Chapter 2 - Shattered

Traffic was heavy as Alex turned the corner from the alley next to the restaurant. The snow was starting to fall a lot heavier now. She stopped at a traffic light and took the opportunity to turn her heater setting up. “Stupid heater, hurry up and get warm she said banging her fist against the dash. “It’s so cold,” she thought as she shivered and rubbed her hands together. “Where are my gloves?” she muttered while searching on the seat beside her. A horn honking behind her brought her attention back to the road. “Oh man,” she whined, “I can’t believe this! I must have left my gloves, purse and cell phone at the restaurant. UGH! Oh well, no sense worrying about it now. I’ll get it later at the rehearsal dinner.” Sighing she turned her windshield wipers up on full blast in a futile attempt to keep up with the now blinding snow. Traffic was at a crawl as she slowly inched her way closer to her wedding rehearsal. The snow was blowing sideways lowering visibility to zero as she slowing crept through the streets. She drew a mental picture of how the town had looked before the snow storm had blown in. Most of the buildings had been elaborately decorated for the holiday season. Holly and evergreens were hung from windows, railings and doors; most garnished with red and green bows. Some of the buildings had been decorated with Christmas lights too. Plastic candy canes had lined some of the family’s sidewalks along with numerous other holiday décor. The older Victorian houses along the main street always had single candles with white lights in each of their windows. Signs displaying holiday greetings and well wishes were hung from the poles of the street lights. It always gave that part of town such a colonial feel, just like a scene from Currier and Ives.

At the edge of town she stopped at another traffic light leading to the ramp to get onto the highway. She thought to herself, just a little further and I’ll be under the bridge enough to be able to actually have a short break from the snow and the thrashing windshield wipers. She was just about to inch forward when she heard a terrible crash.

Overhead on the bridge above her, a tractor trailer was cut off by a little sports car that lost control on an icy patch veering into the truck’s path. The tractor trailer careened out of control as the driver swerved to miss it and the other vehicles in its path. The truck driver could not maintain control as his truck broke through the cement barricade and plummeted over the side of the bridge.

The crash of the cement pieces bouncing from the hood of her car into her windshield brought her out of her reverie. Instantly her windshield began to spider web from the impact. Before she could register what was happening she saw a dark mass and felt a tremendous jolt as the car was pitched forward, her world went suddenly black.

****

Jacques ran back into the kitchen from the dining room to answer the telephone. “Springtime in Paris, Jacques speaking, how can I help you?”

“Hi Jacques, it’s Alexandra’s sister Kimberly.”

“Hello Kimberly darling, how are you?”

“Well, I’ll be better after I give my sister heck for not being here at the church yet.”

“She’s not there yet?”

“No, we’ve been waiting for almost 40 minutes. You mean she’s not still at the restaurant with you? Do you know where she is?”

“I’m afraid not. She packed up her car after the shower we threw for her, said her goodbyes and left for the church. I don’t remember her saying anything about making any other stops along the way.”

“I’ve been trying her cell phone but, she’s not answering that.”

“Well that would be because she left it and her purse here. I tried to catch her, but I was too late. I was just going to return it to her later. When she gets there, will you please tell her?”

“Sure, I’ll tell her. I just wonder what could be keeping her.”

“You know it is Friday afternoon and the week before Christmas, traffic is bound to be brutal. Besides, it’s snowing like crazy now and I did hear about several accidents on the radio. Don’t worry though; she’s probably just stuck in traffic.”

“You’re probably right. The minister has another engagement later tonight and is afraid he’ll be late if we don’t soon get this show on the road. Besides that, everyone else here is just getting anxious. Jacques, I just heard the church door close, it has to be her, so I’ve gotta go, we’ll see you later. Bye!”