Sabrina cursed as the car rolled to a stop. Typical, she thought, miles from anywhere civilised, time was running out and she was dressed most inappropriately for late October. She'd had no warning that the car was dying other than the engine stuttering several times, recovering for a brief; hope filled moment and then cutting out completely.
Sabrina steered the car close to the grass verge as the vehicle lost momentum and eventually stopped.
Silence.
More silence except for the ticking of the engine as it cooled.
Sabrina sighed and quickly assessed her situation. She was warm enough for the moment due to the car's heater being full on prior to the vehicle's unexpected demise, but Sabrina knew that the warmth wouldn't last and the cold touch of October's fingers would soon be tickling her bare legs.
She looked out through the windscreen in the hope of some sign of civilisation, chimney smoke, sight or sound of a vehicle, anything. There was nothing immediately apparent and Sabrina felt the first flutter of fear deep in her tummy. It would soon be dark and she knew that out here, with no streetlights, the dark would be inky black and complete. She looked out of the side window and saw nothing but deep woods. The butterfly wings of fear in her belly took on the weight of bricks when she began to realise just how vulnerable she was out there alone.
Her early annoyance had been replaced by genuine concern now. The fancy dress party was no longer a priority. She was apprehensive over how she was going to get from her current location to a position of safety as night drew in and as the temperature dropped. She was dressed in her costume, all set for the party, and although she had some protection from the cold under the red cloak, the tiny red mini skirt and bare legs meant that she would probably suffer some discomfort at the very least.
'Red Riding Hood, good grief,' Sabrina thought to herself, 'what a choice for a Halloween fancy dress outfit.' She knew she looked fantastic in the costume, with her pretty face framed by the red hood and with her long, elegant, shapely legs shown off to damn near perfection, but now... Out in the cold she wished she'd brought a coat along with her at the very least.
Damn it was beginning to grow dark now ...and those woods... spooky.
Sabrina was more than a little mystified at how she had come to be in this unfamiliar place. She knew the way to her cousin's house fairly well. She drove the route twice a year probably, but she must have been distracted by thoughts of the party and taken a wrong turn.
'But where the fuck am I,' she muttered to herself and once again looked out at the gathering gloom anxiously. 'I don't recognise anything...'
Of all the times for the car to let her down!
The, with a surge of relief, Sabrina remembered her mobile phone. 'You fucking idiot,' she chastised herself, 'How could you forget the fucking mobile?'
She scrabbled around in her bag and sighed with relief when her fingers found the hard plastic shell of her phone. She held the small handset in her palm and called up her cousin's number.
A continuous monotone sounded loud in Sabrina's ear when she held the instrument to her head. She looked down at the tiny screen and saw the red sign and 'No Network Coverage' displayed.
'Shit, shit, shit!' Sabrina hissed in exasperation. She tried the number again, desperate for the device to work.
There was the same response, that irritating sound with its attendant message.
Sabrina tried another number, her mother's, growing frantic as she tried to establish some kind of link with what she was beginning to perceive as the outside world.
'Fuck! Fucking piece of shit!' Sabrina threw the phone down into the passenger side foot well as hot pricks of frustration threatened tears.
It was almost fully dark now and the cold was rapidly gaining ground over the retreating warmth. Sabrina shivered and rubbed the skin of her bare thighs in a vain attempt to warm herself. She was undecided as to what course of action to take.
Should she stay where she was and hope for a passing car? Surely there'd be one along soon. But, she'd been stuck for how long already? Ten minutes? Twenty?
Should she leave the cold but secure vehicle and try to find some sort of nearby habitation?
The choice was taken out of Sabrina's hands and she nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a knocking at the window right next to her ear.
'Jesus!' she called out, alarmed by the unexpected noise.
She peered out through the window and could just make out the vague figure of someone standing close by the car door. In spite of her apparent, imminent rescue, Sabrina delayed before tentatively winding the window down a fraction.
'Hello?' she called through the gap and then shivered as the cold air took advantage of the situation.
'Trouble?' a deep voice asked.
'Yes,' Sabrina replied. 'The car's just conked out. I... I don't really know exactly where I am. Can you help me? Is there a phone or something nearby?'
'Phone?' the man responded.
'Jesus,' Sabrina muttered under her breath. 'Have I got the village fucking idiot here?' Then in a louder voice – 'Yes a phone, I'm on my way to a party, you know, Halloween and all that.'
'I don't have a phone, not in the cottage.' The revelation surprised Sabrina. How could a man not have a phone? In this day and age!
'What about a car?' Sabrina suggested, sure that her somewhat lacking knight in shining armour would at least have transportation.
'Nope, no car.' Sabrina couldn't believe what she was hearing.
No phone, no car, what could she do? She was starting to get very cold now; she had to do something and soon.
