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Well, here it is, the original version of the story:
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them for the very first time. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different though, finally Sara managed to take her good driving skills which she showed in her lessons into the test, and pass. Now, for the very first time, she was taking a journey all on her own.
How her friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get the kids to parties, kids who had long since grown up and driven away. At least they were supportive of her though, and said that they were looking forward to the visits that would follow.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a model she had chosen because it was like the one she had learnt to drive in, but a few years older. She smoothly took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway.
Confidently Sara moved through the gears and was pushing the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane when a caravan was going a little too slow for her to follow. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she spotted a car behind her flashing it's lights. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. After a short moment Sara realised that the flashing car wasn't going past her. It had moved behind her, and was still flashing it's lights at her. Sara looked in her mirror at the driver, he was gesturing towards her, urging for her to pull over.
Sara saw a newspaper headline flash through her mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subtitle ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can stab me! thought Sara. She thought back to her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
As Sara put her foot down on the accelerator she heard the car behind blast it's horn at her. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming layby. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the layby, and be stabbed to death. It wasn't like she would be missed. Her children had made lives for themselves, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, a road rage killer surely wouldn't take on a couple, and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave, she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby wouldn't have been okayed by Dave. Sara was glad he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that some road rage nutter was going to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the layby and waited. Sure enough the car that had been flashing pulled in behind her. As soon as she saw the driver get out of his car she pulled back out of the layby again, just in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once more pulled away from the caravan, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see the flashing in her rear view mirror again. The car was still after, the road rage killer wouldn't be beaten so easily.
With the car behind flashing and blasting it's horn the whole way, Sara left the duel-carriageway at the junction, and headed into town with one target in mind, to head to the police station, and sound the horn until someone came out to save her.
As she looked in her mirror she wasn't at all surprised to see that he was still following her, and still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped..
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, forgetting to signal, and too scared to check her mirror. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn that took her onto Oak street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her drastic error. This road was a dead-end. She walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, and had never had to think about the fact it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time she had a vicious murderer on her back.
Sara got out of her car with speed, and started to run towards the police station. In a charity shop window she could see the reflection of her followers car had come to a stop.
"Hey, lady" shouted the man, but Sara kept on running.
"Hey, stop, your purse" he shouted. This time Sara did stop, and looked around slowly. As he approached her he could see the item he held in her hand was indeed her purse.
"You left this at the petrol station" he said, holding the purse out towards her.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" questioned the man
"I thought I'd cut you up, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, more than a little embarrassed.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not"
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw the man laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you." He said as he began to walk away
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved. Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure that her driving nerves had finally disappeared.
After a couple of redrafts, covering the paper in green pen (very handy) this is how it finished up:
Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them at the beginning of her first lesson. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her first four tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different, despite being as nervous as ever, Sara drove well enough to pass.
How her few friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get her children to parties, children who had long since grown up and driven away. Now that she could drive they were more than happy to accompany her on her journeys, for which Sara was grateful, not feeling confident enough to drive alone. But this time there was nobody to go with her, and it was an appointment that she could not afford to miss.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a car she had chosen as it was an older, more affordable, model of the one she had learnt to drive in. She cautiously took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway. The sound of the rain lashing down made her more nervous than she had been on her tests, at least then she wasn't alone.
Sara moved through the gears and was pushing towards the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane to pass a caravan, trundling towards it's destination. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she noticed that a blue car was gaining ground on her. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. Moments later a flash of light in the rear view mirror caught her eye, and the sound of a car horn interrupted the familiar pattern of wiper swishes. Sara looked in her mirror and saw that the driver of the blue car was gesticulating at her, urging her to stop.
A newspaper headline flashed through Sara's mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subheading ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can kill me! thought Sara. She tried to remember her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
Sara's heart raced as she put her foot down on the accelerator. She heard the blast of a horn once more. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming lay-by. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the lay-by to be stabbed to death. It wasn't as if she would be missed. Her children no longer needed her, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, he would have been strong for her and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby would have displeased Dave. Sara was glad that he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that she was going to allow some raging lunatic to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the lay-by and waited. Sure enough the blue car pulled in behind her. As soon as the driver got out she pulled off, driving back out of the lay-by, right in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once again left the caravan behind, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see flashes in the rear view mirror again. He was still after her, the road rage killer would not be beaten so easily.
Sara left the duel-carriageway at the next exit, with her pursuer flashing his lights and honking his horn the whole way. Sara followed signs for the town centre with one destination in mind, the police station. There she would sit and sound the horn until someone came out to save her. As she glanced in her mirror she was not surprised to see that he was still following her, still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't quite make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped.
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, too scared to check her mirror, forgetting to signal but manoeuvring through the busy market day traffic with the competence of a far more practised driver. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn onto Oak Street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her grave mistake. This road was a dead-end. She had walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, never having given consideration to the fact that it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time that a deranged murderer had her trapped.
Sara got out of her car with a swiftness atypical of a woman of her years. As she ran towards the police station, the rain driving hard onto her, she saw the reflection of the blue car in a charity shop window.
Sara heard a car door slam, followed by a shout "Hey, Lady" but Sara kept running.
"Hey stop, your purse" he shouted again. Surprised by these words Sara stopped and turned around to see a purse very like her own in the advancing man's hand.
"You left this in the petrol station, and I just can't stand to see people lose things" he said with a smile as he handed the purse to Sara.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" said the man, shocked by the remark.
"I thought I'd cut you up at the roundabout, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, red with embarrassment.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not".
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw that the man was laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you" he said as he began to walk away.
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved.
Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure of one thing, independence was going to get easier. That and she'd never leave a petrol station without checking for her purse again.
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them for the very first time. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different though, finally Sara managed to take her good driving skills which she showed in her lessons into the test, and pass. Now, for the very first time, she was taking a journey all on her own.
How her friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get the kids to parties, kids who had long since grown up and driven away. At least they were supportive of her though, and said that they were looking forward to the visits that would follow.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a model she had chosen because it was like the one she had learnt to drive in, but a few years older. She smoothly took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway.
Confidently Sara moved through the gears and was pushing the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane when a caravan was going a little too slow for her to follow. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she spotted a car behind her flashing it's lights. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. After a short moment Sara realised that the flashing car wasn't going past her. It had moved behind her, and was still flashing it's lights at her. Sara looked in her mirror at the driver, he was gesturing towards her, urging for her to pull over.
Sara saw a newspaper headline flash through her mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subtitle ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can stab me! thought Sara. She thought back to her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
As Sara put her foot down on the accelerator she heard the car behind blast it's horn at her. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming layby. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the layby, and be stabbed to death. It wasn't like she would be missed. Her children had made lives for themselves, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, a road rage killer surely wouldn't take on a couple, and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave, she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby wouldn't have been okayed by Dave. Sara was glad he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that some road rage nutter was going to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the layby and waited. Sure enough the car that had been flashing pulled in behind her. As soon as she saw the driver get out of his car she pulled back out of the layby again, just in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once more pulled away from the caravan, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see the flashing in her rear view mirror again. The car was still after, the road rage killer wouldn't be beaten so easily.
With the car behind flashing and blasting it's horn the whole way, Sara left the duel-carriageway at the junction, and headed into town with one target in mind, to head to the police station, and sound the horn until someone came out to save her.
As she looked in her mirror she wasn't at all surprised to see that he was still following her, and still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped..
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, forgetting to signal, and too scared to check her mirror. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn that took her onto Oak street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her drastic error. This road was a dead-end. She walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, and had never had to think about the fact it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time she had a vicious murderer on her back.
Sara got out of her car with speed, and started to run towards the police station. In a charity shop window she could see the reflection of her followers car had come to a stop.
"Hey, lady" shouted the man, but Sara kept on running.
"Hey, stop, your purse" he shouted. This time Sara did stop, and looked around slowly. As he approached her he could see the item he held in her hand was indeed her purse.
"You left this at the petrol station" he said, holding the purse out towards her.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" questioned the man
"I thought I'd cut you up, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, more than a little embarrassed.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not"
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw the man laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you." He said as he began to walk away
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved. Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure that her driving nerves had finally disappeared.
After a couple of redrafts, covering the paper in green pen (very handy) this is how it finished up:
Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them at the beginning of her first lesson. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her first four tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different, despite being as nervous as ever, Sara drove well enough to pass.
How her few friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get her children to parties, children who had long since grown up and driven away. Now that she could drive they were more than happy to accompany her on her journeys, for which Sara was grateful, not feeling confident enough to drive alone. But this time there was nobody to go with her, and it was an appointment that she could not afford to miss.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a car she had chosen as it was an older, more affordable, model of the one she had learnt to drive in. She cautiously took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway. The sound of the rain lashing down made her more nervous than she had been on her tests, at least then she wasn't alone.
Sara moved through the gears and was pushing towards the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane to pass a caravan, trundling towards it's destination. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she noticed that a blue car was gaining ground on her. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. Moments later a flash of light in the rear view mirror caught her eye, and the sound of a car horn interrupted the familiar pattern of wiper swishes. Sara looked in her mirror and saw that the driver of the blue car was gesticulating at her, urging her to stop.
A newspaper headline flashed through Sara's mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subheading ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can kill me! thought Sara. She tried to remember her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
Sara's heart raced as she put her foot down on the accelerator. She heard the blast of a horn once more. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming lay-by. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the lay-by to be stabbed to death. It wasn't as if she would be missed. Her children no longer needed her, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, he would have been strong for her and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby would have displeased Dave. Sara was glad that he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that she was going to allow some raging lunatic to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the lay-by and waited. Sure enough the blue car pulled in behind her. As soon as the driver got out she pulled off, driving back out of the lay-by, right in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once again left the caravan behind, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see flashes in the rear view mirror again. He was still after her, the road rage killer would not be beaten so easily.
Sara left the duel-carriageway at the next exit, with her pursuer flashing his lights and honking his horn the whole way. Sara followed signs for the town centre with one destination in mind, the police station. There she would sit and sound the horn until someone came out to save her. As she glanced in her mirror she was not surprised to see that he was still following her, still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't quite make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped.
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, too scared to check her mirror, forgetting to signal but manoeuvring through the busy market day traffic with the competence of a far more practised driver. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn onto Oak Street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her grave mistake. This road was a dead-end. She had walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, never having given consideration to the fact that it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time that a deranged murderer had her trapped.
Sara got out of her car with a swiftness atypical of a woman of her years. As she ran towards the police station, the rain driving hard onto her, she saw the reflection of the blue car in a charity shop window.
Sara heard a car door slam, followed by a shout "Hey, Lady" but Sara kept running.
"Hey stop, your purse" he shouted again. Surprised by these words Sara stopped and turned around to see a purse very like her own in the advancing man's hand.
"You left this in the petrol station, and I just can't stand to see people lose things" he said with a smile as he handed the purse to Sara.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" said the man, shocked by the remark.
"I thought I'd cut you up at the roundabout, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, red with embarrassment.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not".
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw that the man was laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you" he said as he began to walk away.
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved.
Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure of one thing, independence was going to get easier. That and she'd never leave a petrol station without checking for her purse again.
Nicely written, the first two paragraphs drew me in and made me want to read the rest. Very creative, especially given the title “Mirrors”. You built up good tension throughout, and I hadn’t predicted the ending, good luck in the competition mate.
zizane wrote:
> I can't be bothered to read it but it looks good..
Azul, I hope you're talking about this guy... ;o)
I mean, how can a bunch of words look good? Surely word only become good once they are read in sentences that are good. Glancing at paragraphs of text tells you nothing.
:o)
> I can't be bothered to read it but it looks good..
Azul, I hope you're talking about this guy... ;o)
I mean, how can a bunch of words look good? Surely word only become good once they are read in sentences that are good. Glancing at paragraphs of text tells you nothing.
:o)
Idiot.
I can't be bothered to read it but it looks good..
Enjoyed it. Excellently written. Good luck in the comp.
Oh, the competition entry, wondered why we had 2 slightly different versions.
I found that enjoyable, easy to read, flowed nicely. Good luck
I found that enjoyable, easy to read, flowed nicely. Good luck
Very, very commendable Meka, great story, I wasn’t sure that It’d hold my attention for long, but this was late found out to be untrue. Hope you do well in that complementation thing lad. *Cheers*
Heh, nice one, very imaginative to come up with that from the simple "Mirrors".
Good story, and good luck with the competition.
Very good story.
Good story, and good luck with the competition.
Very good story.
That was great. I only read the final version but it was very good...not your typical subject of a story like that, but I really got into that!
Good luck with the placings.
Good luck with the placings.
Well, here it is, the original version of the story:
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them for the very first time. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different though, finally Sara managed to take her good driving skills which she showed in her lessons into the test, and pass. Now, for the very first time, she was taking a journey all on her own.
How her friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get the kids to parties, kids who had long since grown up and driven away. At least they were supportive of her though, and said that they were looking forward to the visits that would follow.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a model she had chosen because it was like the one she had learnt to drive in, but a few years older. She smoothly took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway.
Confidently Sara moved through the gears and was pushing the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane when a caravan was going a little too slow for her to follow. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she spotted a car behind her flashing it's lights. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. After a short moment Sara realised that the flashing car wasn't going past her. It had moved behind her, and was still flashing it's lights at her. Sara looked in her mirror at the driver, he was gesturing towards her, urging for her to pull over.
Sara saw a newspaper headline flash through her mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subtitle ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can stab me! thought Sara. She thought back to her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
As Sara put her foot down on the accelerator she heard the car behind blast it's horn at her. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming layby. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the layby, and be stabbed to death. It wasn't like she would be missed. Her children had made lives for themselves, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, a road rage killer surely wouldn't take on a couple, and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave, she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby wouldn't have been okayed by Dave. Sara was glad he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that some road rage nutter was going to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the layby and waited. Sure enough the car that had been flashing pulled in behind her. As soon as she saw the driver get out of his car she pulled back out of the layby again, just in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once more pulled away from the caravan, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see the flashing in her rear view mirror again. The car was still after, the road rage killer wouldn't be beaten so easily.
With the car behind flashing and blasting it's horn the whole way, Sara left the duel-carriageway at the junction, and headed into town with one target in mind, to head to the police station, and sound the horn until someone came out to save her.
As she looked in her mirror she wasn't at all surprised to see that he was still following her, and still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped..
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, forgetting to signal, and too scared to check her mirror. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn that took her onto Oak street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her drastic error. This road was a dead-end. She walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, and had never had to think about the fact it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time she had a vicious murderer on her back.
Sara got out of her car with speed, and started to run towards the police station. In a charity shop window she could see the reflection of her followers car had come to a stop.
"Hey, lady" shouted the man, but Sara kept on running.
"Hey, stop, your purse" he shouted. This time Sara did stop, and looked around slowly. As he approached her he could see the item he held in her hand was indeed her purse.
"You left this at the petrol station" he said, holding the purse out towards her.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" questioned the man
"I thought I'd cut you up, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, more than a little embarrassed.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not"
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw the man laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you." He said as he began to walk away
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved. Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure that her driving nerves had finally disappeared.
After a couple of redrafts, covering the paper in green pen (very handy) this is how it finished up:
Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them at the beginning of her first lesson. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her first four tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different, despite being as nervous as ever, Sara drove well enough to pass.
How her few friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get her children to parties, children who had long since grown up and driven away. Now that she could drive they were more than happy to accompany her on her journeys, for which Sara was grateful, not feeling confident enough to drive alone. But this time there was nobody to go with her, and it was an appointment that she could not afford to miss.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a car she had chosen as it was an older, more affordable, model of the one she had learnt to drive in. She cautiously took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway. The sound of the rain lashing down made her more nervous than she had been on her tests, at least then she wasn't alone.
Sara moved through the gears and was pushing towards the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane to pass a caravan, trundling towards it's destination. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she noticed that a blue car was gaining ground on her. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. Moments later a flash of light in the rear view mirror caught her eye, and the sound of a car horn interrupted the familiar pattern of wiper swishes. Sara looked in her mirror and saw that the driver of the blue car was gesticulating at her, urging her to stop.
A newspaper headline flashed through Sara's mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subheading ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can kill me! thought Sara. She tried to remember her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
Sara's heart raced as she put her foot down on the accelerator. She heard the blast of a horn once more. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming lay-by. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the lay-by to be stabbed to death. It wasn't as if she would be missed. Her children no longer needed her, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, he would have been strong for her and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby would have displeased Dave. Sara was glad that he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that she was going to allow some raging lunatic to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the lay-by and waited. Sure enough the blue car pulled in behind her. As soon as the driver got out she pulled off, driving back out of the lay-by, right in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once again left the caravan behind, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see flashes in the rear view mirror again. He was still after her, the road rage killer would not be beaten so easily.
Sara left the duel-carriageway at the next exit, with her pursuer flashing his lights and honking his horn the whole way. Sara followed signs for the town centre with one destination in mind, the police station. There she would sit and sound the horn until someone came out to save her. As she glanced in her mirror she was not surprised to see that he was still following her, still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't quite make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped.
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, too scared to check her mirror, forgetting to signal but manoeuvring through the busy market day traffic with the competence of a far more practised driver. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn onto Oak Street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her grave mistake. This road was a dead-end. She had walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, never having given consideration to the fact that it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time that a deranged murderer had her trapped.
Sara got out of her car with a swiftness atypical of a woman of her years. As she ran towards the police station, the rain driving hard onto her, she saw the reflection of the blue car in a charity shop window.
Sara heard a car door slam, followed by a shout "Hey, Lady" but Sara kept running.
"Hey stop, your purse" he shouted again. Surprised by these words Sara stopped and turned around to see a purse very like her own in the advancing man's hand.
"You left this in the petrol station, and I just can't stand to see people lose things" he said with a smile as he handed the purse to Sara.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" said the man, shocked by the remark.
"I thought I'd cut you up at the roundabout, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, red with embarrassment.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not".
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw that the man was laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you" he said as he began to walk away.
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved.
Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure of one thing, independence was going to get easier. That and she'd never leave a petrol station without checking for her purse again.
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them for the very first time. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different though, finally Sara managed to take her good driving skills which she showed in her lessons into the test, and pass. Now, for the very first time, she was taking a journey all on her own.
How her friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get the kids to parties, kids who had long since grown up and driven away. At least they were supportive of her though, and said that they were looking forward to the visits that would follow.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a model she had chosen because it was like the one she had learnt to drive in, but a few years older. She smoothly took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway.
Confidently Sara moved through the gears and was pushing the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane when a caravan was going a little too slow for her to follow. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she spotted a car behind her flashing it's lights. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. After a short moment Sara realised that the flashing car wasn't going past her. It had moved behind her, and was still flashing it's lights at her. Sara looked in her mirror at the driver, he was gesturing towards her, urging for her to pull over.
Sara saw a newspaper headline flash through her mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subtitle ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can stab me! thought Sara. She thought back to her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
As Sara put her foot down on the accelerator she heard the car behind blast it's horn at her. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming layby. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the layby, and be stabbed to death. It wasn't like she would be missed. Her children had made lives for themselves, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, a road rage killer surely wouldn't take on a couple, and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave, she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby wouldn't have been okayed by Dave. Sara was glad he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that some road rage nutter was going to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the layby and waited. Sure enough the car that had been flashing pulled in behind her. As soon as she saw the driver get out of his car she pulled back out of the layby again, just in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once more pulled away from the caravan, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see the flashing in her rear view mirror again. The car was still after, the road rage killer wouldn't be beaten so easily.
With the car behind flashing and blasting it's horn the whole way, Sara left the duel-carriageway at the junction, and headed into town with one target in mind, to head to the police station, and sound the horn until someone came out to save her.
As she looked in her mirror she wasn't at all surprised to see that he was still following her, and still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped..
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, forgetting to signal, and too scared to check her mirror. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn that took her onto Oak street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her drastic error. This road was a dead-end. She walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, and had never had to think about the fact it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time she had a vicious murderer on her back.
Sara got out of her car with speed, and started to run towards the police station. In a charity shop window she could see the reflection of her followers car had come to a stop.
"Hey, lady" shouted the man, but Sara kept on running.
"Hey, stop, your purse" he shouted. This time Sara did stop, and looked around slowly. As he approached her he could see the item he held in her hand was indeed her purse.
"You left this at the petrol station" he said, holding the purse out towards her.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" questioned the man
"I thought I'd cut you up, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, more than a little embarrassed.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not"
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw the man laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you." He said as he began to walk away
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved. Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure that her driving nerves had finally disappeared.
After a couple of redrafts, covering the paper in green pen (very handy) this is how it finished up:
Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. The words were as fresh in Sara's head now as they were when her instructor said them at the beginning of her first lesson. He'd said those words many times since, leading up to each of her first four tests which were subsequently failed. Test number five had been different, despite being as nervous as ever, Sara drove well enough to pass.
How her few friends used to laugh at her, having to catch the bus to go shopping and relying on lifts from others to get her children to parties, children who had long since grown up and driven away. Now that she could drive they were more than happy to accompany her on her journeys, for which Sara was grateful, not feeling confident enough to drive alone. But this time there was nobody to go with her, and it was an appointment that she could not afford to miss.
So far so good, thought Sara as she pulled out of the petrol station in her new Corsa, a car she had chosen as it was an older, more affordable, model of the one she had learnt to drive in. She cautiously took the first exit from the roundabout, checking her mirrors as she made her way onto the duel-carriageway. The sound of the rain lashing down made her more nervous than she had been on her tests, at least then she wasn't alone.
Sara moved through the gears and was pushing towards the speed limit. She even ventured into the overtaking lane to pass a caravan, trundling towards it's destination. As she checked her mirrors before pulling back into the left-hand lane she noticed that a blue car was gaining ground on her. Must be in a hurry, thought Sara as she moved over. Moments later a flash of light in the rear view mirror caught her eye, and the sound of a car horn interrupted the familiar pattern of wiper swishes. Sara looked in her mirror and saw that the driver of the blue car was gesticulating at her, urging her to stop.
A newspaper headline flashed through Sara's mind. ‘Local Lady Stabbed in Road Rage Incident', with the shocking subheading ‘Killer Still on the Loose'. He wants me to pull over so that he can kill me! thought Sara. She tried to remember her drive so far, did she cut anyone up? Perhaps at the roundabout, that's why this driver was so annoyed at her. She had, after all, failed two of her driving tests through her lack of observation.
Sara's heart raced as she put her foot down on the accelerator. She heard the blast of a horn once more. Again she glanced in the rear view mirror to see the driver waving his arms around, pointing to the left, urging her to pull in to the upcoming lay-by. For a moment Sara considered it, simply pull into the lay-by to be stabbed to death. It wasn't as if she would be missed. Her children no longer needed her, and the only man she had ever loved had also been driven away by her constant nagging. How Sara wished that Dave was with her now, he would have been strong for her and Sara wouldn't even have to drive if Dave was still around. Sara remembered it all too well, with Dave she wasn't allowed to do anything, learn to drive, get a job, even having a hobby would have displeased Dave. Sara was glad that he had left, it had given her independence for the first time in her life, and there was no way that she was going to allow some raging lunatic to take it away from her.
Sara pulled into the lay-by and waited. Sure enough the blue car pulled in behind her. As soon as the driver got out she pulled off, driving back out of the lay-by, right in front of the caravan she had earlier overtaken. Sara smiled to herself as she once again left the caravan behind, but this joy was short-lived. Less than a minute later she could see flashes in the rear view mirror again. He was still after her, the road rage killer would not be beaten so easily.
Sara left the duel-carriageway at the next exit, with her pursuer flashing his lights and honking his horn the whole way. Sara followed signs for the town centre with one destination in mind, the police station. There she would sit and sound the horn until someone came out to save her. As she glanced in her mirror she was not surprised to see that he was still following her, still pointing to the left. He was also holding something in his hand, something that Sara couldn't quite make out, but something she feared would be used to beat the life out of her if she stopped.
With increasing urgency she steered through the town, too scared to check her mirror, forgetting to signal but manoeuvring through the busy market day traffic with the competence of a far more practised driver. As she approached the town centre she took the right turn onto Oak Street, home to the local constabulary. Sara abruptly applied her breaks when she realised her grave mistake. This road was a dead-end. She had walked it a thousand times, through the bollards towards the shops, never having given consideration to the fact that it wasn't possible to drive down, until now, the time that a deranged murderer had her trapped.
Sara got out of her car with a swiftness atypical of a woman of her years. As she ran towards the police station, the rain driving hard onto her, she saw the reflection of the blue car in a charity shop window.
Sara heard a car door slam, followed by a shout "Hey, Lady" but Sara kept running.
"Hey stop, your purse" he shouted again. Surprised by these words Sara stopped and turned around to see a purse very like her own in the advancing man's hand.
"You left this in the petrol station, and I just can't stand to see people lose things" he said with a smile as he handed the purse to Sara.
"I thought you were going to kill me!" said Sara as her heart rate began to fall.
"What?" said the man, shocked by the remark.
"I thought I'd cut you up at the roundabout, and you were a road rage killer or something!" said Sara, red with embarrassment.
"Just because I found your purse" replied the man "doesn't mean that I'm not".
Sara's jaw dropped and her heart began to race again, until she saw that the man was laughing at her.
"You drive carefully now, okay? I'm sorry if I scared you" he said as he began to walk away.
"No, I'm sorry. Thank you" said Sara as she headed back to her car, embarrassed, and yet relieved.
Her first solo road trip had certainly been eventful, but after all of that she was sure of one thing, independence was going to get easier. That and she'd never leave a petrol station without checking for her purse again.