Contest Entry

He was a dare-devil.  His whole demeanor advertised this fact to the world.  His green eyes flashed with mischief, fun and laughter, and drew others into his sphere of influence like moths to a flame.  He was unquestionably the most popular guy in college, always up for a challenge, a contest, or a chance to prove himself.  He exuded confidence through every pore, probably because he had never yet turned down a dare, no matter what it happened to be.  Nor had he ever failed at a challenge, so he was perhaps a little over-confident, but that was just part of his charm.

Stacey was first introduced to Jake at a friend’s party one Friday.  She was chatting to a friend with a drink in her hand when he entered the room, and stopped talking mid-sentence when she saw him.  Her eyes never left his face as he walked across the room, randomly greeting people he knew on his way to the bar area.  She was no exception to his magnetism, and was immediately drawn to him.  The attraction was entirely mutual.  He spotted her from the corner of his eye and stopped in his tracks to do a double-take.  The fact that they were both very good looking obviously formed part of the attraction, but once they were introduced he was drawn in by her infectious smile and easy laughter, while she was captivated by the air of mystery and suspense which surrounded him.

They spent the entire evening in each other’s company, and very soon Stacey and Jake became caught up in each other’s lives.  They grew to be inseparable, and were acknowledged as the perfect couple.

When they began dating, Stacey’s parents were naturally a little concerned.  Jake’s reputation was somewhat tarnished by his devil-may-care outlook on life, and they were worried about her safety.  Not that he ever showed her anything other than respect – far from it!  His affection was plastered all over his face for everyone to see.  There was just something about him – but they couldn’t quite put a name to it.

Jake owned a black “Oldsmobile” – his parents had given it to him when he graduated from high school.  Stacey was immediately enchanted with the car – it was unlike anything she’d ever taken a ride in.  Her preferred activity with Jake was driving along the winding roads through the scenic countryside outside town.  She loved it when he floored it, and she felt the wind rushing through her hair.  It was exhilarating for her, and because she loved it so much, he would humor her and drive at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that he loved the adrenaline rush as well!

It seemed they were well suited to each other – fun-loving, in-your-face, rebels.

The day of the accident dawned sunny and bright, but as the day wore on it became slightly overcast.  Class seemed particularly dull and boring that day, and both Stacey and Jake had a hard time keeping their minds on their work.  They couldn’t wait to get out there, to feel the wind whistle as the scenery rushed past them in a frenzied blur.

No sooner was class over for the day, than they were racing for the parking lot.  Stacey reached the car first, impatiently striding back and forth as she waited for Jake to appear.  They virtually dived into the car, laughing in anticipation of the ride ahead, and he revved the engine into life before tearing out of the car park with a squeal of tires, leaving a group of students gasping for air in a cloud of acrid smoke.

Jake drove sedately through town, so as not to incur a speeding ticket.  His driver’s license was in danger of being revoked, so he could ill afford another traffic violation against his name.  However, as soon as they were beyond the city limits, the needle began to climb as his foot bore steadily down on the gas pedal.  Stacey squealed with delight as she felt the roar of the powerful engine.  They both rolled their windows all the way down, and the sound of The All American Rejects blaring from the speakers.  They sang along at the tops of their voices, “When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell…” as the trees, grass and mountains outside the car seemed to blur into a single continuous collage speeding crazily past the windows.  The road ahead stretched into the distance like a long black snake, slithering away until it was no longer visible beyond the next hill.

He only took his eyes from the road to glance at her for a split second, but it was enough.  He didn’t see the herd of cattle lazily grazing alongside the asphalt ribbon.  One had decided the grass on the other side of the road looked much more enticing, and was sauntering innocently across when the car crested the ridge.

Stacey let out a blood curdling scream as she saw the creature directly in their path, and Jake’s head snapped around in time to see it too, but it was too late.  The car hurtled forward at 108 miles per hour, smashing into the cow with such force that it somersaulted over the car, landing near its fellow bovines in a ditch next to the road.

A highway patrol vehicle happened upon the scene about 10 minutes later.  The sight that met their eyes was incredible.

Jake and Stacey were leaning against each other, staring into the deep chasm next to the road.  They looked slightly shell-shocked, bleeding slightly from various minor cuts and scrapes, but otherwise unhurt.  As the patrol car stopped alongside them, Jake turned to greet them, swiping his hand wearily across his brow as he did so.

The car was so old it wasn't fitted with seat belts, which was probably what saved their lives.  They had both been flung from the vehicle on impact, before the car rolled nose over trunk, landing on its roof and skidding to the edge of the embankment, before thundering over the rim and exploding in a plume of orange fire and black smoke in the valley below.  Each landed on the relative cushioning of the lush grass at the side of the road.  The same lush greenery which only moments before had been the grazing field of a herd of cows.

(Word count: 1,075)