The Memorable Day

The Memorable Day

The fragrant breath of morning lightly stirred the curtains. Betty Jean sat up with a fleeting feeling of déjà vu. It took a moment for her to orient herself before she remembered what today was. She inhaled the sunshine and exhaled the night. This is going to be the best day ever! she thought. She languidly stretched under her covers, reveling in the feel of sheets against her skin.

"Betty Jean." The sound of her mother's voice stirred her to action.

"I'm up," she yelled, rolling out of bed and heading to the shower.

Thirty minutes later, Betty Jean bounded into the kitchen.

"What's on the agenda for today?" asked her Mom.

"Billy's coming over to pick me up. We're going to the lake. All the kids are meeting there," she bubbled.

"Be careful," her mother warned. "The lake can be dangerous."

"Mom!" Betty Jean intoned in an exasperated voice. "We're not little kids anymore." Seeing the look on her mother's face, she added, "I'll be careful. Cross my heart."

Looking out the window, Betty Jean lost herself in the azure sky. Everything is perfect. The sky's a perfect blue; the air is warm and smells of lilacs... Billy will soon be here. Day's like this should last forever.

Right at 10 o'clock, Betty Jean heard the unmistakable sound of Billy's 1946 Hudson rumbling up the street. It was an old car that he had bought and totally rebuilt. Billy had spent hours telling her all the things he'd done and not a single word took root, let alone blossomed into understanding in her mind.

She sometimes wondered who he loved more – her or the car.

Shaking off the thought, she grabbed her bag. I hope I didn't forget anything, ran across her mind as she threw a quick "See you later" over her shoulder and ran to meet Billy.

The old Hudson sat idling at the curb. Billy jumped out when he saw her coming and gave her a quick hug as he opened the passenger door.

"Your chariot awaits," he said in mock chivalry.

"You're quite the gentleman today," she teased.

"For you, my love, nothing is too good." His handsome faced creased with a smile making her sigh.

As he slid behind the wheel, he leaned over and softly kissed her. "I love you," was all he said... all he had to say.

Smith Lake was, in reality, an abandoned quarry that had flooded when the owners hit an underground stream. Over the years, it had become a favorite of the town's kids. It was a great place for swimming and had an overlook that was known as the local lover's lane. The approach was an old single lane dirt road that wound around the perimeter. The police knew they'd be seen trying to reach it and the kids took full advantage of that fact.

As they approached, Billy spotted Ted Newson in his '57 Chevy. "There's Ted," he spoke with a tenseness in his voice. "I hear he's been working on that clunker trying to soup it up," he laughed, "ever since I whupped his ass in a race last month."

Betty Jean felt butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach. "Forget about him," she said. "Today's about having fun – together," she added for emphasis.

"Well, then let's get to it," Billy said as he dropped a gear and hit the gas. The Hudson's tires spun and then gripped as Betty Jean felt herself shoved back into the seat. Looking out the window, it was clear to her that Billy planned on getting to the turn off first. She wasn't the only one who noticed as she saw the Chevy accelerate, tires smoking.

"Billy!" she yelled.

"Don't worry, babe," Billy said through clenched teeth. "He hasn't a chance. Let him eat our dust driving up to the lookout."

The Hudson's motor whined at a higher and higher pitch as they raced toward the turn-off. The tires screamed as Billy downshifted and hit the brakes, swinging the wheel to make the turn.

"Sonuvabitch!" Billy yelled as the car went into a sideward slide, the tires fighting to staying on the road. Hitting the shoulder gravel, Betty Jean felt the car begin to roll. Then, they were airborne and time slowed to a crawl as she watched the sky slowly take the grounds place.

There was a sense of peace, of strange quiet, which was broken by a shouted "Hang on!" and then by the sound of metal being deformed and glass breaking. The peace returned as darkness filled her vision.

Betty Jean opened her eyes, blinking away cobwebs of blood soaked hair. Where's Billy? was her first thought. Looking over, she saw him slumped over the wheel. Why isn't he moving? She called his name but she heard no sounds.

Her door was ripped open and she felt hands pulling her, dragging her across the rough ground. She had no strength to protest as she was limply laid on the ground.

"Billy!" she screamed, although she wasn't sure the name ever left her throat.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Billy moving. Dragging himself toward her, she saw tears in his eyes as he came over and touched his lips lightly to hers.

"I love you," formed silently on his lips and were his last words as she saw him crumble to ground.

"Noooooo," she screamed, closing her eyes to shut out the sight, to hide in the welcoming darkness.

The fragrant breath of morning lightly stirred the curtains. Betty Jean sat up with a fleeting feeling of déjà vu. It took a moment for her to orient herself before she remembered what today was. She inhaled the sunshine and exhaled the night...


Notes:

Word Count: 989

Written as an entry for "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest"  [ASR]
Prompt: Image

Also an entry for "Twisted Tales Contest"  [13+]

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even praise are all equally welcome.

Ken