Barry Sinclair's car roared down the dark deserted road heading toward the beach. The seventeen year old high school senior and his friends had been planning this outing for days. They were on their way toward the shores of Lake Erie. He had deliberately taken the back roads to avoid the cops since the beach would be closed when they got there. Barry had scouted out the exact spot he wanted to park the car for this little party. The deep blackness of the empty avenue showed only the night sky over the tops of the trees. The car flew through the nature preserve. The isolation of his surroundings made him feel like they were the only people in the world right now.


Spring break and a week off. A few months away from graduation so we've got plenty to celebrate.


Riding shotgun next to him was Wendy Buford, his girlfriend. Her long black hair was whipping across her face and she was laughing at its silky antics. Their eyes met and she gave him a knowing smile. He returned it. Barry tossed his head back and joined her merriment.


At the stroke of midnight it'll be my birthday and Wendy said she had a special present for me to open. I sure hope it's what I think it is.


He and Wendy had been dating for three months. Her hot body danced in his dreams every night but his girl was quite resistant to anything more than kissing, hugging, and the occasional groping. But tonight held all the heated, breath-stealing promises of finally satisfying the hungry desires he knew they both had. His breath was rapid, his heart pounded in his chest, and he felt a little dizzy. Wendy's hand upon his right thigh wasn't helping matters. The svelte and sexy brunette leaned against him. Thoughts of how soon her firm, warm, naked body would be pressed against his made him shiver with delight. The soft pressure of her left breast squashing into his right arm nearly made him groan with carnal anticipation. She kissed him on the cheek.


"What's up, lover?" she cooed into his ear.


"Nothing--yet," he laughed.


"Well I think a moonlight stroll on the beach, some wine coolers, and a blanket might just change that."


He could only grin.


"Hey," Cliff shouted from the back, "we there yet?"


"Don't worry, babe, we got all night--why ya in such a hurry?" Debbie, Cliff's girl, snickered.


Cliff's response, visible to Barry in the rearview mirror, was to smother the auburn-haired girl's face in a wet, sloppy kiss. This started a flurry of hysterical giggling which descended into a low moan when his friend's hands began to disappear into her blouse to cup and fondle parts well-known. Barry's face flushed with sudden heat. He licked his lips and Barry knew exactly how his best friend felt--mouth stricken dry by the promise of the evening to come. Trying to keep his eyes off the hot action in the back was difficult, actually impossible. Not helping the situation were his girlfriend's digits spider-crawling slowly up his thigh toward the cramped juncture between his legs. It was hard to concentrate.


"Oh, Cliff," Debbie wailed shockingly. "Don't touch me there."


"Get a room, you two." Wendy chided them.


Damn, we really need to get where we're going or I'm pulling the car over, Barry thought lustily to himself. I better pay more attention to the road and less to the porno scene in the backseat.


He tore his eyes from the mirror, glancing back out to where the twin beams of the car's headlights were illuminating the pavement.


"Oh shit," he exclaimed.


Yanking the wheel to the right, he put the vehicle in the proper lane. His ardor cooling somewhat with the knowledge he had been straddling the broken yellow line in the middle of the road. A hot flash went through him but still he wasn't sure if it was from the momentary jolt of fear or Wendy's fingers.


"Hey save that for later, babe," he said to her. "I can't drive with you groping my junk."


"Do you really want me to quit?" she slurred seductively.


"No. But I don't want to wreck my mom's car either."


"Okay."


Wendy sank back into her seat and shot him a sexy pout. Another blast furnace wave of excitement coursed through Barry's body. He flicked his eyes back to the road just in time.


"What the fuck?" his girlfriend shrieked.


There was movement just to the left of the car. All Barry saw was a brief flash of a white, frightened face beyond a pair of hastily raised arms. He slammed on the brakes and whipped the wheel to the right. Everything went into slow motion. The swerving of the car, the shrieks and cries of the passengers, the icy cold spike of fear in his belly resulting in an iron taste flooding into his mouth. The nasty, harsh scent of the smoking brakes poured in through the open windows as Barry continued spinning the wheel. Then he heard the distinct thud-bump of something striking the car. There was a fast fluttering of clothing passing on his side of the vehicle.


The car began to skid to the right, metal groaned and tires screeched. Fighting the suddenly alive wheel in his hand, Barry managed to keep the car from tipping over. It came to an unexpected halt, rocking violently several times from side to side before coming to a complete rest.


"What the fuck are you doing?" Cliff shouted.


"Jesus Christ, didn't you see that?" Wendy screamed back. "Barry almost hit somebody."


"It was probably a deer."


"A deer, my ass. It was a person."


Barry's brain was working overtime, his heart beating a desperate rhythm, and the icy cold tentacles of loathsome fear consumed him. His hands began to shake uncontrollably, drumming a rapid beat upon the wheel in his grip. Bile rose from his stomach and he frantically grabbed at the door handle.


"Babe, what's wrong?" Wendy asked.


He fell out of the car, his knees striking the asphalt sending shockwaves of pain up his femur bones. Hugging his midsection, he violently spewed the contents of his guts. Taking hot shaky breaths between each spastic rippling of his stomach, he fought for control. He heard a car door open and slam, a pattering of running feet around the car, and before he knew it, Wendy was behind him, holding him gently and stroking the top of his head. She crooned into his ear. He heard her comforting sounds and got the message despite her lack of real words. His shuddering began to ease a bit and he wrapped his arms around her, his hands still shaking.


"Are you okay?" she said nervously.


"I-I'm alright now--I think," he gasped.


"What happened?"


"I hit them. I felt the bump and watched the body fly past my left ear. Oh god, Wendy I think I killed someone."


He began to cry. Heated tears slid down his face while his girl hugged him fiercely. Vehicle doors opened on either side as the backseat passengers got out. He could hear them muttering but couldn't focus on what they were saying.


"Come stand up," Wendy urged him.


Barry staggered to his feet, the world swayed in his vision and she had to grab a hold of him to keep him from toppling over.


"Are we gonna go to the beach or what?" Debbie whined.


"Shut up, Deb." Barry's girlfriend spat. "We better check to see if whoever we hit is okay."


"Dude," Cliff said, "I'll go check it out, okay?"


"Thanks," he answered with a thankful groan.


There was a fading of footsteps and Wendy released Barry who continued to sway on his feet. He could hear her rummaging around the car while Deb looked off to where her boyfriend had gone. A cold can of Coke was pressed into his trembling fingers.


"Here, drink this," Wendy stated.


He raised the can and began sipping at it, the cold liquid trickling into his guts. A short flicking sound and a whiff of burning tobacco let him know his girl had lit a cigarette.


"Smoke this, you'll calm down," she instructed him.


He had taken a second puff on it when Cliff's voice came out of the darkness.


"You better come over here, dude," he said.


Fear froze his entire being once more and his lower jaw began to quiver.


Oh fuck, I've really done it this time. I've k-killed somebody. He blubbered to himself.


"Is he dead?" Wendy shouted.


Shut up, woman. Shut up. Do you want the whole world to know what happened? We could hide the body--yeah, nobody would know it was me. If we drag it off into the woods maybe the animals will pick it clean.


"No, she's still breathing," Cliff exclaimed. "Deb, call nine-one-one and get the cops over here."


"No way," his woman replied hotly. "I'm not getting involved in this."


"I'll call," Wendy said suddenly.


"You can't." Barry said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "If you call, I'll go to jail."


"Babe, it wasn't your fault. She came out of nowhere and you did your best not to hit her. The cops will understand."


"But we're not supposed to be out here."


"We haven't done anything wrong--yet. If we don't report this, we could get in serious trouble. Let me call."


"Oh god, oh god, what's going to happen?" he wailed.


"Deb, get rid of the wine coolers and if you have anything illegal, I suggest you dump it far away from here as well," her lover instructed.


"Got it," the redhead remarked.


Wendy gripped him by the shoulders, shaking him to snap him out of his funk.


"We have to play it smart, babe," she said to him.


"Okay," he replied, his voice sounded weak and confused to his ears.


A set of running footsteps pattering across the asphalt made him look up. He saw Cliff's outline before the headlights illuminated him.


"I don't think there's anything broken," he huffed out. "She's unconscious and breathing but she's got a nasty bump and gash on her forehead. Didja call the cops?"


"I'm doing it right now," Wendy stated.


"Did you find a driver's license? How about checking her purse for ID?" Debbie queried.


"No, I didn't think of that," Cliff replied.


"Let's go looking around maybe we can find it."


The beep-beeping of Wendy's cell phone sounded more like a funeral dirge to Barry. His mind kept creating new and terrible outcomes to this mess and he couldn't help but wonder if he'd see the inside of a jail cell. Sinking to the asphalt, he began to cry again.


The best laid plans of mice and men, he thought to himself. I should be getting into Wendy's pants, not into prison.


"Yes, I'd like to report an accident," he heard her say. "We were out driving on County Line Road when somebody stepped in front of our car, and we need an ambulance out here right away. No, she's still alive--no, we haven't moved her. Yes, ma'am, I understand. We're about two miles away from the last intersection, I think. Okay, we'll be here."


Barry flinched when she hung up the phone with a plastic-sounding slap.


"They're on their way," she said.


"I ditched the stuff," Deb whispered. "I just hope they won't take a breathalyzer on me--I had a wine cooler before we left."


"I think," Cliff stated, "that's the least of our worries."