Christopher Adams 10H1
Near Miss
The drive home was long and lonely, with only the radio to keep me from falling asleep at the wheel. I had wanted to get home before dark, but it seemed to be taking forever, and it didn’t seem like I would make it.
Weaving through the dingy country lanes was a little un-nerving, so I flicked my lights onto full beam, attempting to arrive home before it got too dark. As I pushed on it began to rain. What started as a few drops quickly evolved into a fierce torrent of water battering the car.
I thought of my case full of dirty clothes, and of all the washing that I would have to do when I finally did get home. Business trips weren’t great at the best of times, but Russia in November was torture.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, something leaped into the road, my headlights caught it’s eyes, as I slammed on my brakes and screeched to a halt, on the rain-soaked road. In my panic I had screwed up my face, expecting to hit whatever it was that had jumped into my path, but now there was no trace of it. I left my car to investigate, finding nothing on the road. I listened through the patter of the rain, and I heard a faint rustling in the bushes at the side of the road, and my curiosity got the better of me as I crouched and crept forward to find out what the source of the noise was. I was wondering what type of animal it was that I had nearly run-over from my brief glimpse, so I crept closer. My heart-beat pounded in my throat, but I remained silent, trying to locate the source of the noise. In peered around the bush, I could hear some heavy breathing, and there it was, or he. I couldn’t quite tell at first. I was horrified at the sight. It had human shape and limbs, but its body was disfigured and covered with sores, and his skin seemed to ooze yellow and green puss. His eyes were almost crusted over, and the rest of his ‘face’ looked withered and cracked. He was wearing a ragged pair of trousers, and no shirt. He looked in severe pain, as gasped taking short, shallow breaths. I had never seen anyone be in such a state and at the same time still alive! The creature just lay there in a ditch.
