Prologue
“Maybe I should pull over.” Hayley bit her bottom lip nervously, narrowing her eyes through the cloudy windshield.
The rain came down in sheets. A “cell” the local people called it; a small, localized area where the pellets of water were so thick people pulled their cars over and put their emergency flasher lights on. Like a million water balloons slamming down at once, the windshield wipers were on full speed and still couldn’t keep up. Yet across the field, only yards away, the sun shone brightly.
“I think it will pass soon, Mom.” Ten year old Jason looked out the window. He saw the sun shining down to his right. Mature for his age, he sometimes felt like he took care of his mother instead of the other way around. He’d been through things no child should have to endure, yet Jason had a special light within him, a sense of the world beyond his years.
“I can’t see very well.” She reached down and made sure the windshield wipers were on high, once again.
Jason and his little brother, Joey, decided this would be the moment to start an argument.
Hayley didn’t know why the two were fighting. She only heard the wail of little Joey, breaking her concentration. “Jason! I swear to God I will pull this car over if you don’t leave your brother alone. And it won’t be for the rain!”
The two small boys momentarily stopped in the back seat. Their mother didn’t raise her voice often, so when she did, they knew it was usually a good time to settle down. Jason stuck his tongue out at his little brother. Joseph slugged him in the thigh. Being the baby at six did have its advantages.
“Jason!” Hayley turned her body and swatted him on the arm.
“But, Mom!”
“I don't want to hear it. You're older than him.” She slowed down a bit. Cars made her nervous, ever since David lost his life in a car accident two years ago. Twenty-nine years old and she had been a widow for two of the longest years of her life. She craved change so profoundly, she could taste it.
Jason slumped back against the seat, watching his brother snicker. He always lost; didn’t matter if he was right or wrong; Joseph was right because he was younger. He folded his arms over his chest and glared out at the raging storm surrounding the car.
“I hate Florida,” Jason whined. He’d been ripped from everything that was familiar to him. Hayley knew he missed his friends. She didn’t give him much of a choice in the matter. One day after school, she sat him down and told him they were moving from New York.
She figured he’d adjust. All kids adjusted. “Don’t start this now, Jason. I can’t see and I’m really not in the mood.” She glanced in the rear view mirror at Jason’s sad face. This move had been hard on him, more so than Joseph.
She was tired of her friends trying to fix her up on dates, and she was tired of seeing David at every turn in the house they had lived and loved in. She needed to move on. When the job offer came from a psychiatrist in Florida looking for a partner, Hayley jumped at the prospect.
“You just haven’t seen the alligators, Jason. You’ll love Naples. Just wait until we come across one of those gators up close.” It seemed to cheer Jason up, but not for long.
“And the lizards and snakes, don’t forget them,” Joseph said, excitedly. “I saw a lizard; right by the front door, he was huge!”
“That wasn’t a lizard that was a frog.” Jason rolled his eyes at Joseph’s ignorance.
“No, it wasn’t. It was a lizard. He had lizard legs and eyes.”
“It was a frog.”
“Was not!”
“Stop! If he says he saw a lizard, than he saw a lizard. Jeez, Jason, why must you argue everything?”
“Me?” The word came out in two syllables. He turned to Joseph and mouthed the words: “I hate you.”
“Please stop!” Hayley couldn’t see two feet ahead of her. She peeked to the right and saw three bright rays of sun lighting up the ground. She shook her head in awe. She’d never seen such strange weather in her life. If it rained in New York, it rained all over. Florida was different. She knew summer was their rainy season, but she never imagined the awesome light show when the lightning struck down around them or the raging winds sounding as if they would tear their new house from the ground. Moments later, the sun was shining and the critters were back out, foraging for fresh meat. The smell of mildew and mold stung her nose after every storm. Mushrooms sprouted from the ground in the thick trees.
Concrete and metal made up New York, while Naples was swamp. Everywhere she looked, she saw trees and brush and water, always water. She hadn’t seen downtown yet, although she heard it was quaint. She had only seen the Everglades and ventured out as far as the closest grocery store. Today they were making their first journey out to town.
The rain beat down stronger. The wipers, no longer able to keep up, thumped against the car like broken pendulums on over-drive. It was time to pull off the road.
“I can’t see…”
She slammed on the brakes at the same time Jason screamed. She tried, but couldn’t stop the sliding SUV as the brakes locked up on her.
She turned the wheel to the right, onto the grass, and over a small hill.
The car didn’t hit anything solid. Although the air bags deployed, the car seemed to be turning in slow motion.
It wasn’t until cool water encased her legs that Hayley realized they had landed in a canal. Jason’s screams rang through the car and she covered her ears.
Out, she had to get them out. The water rose higher, quickly. Craning her neck, she saw two small heads, already submerged, trapped in their seatbelts.
Hayley pushed down on the orange button of her belt freeing herself. She lunged to the back seat and tried the door, it wouldn’t budge. Joseph stared at her with eyes full of fear, pleading for help under the murky waters.
Think! Her head hurt as she frantically searched through her memory of what to do in this situation. Try the windows. They didn’t work. She hastily unlocked their belts, grabbed one of Joseph’s toys and with one, quick jab, she broke the backseat window.
Hayley grabbed both boys by their collars and hauled them toward the gray light.
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