"Thank God you are awake. Here, drink some coffee." Dale said, passing her a styrofoam cup with a shaky hand. Dani saw her blouse on the floorboard. She clutched the blanket and looked at Dale's large, round face.
"What the fuck!" She said, and looked around. It was then that she saw the debris from what was once her vehicle. She shivered.
"You were in shock and in wet clothes. I'm sorry, but I'm a licensed EMT. You needed to get warm." He said, and started to walk to the driver's side. She looked at herself in the rear view mirror. She was very pale. He was right. She brushed her a strand of hair away from her eyes, and sunk into the seat. The dream was still with her. She couldn't make sense of it. It was as if she could still hear the waves crashing, just around the corner.
Dale opened the driver's side door and got on the CB radio. Dani's mind just would not focus. She was aware of him talking, but all she could think of was the water, and the cliffs, and the wind...
"Miss? Miss? Do you want to go to a hospital? The sherriff said he'll be by in a couple hours. Got into a tussle with a drunk and is getting stitched up at the station. Said that if you needed to to go ahead and take you to the hospital." Dani looked at his nervous face.
"No, I'm fine. Thanks for the blanket." She said with a weary grin. "Can you take me to Millhaven Manor? My aunt and uncle live there, and I was on my way. My Grandmother's wake is tonight. I have no way of getting ahold of them."
Dale asked the sherriff over the CB. When he said it was okay, he nodded. "So, you're Jessie's niece, eh? Should have known by the looks of you." Dale said, and then blushed. "I mean, she's a redhead too." Dani grinned, and then realized that she didn't have a car to get back home with, either. Dale fired up the huge truck, and drove her through the woods in silence. She watched the glittering fragments of her car disappear behind her and they wound through the forest for another half an hour.
When they emerged, she saw the old, three story mansion on top of the hill, and the low cliffs beside it. Her breath caught in her throat. |