The calm before the disaster

Prologue

Everything happened fast… One moment, she had a strong grip on the handlebars, and the next, she found

herself on the tarred floor of the highway.

She blinked twice and winced in pain. She started to get to her feet, but as she looked up and saw the parked cars and concerned faces staring down at her, she rolled her eyes underneath the helmet. “People” she spat with disgust.

“I mean why stand around and stare down at me if you’re not going to lend a helping hand?” She mumbled under her breath as she stood.

She made a futile attempt to wipe at the stains on her ash overall, trying to remove her helmet at the same time.

She passed a fake smile around at the faces and mouths mumbling their concerns, as she tried to articulate her thoughts. What had happened?

She remembered taking a sharp turn from Maple Street onto the main highway, maintaining the speed limit.

She smirked at that thought, cause she was a sucker for breaking laws, but she just wasn’t in the mood.

Then it hit her. “The stupid red car.”

She had noticed it just as she turned onto the highway, cause why not? It screamed ‘NOTICE ME’.

As it all slowly came to her, a hand tapped her shoulder. “Excuse me, ma’am.” She whirled around, eyebrows raised.

She studied the young man in front of her, good-looking, prim, and impeccable. He had a boyish charm that betrayed all that impeccability though.

“Are you okay?”