Dirty snow littered the side of the road. Barren trees stood dead with their branches lifted high as if in a plea for help. Ugly fields stretched forever with not quite enough snow to cover their stubble. Blinding sunlight reflecting off of the white caused almost zero visibility. This was at least partially to blame for Wendy driving her minivan straight into a ditch. The other car, accident avoided, sped away in the opposite direction. Wendy spun her tires for minutes and only smelt an excess of gas for her efforts.
It was some time before a tow truck could come out and so she sat there with only the occasional car swerving to avoid her parked one. Just as the cold was beginning to make her shiver, but before she moved to turn on the engine and blast the heat, a knock at her window startled her. Against all odds she was soon out of the ditch and safely on her way, no tow truck necessary.
She said nothing to the man in her passenger seat, only gripped the steering wheel tightly and stared straight ahead. She struggled to remember what her driver’s ed instructor had said about becoming fixated on a certain spot and she broke her concentration with a sideways glance. He was rough in his appearance, with dirty boots and a shaved head. She was having a tough time believing this stranger who had moments before pushed her minivan out of a snowbank had immediately encountered engine trouble of his own and needed a lift. She hadn’t wanted to say yes. Tattoos peeked out of his sleeves and she was certain his ears were pierced. Unable to leave him stranded after her rescue though, she had wordlessly motioned for him to get in.
The silence between them was only broken by his directions to pull into an auto mechanic’s garage. Relieved that she had only had to carry him a few miles down the road and not to some unfamiliar destination, where he could have taken advantage of her, she quickly pulled over. He slid out and she waited expectantly for him to close the door. He paused instead. “Hey thanks a million.” He said. “My truck is on the fritz and I knew there was a fifty-fifty chance if I pulled over that I wouldn’t be able to drive it any farther. I just couldn’t leave you stranded though. Thankfully my buddy owns this place and he’ll give me a lift back with some tools. Thanks again.” He shut the door and Wendy could only utter a startled “Thank you.” to herself.
On the way home Wendy saw the frost covered trees sparkling and glittering. She reveled in the pureness of the white fields, of the many snowflakes that comprised each mound. She noticed ice shining like diamonds at the edges of the pavement. Long stretches of the road passed by in a blissful white wonderland. She lost herself in the magic of the winter day and almost drove into another ditch.
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This story was shortlisted for the final round of #AWinterInStoryland Story Writing Contest. Read other shortlisted entries here.
Being a contest entry, this story has been posted in its unedited form.