Chapter One
Preach
“Watch out!” My friend Jessa’s scream sliced through my consciousness like a blade of glass. Her fingernails dug into my shoulder.
A girl stood in the middle of the road.
It all happened so fast—yet so slow. And yes, my life did flash before my eyes. It wasn’t an old wives’ tale. It really did happen.
Winning the hockey State Championship just a few short days ago.
My best friend Wind’s winning goal.
Me and my parents on our first fishing trip, our adventure to Disney when I was ten, and them cheering me on at the hockey game we won to clinch our first State Championship title.
I grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, but when I went to tap the brakes, I saw a patch of black ice ahead. I’d spin out if I tried to stop now.
No!A streak of adrenaline shot through me. Hairs on my neck stood to attention.
I sent up a prayer to God as I reached for the stick shift. I wasn’t going more than thirty miles per hour, so I shoved the gear into second. The engine revved, but it wasn’t going to slow me down fast enough. I turned the wheel, steering my front end away from the girl standing in the middle of the road.
But my back end spun out.
“Preach!” Jessa screamed again as I cranked the wheel into the skid, trying to get this hunk of tin straightened out.
The whites of Mystery Girl’s eyes were all I could see through the darkness. That, and the fear etching her face. She stood there, next to a car, holding something in her arms. Cuddling it closer to her, she turned, as if to protect whatever it was.
My stomach clenched as I tried to work the gear into first, but we were coming in way too hot.
I was going to hit her.
She reached out and showed me her palm, as if that could stop the car.
“Move!” I yelled.
“Omigosh!” Jessa gripped the dash with both of her hands and screamed again.
My Jeep straightened out some. The girl palmed the hood like a football player would stiff-arm someone charging them, and then she jumped up like she was kicking her feet over the back of a couch and onto the cushions. Instead, she pushed herself away. I avoided running her over, but my front end smashed into an SUV on the side of the road.
“No!” Jessa yelled, looking out the side window.
The car’s back end swung around and rammed another car. My head snapped to the side as slicing pain tore through my left temple. The seat belt burned my chest, and a burst of white smashed into my face.
“Preach!” Jessa said.
Something pushed me at the shoulder, sending a flare of pain up my neck.
“Preach!”
I batted at the hand pawing my shoulder as the scene fell into focus.
“Are you okay?” Jessa’s gray eyes were wide and her blond hair wild. Tears streamed down her face as her jaw tensed.
“Yeah. Yeah. You?” I sat up, fighting the urge to scream at the pain streaking down the side of my neck. “Is the girl okay? Where is she?”
“You’re cut.” Jessa reached for me.
I grabbed her hand. “Are you okay?” Jessa was one of my best friends. I couldn’t handle it if she was hurt.