve been the better part of five minutes. When she was ready to expose herself, she’d hear something coming. Of course, it was another false alarm, but her mind was playing tricks on her.
~ ~ ~
She’d picked a suitable tree, but she was stalling. “God,” she groaned. “I can’t believe I’m doing this! Now I know I’m mad!”
She made a run for the shoulder, quickly tied her halter to a tree and ran for cover. She seemed to be running in slow motion. Every step she took, the woods moved further away. Desperate to hide herself, Sara wasn’t watching where she was going. There was a steep incline. Out of nowhere a tree root grabbed her foot, and she went rolling down a hill, falling forever. She hit her head on the ground when she’d stopped tumbling. Everything went blurry. Sounds of the forest faded to nothing. She tried to get up, but it hurt.
She felt something warm and wet on her temple. She touched it. Blood, her blood! Her stomach turned upside down. She laid back and closed her eyes, resting while she drifted in and out of consciousness.
~ ~ ~
She became aware of someone calling her name. The voice was foggy but familiar. She struggled to open her eyes.
“Sara!” It sounded as if he were standing at the top of the incline. “Sara!”
She took a deep breath and groaned; it hurt. She inhaled as much air as possible. “Down here!” she yelled. At least she’d intended it to be loud; to her confused mind it sounded more like a loud whisper.
“Oh, Sara!”
She heard the rustling of dried leaves and small branches snapping under his weight as Jared hurriedly descended the hill. “Sara, can you hear me? Where are you hurt?”
She lifted her head and opened her eyes. His face was blurry, but she knew it. She smiled, totally forgetting she was topless. “Kiss me. I wanna feel your lips on mine one more time before I die.”
Jared leaned closer and sighed. “You’re not gonna die. I won’t let you.” He kissed her.
To Sara, what was happening was more like a dream than reality. She was happy. She felt herself beginning to fade again.
“Sara, you stay with me, you hear? Sara!” he gently shook her shoulders.
Ow! That hurts too.
“I’m sorry, angel. I’m being as gentle as I can.”
Her head was too fuzzy to register he’d read her thoughts. “I’m thirsty, and sleepy. It hurts to breathe. I wanna take a nap. Can’t I take a nap? I’ll only sleep for a few minutes. I just wanna close,” her voice trailed off. Her vision went from a dim transparency to black. He shook her again, yanking her back to the fuzzy transparency.
“No! Don’t go to sleep! Wake up, Sara! I need you alert. You might have a concussion.” He took a handkerchief from his back pocket and placed it on her forehead. “Sara! Can you hold this for me? Apply pressure to it while I see how badly you’re hurt.”
She made a feeble attempt, but she couldn’t think straight. Her vision blurred. Her arm felt as heavy as a boulder.
Jared lifted her hand and placed it on the handkerchief. “Sara, stay with me. I need to make sure you haven’t snapped your neck. Can you feel your legs?”
“Yeah,” she groaned. “They hurt.”
He touched her tender ribs; she yelped. “I’m sorry, but I have to see if it’s broken.” He pressed his fingertips to her ribs.
That hurt! Sara clenched her teeth and tried to endure the pain. A tear slid down her cheek.
“I know, angel, and I’m sorry. I hate hurting you.” He shook his head and grimaced. Jared if you don’t stop responding to her thoughts, you’re gonna give yourself away! “Well, I don’t think anything is broken,” he said and pulled her to her feet. She screamed and doubled over. Jared grabbed her and lifted her into his arms as though she weighed nothing. “You twisted your ankle. Put your arms around my neck and hang on. The hill’s a little steep.”
“I’ll put it back on you when I get you to the car. Remember? I’m a doctor. I have seen topless women… before.” He couldn’t help but sneak a glance.
“Oh, how silly of me! I thought I was a little more than a patient.”
Jared looked into her eyes and kissed her again. “You are, but under these circumstances, I can handle it.” He grinned. I hope!
Sara rested her head against his chest and listened to the sound of his pounding heart. She wondered. Had it been fear, exhaustion or the sensation of her half naked body that had set its rhythm. She wanted him so badly it had become a dull ache, which didn’t help. She was already in pain.
~ ~ ~
She winced when he set her on the front seat and put her halter back on. His touch was soft and gentle, making sure he didn’t hurt her. Sara lowered her head. She didn’t want to see the pain in his eyes. “I’m, so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it right now. I’ll be mad at you when this is over.”
“You will?” she pouted. She didn’t want him to be mad at her. She wanted him to hold her and tell her that he loved her and that he’d forgiven her.
Jared lifted her chin, so their eyes met. “I was kidding, Sara. I am angry with you. You scared me half to death. I thought I’d lost you. Don’t ever do it to me again – OK?” She nodded. “Now tell me, what on earth were you thinking? If I’d known you would react this way, I never would’ve let you read my stupid diary.”
“It’s not stupid. It’s your deepest thoughts and feelings, and they’re beautiful. But,” she hesitated, “I’m not her, Jared. I’m not the person from your dreams.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you understand? I don’t care,” he growled through his teeth. “I’m gonna burn the damn diary! It was a dream, Sara. You’re real, and it’s you I love.” He closed his eyes and grimaced as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have, at least, not out loud.
“Did you just say…?”
“Yes,” he broke in and sighed. “But I shouldn’t have!”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Then, you didn’t mean it?”