Chapter 9 - FUCK SAFETY

The car shoots off as soon as my foot presses the accelerator, and the wolf clutches at the hood of the car with its claws. However, instead of moving forward, the car starts speeding backward, right in the direction of the first wolf. This leaves me confused and panicking. Kira and Kaiden cling to anything their hands can touch to keep from being thrown out of the car. I want to close my eyes and hope for the best, but if I do, we will surely end up crashing into some building.

At my distraction and indecision about what to do, the car suddenly jumps, causing Kaiden's head to hit the roof of the car and he groans. It must have been from a pothole, although there is none around this area. I know what has happened, and the others in the car know it too, because we exchange glances for a moment and their expressions are indescribable, almost incredulous.

I have hit the black wolf with the car.

If he was angry before, he's even angrier now, I'm sure of it. His new partner will help him get rid of us much faster. Everything is going from bad to worse with every passing second. I just want to get out of here and wrap myself in the sheets of my bed, waiting for this day to finally end.

I give the steering wheel a twist, causing Kaiden to bounce into the back seats of the car and Kira to curse in a squeaky voice at the unplanned movement. My sweaty hands still clutch the steering wheel, as if they have become fused with the semi-leather of the lining covering it, in an attempt to control my own emotions.

The car makes a U-turn so abrupt that it almost sends us crashing into a pole, which sends the wolf that was on top of the car looking at us furiously flying. The animal rolls across the pavement until it crashes into the lamppost we almost hit a moment ago. At least now we have a considerable distance, so it can continue to stare at us as angrily as it wants, but from a distance. The tires squeal and the pavement emits smoke, but at least this time we're in the right direction to drive and get the hell out of this dangerous scene.

We're out of here.

The second wolf is not far behind and helps his friend lying on the asphalt. He doesn't think twice before coming after us; he chases us closely and doesn't seem happy at all.

"Enough, give me the wheel, I'll drive," Kira says, but when she stretches out her hand, the one that is not holding her ribs, to take the wheel, it hits her. As if he's going to let her drive in this situation. I'm not sure if it's dramatic on her part, but as soon as she hit her hand, she quickly withdrew it letting out a shrill exclamation of pain.

"Can someone tell me why we're being chased!!!" I scream hysterically, my voice cracking and my heart pounding so hard it feels like it's going to explode. My hands are sweating so much I can barely hold on to the steering wheel, and my mind is racing in a thousand different directions. I need to know. I need to know why! If someone, or something, wants to kill me, I must at least know the reason. I can't stand this uncertainty, this senseless madness.

"I'm not much of a detective, but I think it's because you ran over his friend," Kaiden says with his typical teasing tone and charming smile. Really, at a time like this, you're playing games with me? How can you be so calm and sarcastic when our lives are at stake?

I shoot him a look that clearly says I'm not for his jokes, and he immediately changes his mocking expression to a nervous and slightly more serious one. This is not the time for him to be acting like a buffoon.

"Really?! That's all you have to say?! A cheap joke?! We're being chased by monsters, Kaiden! Monsters! And you're making jokes!" I shoot him a furious glare, my anger and despair bubbling to the surface. "This isn't a game! This is real! They're trying to kill us and you...you...you...!" My voice cracks and my hands shake as I try to maintain control of the car.

Kaiden frowns, his smile disappearing completely. He straightens in his seat and leans forward, running a hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration.

"I'm not for your games, Kaiden! You know what I mean!" I scream, clearly angrier than before. This is all beyond me and I don't like not knowing what's going on, let alone wanting to see my dumb face, again.

The car takes another sharp turn and Kaiden grips the armrest, his knuckles turning white from the force with which he's holding on. His eyes don't leave the rearview mirror, watching for the wolves in close pursuit. "I can't believe we're in this," he mutters, more to himself than to us. "We should have seen it coming."

I look at Kaiden, trying to find some hint of his usual confidence, but all I see is a mixture of fear and determination. He's as lost as I am, and that only increases my anxiety. "Kaiden, we need a plan," I say, my voice shaking a little. "We can't keep running forever. There has to be something we can do."

"I'm thinking," he replies, his voice strained. "There has to be some way to stop them or at least slow them down."

"Just hurry!" exclaims Kira from the passenger seat, still clutching her ribs with one hand as she tries to find something useful in the glove compartment with the other. "We don't have much time before they catch up with us again."

Kaiden nods, his eyes still fixed on the rearview mirror. "I know. Just... keep the car running and keep driving."

A thump in the back of the car makes me check the rearview mirror. The wolf is already too close, we are just a few feet away from its sharp claws that will surely tear our flesh as easily as they did the metal on the hood of the car's trunk.

Think, Yini, think! Thinking under pressure has never been my specialty, but I must do something fast, I can't keep running from them forever, especially now that the first wolf has joined the chase.

"We have to do something!" exclaims Kira as she continues to search the glove box for something that might help us, even though she and I both know that the only things she could find in the glove box are candy wrappers and possibly some shopping tickets.

My parents' house comes into sight closer and closer, it's a good thing that to get there we only have to drive straight ahead, but I haven't stopped to think about what we'll do once we get there. I see the two wolves on our heels and I look ahead again. The house is only a few yards away and we are going too fast. Like a flash, an idea crosses my mind, and I bite my lips nervously.

Could this be a terrible idea?