Chapter 01: A Car Accident leads to Nudity
In the early evening, JR was driving cautiously on a snow covered gravel road singing along with Lynyrd Skynrd,
"Sweet home Alabama... where the skies are so blue..."
The storm was more intense than the weather forecaster had predicted, already 8" of heavy white snow blanketed the ground. A thick layer of storm clouds blotted out all the light from the moon and stars making driving even more treacherous.
JR wasn't concerned, he may have had a ten year old vehicle, but it was a 4 wheel drive Jeep and he knew the road well. This was a frequently used short-cut between his house and his grandparents'. His father had sent him out to deliver fresh venison from a successful deer hunt. He was running a little late because he had re-stocked his grandparents' woodpile to make sure they had plenty of fuel to get them through the upcoming cold spell. It was around 6 PM when Junior was surprised to see headlights up ahead.
***
Bee was driving along in a new 1974 pink Ford Pinto. She had a lot on her mind having just broken up with her boyfriend. The radio was blasting "Waterloo". She paid no attention to the worsening weather conditions because she expected to pull into her friend Kathy's driveway any minute. In fact, she should have been there 10 minutes ago.
As Frida and Agnetha sang the chorus, Bee rounded a corner and was startled to find a herd of deer in front of her. She swerved to avoid them and ended up clipping a doe and skidding into the other lane. Unfortunately, that lane had a car in it. She swore as she gripped the steering wheel and frantically stomped both feet on the brake pedal.
***
JR suddenly found a car in his lane heading straight for him. He braced for the unavoidable collision that took both cars off the road and into the creek.
The cars ended upright in 2 feet of water. The sounds of ABBA and Skynrd filled the air. JR unbuckled his seat belt when he realized that he was unhurt. He stepped into the rapidly flowing water to check on the other car. He could hear the sound of someone cursing inside the Pinto.
"Are you all right?" JR asked the teen-age girl.
"I...I think so," she answered unsteadily. Blood trickled down her forehead from a cut sustained when her head hit the steering wheel.
"We need to get out of the creek," JR said urgently.
"Damn it!" she said as she surveyed her vehicle, "Look at my new car!"
JR opened the door. She gasped when the frigid water rushed in washing over her feet and legs.
"We need to go," JR told her insistently. Hearing her voice, he realized he knew her from school. He hadn't recognized her at first because she had so much make-up on and was sporting a new hair color.
"Fine," she said angrily and she stepped into the flowing stream. Bee held on to JR's arm as they moved towards the road. She lost her footing when she tripped over an underwater rock. She tried to prevent her fall by frantically grabbing JR with both hands, but she only managed to pull him down with her. They both were soaked by the bone chilling water. A string of expletives flew from Bee's mouth.
"Come on," JR yelled. He stood and helped her to her feet. He kept a firm grip on her with his right arm around her narrow waist as he led her out of the creek.
"Wait here," JR said to Bee as her teeth began to chatter.
"Shit, I've lost one of my shoes," she hollered.
JR jumped back in the stream and went to his car. He opened his spiral notebook to an empty page and wrote "Bee Stewart and I are okay. We are going to the Stolfus hunting cabin". He signed it and left it on the driver's seat for anyone that came looking for them.
As he splashed back towards Bee, JR saw the doe that Bee had hit. It was awkwardly struggling to stand on the shoulder of the road. As he approached, JR could see the jagged end of a broken bone sticking out from the deer's right rear leg.
"Easy girl," JR said as he reached out and gently guided the animal to the ground. He continued to talk softly to the animal as he lifted its head. He fished out his knife and quickly brought it across the injured creature's exposed neck. Bee screamed as the deer quietly bled out. JR comforted the deer and waited with her as she expired.