The Panic – Part Three

Then she opened her eyes and it began.  The grand view she had grown so accustomed to over the years had just become even grander.  Petra thought it was the most magnificent thing she had ever seen.  Silver shimmers reflecting the sun……beautiful discs spread out across the sky.  She felt safe and truly at home but then she looked down.

 

            “Oh, shit.” she said to herself.  The visual of what Petra was now facing hit her like a ton of bricks.  The cars were bumper to bumper along the highway below, the ocean full of ships and sailboats.  Even more people were walking, huddled together in groups, many carrying large bags and even suitcases with them.  Petra scanned the scene, watching the confusion…….feeling the terror emanating from the masses below.

 

            “The only thing I can do now, she thought, is go back to the house and wait.”  It would be the safest place to hide out until whatever happened…………..happened.  She was just relieved to have somewhere to go, knowing as long as she stayed away from the crowds, she would be safe.

 

As Petra pulled into the driveway, her relief quickly faded.  Three men were standing outside the house.  Two of them were vaguely familiar to Petra.  She knew they lived further up the mountain in a small cabin, close to Mr. Redding.  Her Dad had told her they had done a couple of odd jobs for him around the house a few years back and that they mainly lived from a garden and whatever they hunted.  Petra knew her Dad meant well but sometimes his judgment about people overshadowed his giving nature.   She made eye contact with them as she swiftly geared into reverse.

 

           “Young lady, you’re gonna need to get outta the car now,” shouted the man she had never seen before, who was carrying a rifle.  Petra knew instinctively that she had no choice but to defy anything he said to her so she kept one eye on him and one eye on her rearview mirror as she backed a u-turn out into the road to make her way back down again.  She was hidden by trees at this point and knew she had to floor it in order to escape from his view.  At the same moment she slammed her foot down, she heard the gunshot……and then another.  Her tires had been shot out.

 

            “I said get outta the fucking car you stupid bitch!”  All three men were now walking quickly toward the jeep.  Petra kept the gears in drive, ducked down and hurled herself out of the passenger seat.  She hit the ground hard and rolled into the still thick bushes that lined the side of road, gating the entrance to the dark forest of redwoods. Then she started running faster than she ever thought she could.

The Panic – Part Two

  As Petra hopped into her jeep, she thought about taking a walk on the beach with her morning coffee.  It was one of those days where she just wanted to be present in the moment and enjoy the ocean air.  She began backing out of the driveway slowly while she slid in her favorite CD. Suddenly, she was startled by someone blasting their horn non-stop. She looked up quickly to see a familiar old red pickup truck speeding down the road past the driveway.  It was Mr. Redding with his old dog.

 

            “Huh, Petra thought. I wonder what has him in such a hurry.”  Mr. Redding lived further up the mountain and was usually very friendly.  He would at the very least give Petra and her parents a big smile and a wave as he drove by the house or saw them around town.  Today, he didn’t even look at Petra as he drove by.  He was staring straight ahead with a most serious face.  Petra hoped everything was okay with Stanley, his old dog. He had been taking him to the vet quite often for the past couple of months.

 

With music blasting and the sun warming her on the cool early winter day, Petra started to make her way down the mountain.  She began to notice her neighbor’s homes as she wound her way down.  It looked like everyone was either lounging inside or out and about. She wished her parents were with her today.  It would have been lovely to go shopping with her Mom or take a walk on the beach with her Dad.

 

As she neared the point that introduced a breath taking view of the ocean, Petra felt a sudden jolt of electricity rush through her entire body.  She slammed on the brakes and switched gears into park.  Something was happening and she finally realized what it was.

 

            “Unbelievable,” she thought.  “No communications, no warnings of any kind, not even a feeling of anything approaching at all.”  Petra sat breathless, heart pounding, adrenaline pumping as to what she might see when she rounded the corner.

 

            “What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?” she said out loud. “I haven’t been trained for this specific situation. How am I going to survive the panic!”  Petra knew she had to move quickly now and get on with the mission at hand.  She also knew there must be a reason for the public arrival.  “Something very important must have called for this,” she thought.  “It’s not supposed to be this way……..this soon.”

 

She slowly stepped on the accelerator and turned the corner.  She understood that her life would never be the same from that moment on and she didn’t want to face any of it.  She closed her eyes for a last few seconds of innocent peace, saying goodbye to her simple yet blissful life…….saying goodbye to her parents.