The drive to work wasn’t long in miles but the distance might as well be across the continent. The back roads were treacherous in the wintry months and congested in the warmer months with endless red lights, cross roads, and bumper to bumper travelers seeking refuge in another locale, any locale other than the one they had just left. But for Chloe it was just another work day. The air conditioning in her aged boxy navy blue Toyota Camry was the first thing to die shortly after she had scrounged the $1200 together to buy it. Steamy humid air laid on her like a lead blanket. Less than two miles until the final turn.
She approached the set of lights at the Star Market, easing down on her brake as she anticipated the inevitable change from green to yellow. It was her luck. There was no escaping it. She could only succumb to it. Bam! Her head snapped back, her eyes closed tight, and both feet slammed the brakes to a screeching halt. Oh God! Was that a biker? A pedestrian? What just hit her windshield? Who just hit her windshield? She couldn’t bare to open her eyes, but when the car horns started to blare, she knew she had to look. She braced herself to see blood smeared across her glass. Her heart pounded as she peeked through slit lids. Nothing. She opened them further. Still nothing. Not a drop of blood. Not a crack across the glass. She looked around for the poor mangled soul but all she saw were a few people at a bus stop looking at her like she had lost her mind.
“Move it, lady!” The driver behind her yelled.
She reacted and pulled into the market parking lot. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel and she wasn’t sure she could pry them away to put the car into park. She sat in drive, foot on brake and hands clasping the wheel for a full minute before she could do anything. And then it was only because a man approached her from the bus stop. He bent down to look into the open driver’s window.
“You ok?” He asked, looking a tad concerned with his face twisted in an expression that could have been just concern or concern and fear.
“Did you see what happened?” Chloe’s voice was shaky.
“Yeah. You slammed on your brakes. The guy behind you was an inch away from slamming into you. You’re lucky he didn’t hit you.”
“No, I mean…you know…the person on the bike that hit my windshield.”
The bus stop man took a step back from Chloe’s car. Who knew? Maybe insanity was contagious. “Nobody hit your windshield.”
Chloe shook her head. Was she hallucinating? “I swear I saw something hit my windshield. A person on a bike or something.”
“Ma’am maybe you should get some water or something. It’s real hot out.” He turned at the sound of the diesel bus approaching. “You going to be ok?” He asked but not really waiting for an answer as he backed away and then turned across the grass to the bus stop. He looked at Chloe one more time as he boarded and gave her a half hearted wave. She nodded but only as an acknowledgement.
It had been so real. She saw it as clear as she saw the man get on the bus.
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