Life Changers Ch. 01

LIFE CHANGERS: Part One

"There's bad luck and then there's shit luck," Ella mumbled as she glanced at the skies quickly.

"And you really shouldn't monopolize all of the shit luck all of the damn time." Mentally cursing the meteorologist's faulty forecast, she cringed when the unmistakable sound of ice began tapping against her windshield.

Five minutes later, her curses abruptly converted to prayers. The monochromic gray highway had changed to a bright white with intermittent flashes of red lights.

"Don't hit your brakes on ice, people," she admonished her fellow travelers as cars began converging into the middle lane to avoid the ice collecting on the outer lanes. Casting another glance at the sky, Ella considered her options. Pushing forward in her extremely compact rental car, undoubtedly created from recycled gum wrappers, appeared to be a better choice than parking on the shoulder and waiting. Then, as so many times in her life, another person made the decision for her.

When she passed the first traffic alert cautioning drivers of ice on the bridge, she noticed the car, even smaller than her rental, race pass her in the right lane. The red blur might have been a Porsche but it was definitely driven by an idiot. Ella held her breath as she watched the car reach the bridge, fishtail, spin, hit the wall and flip. Time stopped as the vehicle went airborne directly into oncoming traffic.

"No, No, No!" she screamed when the wall of red lights suddenly blinded her. Cautious drivers were now forced to hit their brakes to avoid slamming into the cars that had stopped in front of them. The first sound of impact was only a breath of time before the sports car landed and bounced again. Drivers who had not lost control of their vehicles on the ice were now dodging other cars like bullets.

Quickly glancing at her passenger side mirror, she eased her little car towards the shoulder. A quick look ahead confirmed that the driver of a luxury SUV had chosen the same path. As Ella prayed her little car would slow its desperate crawl to a complete stop, the sound of a horn blasting behind her sent a direct shock to her system. Lifting her gaze to the rearview mirror confirmed that she was in trouble. The driver of the commercial truck was also seeking refuge on the shoulder but did not have the advantage of slow speed or control of his vehicle.

Ella screamed. She covered her face. She uncovered her face and looked at the rear view mirror again to see the truck within an inch of her car. Scenarios raced through her mind. Would the large truck drive over her car leave her as a stain on the road? Would the impact knock her over the retaining wall and into the freezing Chesapeake Bay? Would she become a buffer between the two larger vehicles?

The impact jarred her forward until the hood of her car slammed into the SUV. Throwing her arms in front of her face, Ella cringed at the sound of shattering glass and then screamed when she felt the small shards spray across her body. She dropped her arms in time to see the red sports car, which had caused the major pile up, land in the middle lane, facing oncoming traffic, and slide towards her.

The crunch on her driver side door nudged her elbow. With a glance around her now super subcompact, Ella was thankful for insurance although the existence of airbags was still in question. Finally turning to look at the culprit, she considered calling the driver an asshole but could not find the energy to speak or even stay awake.

"We can't leave her," a deep voice said from the gray fog.

"Well we can't stay here," another male voice countered with a whine. "I think I broke my arm. I need a hospital."

"It's a surprise that you didn't break your fucking neck," the first voice responded. "Hey!" he said in a louder voice. "Do you have anything in that truck that will help us get this girl out of this car?"

After a few muffled words exchanged back and forth, the first voice mumbled "shit" and moved closer. "Hey, can you open your eyes?" he asked. "We need to see how bad you've been hurt before we can move you."

Ella listened to the voices wondering who had been hurt. She waited hoping to hear the man's voice again but he was taking too long and she was getting cold. She flexed her hands and started pulling them deeper into the sleeves of her sweater.

"Sweetheart," the deep voice said as he moved closer, "Open your eyes."

"Wha....Why?" she barely whispered.

"Because I said to. Now do it," he replied in a firm tone.

Ella groaned and tried to squint. "No," she mumbled when the brightness stung her vision.

"Yes."

With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stared ahead. She struggled to define the scene before her. Everything was different than she remembered. The interior of her car had changed and she was feeling cold as though she were outside. Then a face appeared in front of her at the oddest angle.

"Where does it hurt?" the lips on the face asked.

"Uh....I don't....It doesn't....I don't think it is," she replied knowing her answer was hardly an answer at all.

"Ok," he responded with a chuckle. "What's your name?"

"Uh....why?"

"Woman," he said with exasperation, "I'm trying to help you. By the time emergency crews arrive, you could be dead. Now tell me your damn name."

"Sorry. Ella."

"Elsa?" he asked when she slurred her answer.

"Ella," she snapped.

"Ah, so Ella has some teeth," he replied with a laugh. "Ella, I need you to tell me if you are hurt. Can you move your arms and legs? We really need to move off this bridge."

"Oh. Ok. Thank you," she said blinking at him.

"Thank me when we get somewhere warm. Now try to move."

Taking a deep breath, Ella pulled her legs closer to her body bending her knees up until they hit the steering wheel. She reached for the center console and tried to pull herself out of the driver's seat. "I'm stuck," she said in a panic.

"It's the seatbelt, baby," he responded with a gentle voice. "But at least you can move. Here, I'm going to cut the belt and reach for you."

The following minutes felt eternal as the man cut the belt but struggled to pull her from the wreckage. Ella wished he would hurry or just go away.

"Can you reach the reclining lever?" he asked. "Drop the seat as far back as you can. I'll pull you out through the back window."

The small comfort of lying flat was cut short by a series of tugs and drags. When she focused again, she was sitting on the drastically reduced width of the car's trunk.

"Ella," the man said as he took a deep breath, "Let's get the hell out of here."

She allowed the man to push her forward without a thought of where they were going. Soon she realized that her blurry vision was actually pellets of ice raining down on the highway and stranded motorists. When she hesitated to survey the wreckage surrounding her, she cried out.

"What?" the man asked behind her. He barely muffled a curse before gently nudging her forward. "Look, I can't stay. I'll be lucky to get home as it is. Police and EMTs will be here soon. We can't help these people."

With a nod, she moved forward until they reached the SUV that she had hit. He opened the driver's door and motioned for her to climb in and move to the passenger's seat while he opened the door to the backseat.

"Please, man, my arm really hurts," said a voice in the storm.

The man helping Ella turned to stare for a moment before looking around. "You need help?" he finally asked.

"Yeah, man."

"Got it," he answered before stomping across a lane and waving his arms. Within seconds, a highway patrol vehicle came into view. "This guy, yeah him, he's the asshole who caused this shit. Oh, his arm really hurts too."

Ella watched as the man led the officer to the guy who had foolishly run back to the pitiful remains of his sports car. After a few minutes of arm waving and loud voices, the man who had rescued her returned to his SUV and climbed behind the wheel.

She watched in silence as he struggled out of his insulated jacket while buckling his seat belt. When he finally turned to face her, they stared at each other for a moment.

"Hi, Ella."

"Hi...uh...."

"Ryan."

"Hi, Ryan."

With a nod, Ryan turned the ignition and smiled when his vehicle started. He looked over his left shoulder and started the slow process of driving through the ice storm.

"The HP officer said we will have to weave through some parts but we can get through," he explained. "This brings us to the part where I ask you your destination. Richmond?"

"Uh....DC?"

"Are you asking me if your destination is DC?"

"No," she snapped before realizing he was trying to get a rouse from her. "Sorry. I was headed to DC for a job interview."

"An interview for today?"

"No. Tomorrow. But it's obviously not going to happen."

"Obviously," he agreed. "And as much as I love rescuing beautiful women, there's no way I can take you to DC. Not today anyway."

"Thank you," she suddenly said. "I'm sorry I haven't thanked you yet."

"You've had a shock."

"Yeah, but I...well...thank you," she finally sputtered.

"And you're welcome," he said with a grin. "So, backup plan. Do you have friends or family nearby or should I take you to a motel."

"Uh, a motel," she said before adding, "A cheap motel."

"Are you hitting on me, Miss Ella?" he asked with a wink.

"No!" she answered as a blush spread over her cheeks.

"Calm down, sweetheart," he said laughing. "I've been accused of joking at the worst possible time. Ok, a motel."

"Cheap," she repeated and then held up her hand. "Because there's only so much I can afford to spend."

"Were you staying in a cheap motel in DC?" Ryan asked with hesitation in his voice.

"Yes, and before you give me a speech, I already know that it was about as far from luxury as you can get."

"Uh...oh honey," he finally said with a groan. "Yeah, well that answers the question of why we met."

"What?"

"I like to think that everything works out for a reason. And I think your little car scratched my vehicle so you would not be staying in a DC meth kitchen."

"Meth kitchen?! And it was a rental car."

"Meth kitchen," he answered with a smile. "What? You don't have those in Sunnydale, or Happy Valley, or whatever town of rainbows and fairy dust that you hail from?"

"You don't have to be like that," she mumbled.

"You don't think I should be pissed that a small town girl comes to a big city and steps into danger with her eyes wide open?"

"Why would you care?"

They moved slowly between several disabled vehicles as the silence hung between them. "Why indeed," he finally said.

Ella turned to look at him while he concentrated on the hazards before him. For a moment, she questioned her decision to accompany him. Maybe he was right about her being a small town girl making foolish decisions. Nevertheless, she was unemployed, damn near broke, and willing to sacrifice for a chance to survive but that should not have included her safety.

"I have a proposition," Ryan finally offered. "I live across the bay, at Cape Charles, heard of it?"

"No."

"Well hell," he answered with a laugh. "Anyway, there's a nice B&B there. I'll drop you off, take care of the tab," he added before she could argue, "And then we'll see about your rental replacement. Deal?"

"Why would you help me?"

"Because," he hesitated, "Abandoning you wasn't an option and I have to get home. My family is there and if I don't show up, they will load up in a horse-drawn sleigh to find me," he explained with a laugh.

"Must be nice," she said quietly.

"To be rescued in a horse-drawn sleigh? No. Not really."

"No," she answered as she rolled her eyes. "It must be nice to have someone who cares. I guess you're married? Do you have children?"

"Married? No, very much in the market," he answered with a grin. "I do have two sons who I'm sure will be watching at the window when I pull into the drive."

"Thank you again for helping me and if you'll l drop me off at the B&B, I will reimburse you as soon as I can."

He cocked his head at her with a grin and said, "Deal, although you should hear the details before offering payment. My family owns the place so it's no problem."

"Then why did you offer to take care of the tab?"

"I didn't want to come across like a Norman Bates wannabe but now that I think about it," he hesitated, "yep, that's exactly how I appeared."

"You didn't but then again, I booked two nights in a Meth house....."

"Kitchen," Ryan corrected.

"See? I can't even get the lingo right so how could I pass judgment on your Norman Bates impersonation?"she asked with a laugh.

"Finally!"

"What?"

"A laugh. I was started to think that I'd never hear it."

"Well, we aren't exactly in a humorous situation. Why would you care if you heard me laugh?"

"I can just about learn everything I need to know about a girl by the way she laughs," he said in a serious tone. "And you're right. As little fun as this has been so far, it's about to get a whole lot worse."

Following his gaze, Ella watched as they approached a sign announcing the crossing of Chesapeake Bay. She looked at Ryan and was surprised to see how tense he had suddenly become. His eyes were focused on the road but his lips were drawn in a tight line as though he were making several decisions at once. She was about to question him when the onboard phone system started ringing.

"Yeah," Ryan answered after tapping the control at the wheel.

"Where the fuck are you?" asked the voice through the system speakers.

"Approaching the bridge and I'm not alone."

"What?" demanded the man on the other end of the call.

"I'm not al....."

"I fucking heard that part, Ry. Why are you on the other side of the Bay?"

"Short story. Rich boy. Expensive toy. Racing through the ice. Fucking pile up. Where the hell did this storm come from?"

"Freak of nature or some shit. Hold on," the other man said and mumbled to someone on his side of the extension. "Conner said he put chains in the hold. Can you pull over?"

"More like slide over," he answered searching the area for a safe spot to park. "What are my chances if I stay on the road?"

"Slim and none," snapped the man. "Then I wouldn't get to meet the girl in the car."

Ryan smiled at Ella motioning her to remain quiet with a finger to his lips. "Maybe it's not a girl."

"Maybe you're a fucking liar."

"Language," he admonished playfully. "Ok, I'm at the park and ride. Gonna get these chains on real quick and then you can meet Ella and she can decide that the better brother came to her rescue."

"Hi Ella," said the voice in a playful tone.

"Hi....?"she started looking at Ryan for a name.

"Scott," the voice replied. "Don't let my baby brother get hurt trying to impress you. Our parents are too old to replace him."

"Before you tell him how sweet he is," Ryan said to Ella, "You should know that he just doesn't want to be left as the baby of the family."

"True," Scott replied. "I'll probably have to hide Conner's keys. He's pacing."

"Tell him I'll be there soon. He can entertain the boys until I get home."

"They are planted in front of the window watching the drive. Be careful man," he said and disconnected.

Ella sat motionless as Ryan worked quickly to get the chains on all four tires. When he finally jumped back in, she had worked herself in a silent panic.

"We're off baby!" he announced and pulled her close for a quick kiss. "El? Are you ok, honey?"

She simply nodded her head knowing she appeared as foolish as she felt. Actually, it was the overwhelming feeling of guilt that started to pull at her. Ryan had a family waiting at home worried about his safety because he had taken the time to save her. She could easily imagine his sons standing at a window wondering if their dad would make it home. It was a memory that had never faded from her childhood.

"I...I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"About what?"

"You should have left me," she said as tears filled her eyes. "They are waiting for you. You should be home."

"And that's where we will be in a few minutes so quit crying or they'll assume I hurt your feelings or something," he said as they started the slow movement from the lot.

"Right," she mumbled wiping her eyes. "That would matter."

"It would with these guys."

"Who is Conner?"

"Ah. The oldest of this blessed generation's group of Montgomery boys."

"What?"

"My big brother."

"I thought Scott was your big brother."

"By like three fucking minutes but Conner holds the position by two years so he's the big dog."

"Thank you."

"You gotta quit that," he replied shaking his head. "Ok, there she is," he said nodding to the bridge. "Cross that bitch and we're home free."

He glanced at Ella and chuckled, "Uh, Ella?"

"Yeah?"

"Baby, closing your eyes, holding your breath, and clawing the leather off that seat isn't gonna help us here. So...relax. Ok?

"Ok," she grunted.

"You gotta breathe, woman."

"I am breathing."

"Tell me about yourself."

"There's nothing to tell. Nothing exciting," she answered.

"Nothing," he repeated. "What kind of job were you interviewing for?"

"Just an entry level admin job," she said taking quick short breaths. "But it was...I mean is a great company so I really wanted to get in there and who knows maybe I can work my way up because it's next to impossible to transfer into their executive team because nobody ever leaves. It's really a good company."

"I hear ya," he said quietly. "Ok, deeper breaths, please. Don't pass out on me."

"I'm trying."

"Entry level admin, huh? That's what you want?"

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I don't know. You gotta start somewhere and it's a really good company. Nobody leaves unless it's retirement or death."

"So you want to answer phones?" he asked and looked over to find her staring a hole in the floor mat.

"I thought maybe I'd discover whatever it is I'm supposed to do."

"Ella?"

"Yes?"

"We've crossed the bay, baby. You can look up."

Ella took a deep breath and focused on the scene before her. She stared at the blank white landscape. "This looks bad."

"Apparently the storm moving north took a detour east. We'll get snow on top of this tonight but at least we will be home."

"Home," she whispered.

"Where is home for you, El?"

"If I get this job, then it will probably be some meth house, uh kitchen, in DC."

"And now?"

She just shrugged and glanced away from his gaze. "I was a late bloomer, you could say. It took me a few years to work my way through college so I'm really just starting out."

"Not too many years. How old are you? Twenty-three? Twenty-four?"

"Twenty-four," she squeaked as they fishtailed around a curve. "But I started when I was seventeen so it took seven years."

"But you did it," he proclaimed. "And that's all that matters. Besides, maybe DC isn't the place for you."

"But it's a really good...."

"A really good company," he interrupted. "Yeah, it probably is but that doesn't mean it's for you. Tell me about your hometown."

"Hometown?

"Yeah, where you grew up....where your family lives."

"I...I don't have...I mean... I, uh, left so long ago."

"And they won't let you back in the city limits?" he asked with a laugh. "Seriously, what's the story?"

"My family is gone," she answered. "And there is nothing left for me where I grew up."

"Gone as in dead?"

"Yes. My parents died when I was fourteen years old and the aunt I lived with then has passed. Everybody else has just moved on." Ella stopped talking and wondered why she was telling a stranger that she was on her own. She turned to find him staring ahead as though he had not heard her.