Page 1 of Curvy Girl and the Mountain Man Wolf
Chapter 1 - Lois
The windshield wipers can barely keep up with the snow pelting my car as I squint through the growing darkness, searching for any sign of civilization.
The GPS on my phone died twenty minutes ago, right after declaring with cheerful certainty that I'd reached my destination, which was apparently the middle of nowhere on some unnamed mountain road.
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Lily's voice drifts from the backseat, small and tired.
I glance in the rearview mirror at my five-year-old daughter, her auburn curls messy from the long drive, her green eyes blinking with exhaustion.
"I know, baby. We'll find somewhere to stop soon." The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.
I haven't seen a building, a sign, or even another car for over an hour. The narrow mountain road winds endlessly through towering pines, their branches heavy with snow that seems to fall harder with each passing minute.
I should have stayed on the main highway. Should have ignored the GPS when it suggested this "faster route" to Cedar Falls. Should have done a lot of things differently, but making smart decisions hasn't exactly been my strong suit lately.
Three days ago, I walked into the apartment I shared with Derek to find him in our bed with my so-called best friend Sarah. The image is burned into my memory: her long legs wrapped around him, his hands in her blonde hair, both of them too caught up in their betrayal to notice me standing in the doorway.
I didn't scream. Didn't throw things or make a scene. I just stood there for what felt like hours but was probably only seconds, watching my entire life crumble. Then I turned around, walked to Lily's room, and started packing.
"Lois?" Derek had called after me, scrambling to pull on his boxers. "Lois, wait, let me explain—"
But there was nothing to explain. Nothing that could excuse what I'd seen. Nothing that could make me stay in that apartment, in that life, for one more minute.
I packed everything I could fit in my ancient Honda Civic, loaded up my confused and sleepy daughter, and drove. Away from Derek, away from Sarah, away from the life I'd built in Denver that had turned out to be as fragile as tissue paper.
The job interview at Cedar Falls Elementary was supposed to be next week, but I called and begged them to move it up. A fresh start in a small mountain town, working as a teacher's aide. It wasn't much, but it was something. A chance to build something real for Lily and me.
If I can actually find Cedar Falls.
Snow swirls in the headlight beams like angry ghosts, and I can barely make out the road ahead. My hands are cramping from holding the wheel so tightly, and there's a growing knot of panic in my chest.
"Are we almost there?" Lily asks, her voice lower now.
"Almost," I lie again, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.
The truth is, I have no idea where we are. The last road sign I saw was miles back, and it might as well have been in a foreign language for all the good it did me.
I slow down as the road curves sharply to the right, following the contour of the mountain. The Honda's tires slip slightly onthe accumulating snow, and my heart jumps into my throat. We're climbing steadily now, and I can see nothing but darkness beyond the guardrail to my left. Just how high up are we?
A strange grinding noise starts coming from under the hood, and the car begins to shake. No, no, no. Not now. Not here in the middle of nowhere with my daughter depending on me.
The grinding gets louder, and steam starts rising from the front of the car. The temperature gauge on the dashboard creeps into the red zone, and I know with sinking certainty that we're not going anywhere.
I manage to guide the Honda to a slightly wider spot in the road before the engine gives a final, shuddering cough and dies. The sudden silence is deafening, broken only by the wind howling through the trees and the soft patter of snow on the windshield.
"Mommy? Why did we stop?" I can hear the fear creeping in.
"The car needs a little rest," I say, forcing my voice to stay calm and cheerful. "Just like we do."
I pull out my phone, knowing it's useless but checking anyway. No signal. Of course.
The temperature inside the car is already dropping without the heater running. I twist around to look at Lily, trying to project a confidence I don't feel.
"Let's put on our coats and hats, okay? We might need to walk a little bit."
Walk where? The question echoes in my mind, but I push it away. One crisis at a time.
Lily nods and starts pulling on her pink winter coat. She's been so good through all of this. The sudden move, the long drive, sleeping in cheap motels. She deserves better than a mother who gets them lost in a snowstorm on a mountain road.
