a couple of miles after passing the arkansas border, we took our two-car caravan up the scenic route on highway 16, which happens to cut through the ozarks. driving through this heavily wooded area, i began to get this strange feeling. we were pretty much the only ones driving though this desolate road. around and round we went on this hazy road huddled by ancient trees with thick sacks of cobwebs hanging from below its limbs. luckily we still had about 3 hours of sunshine, which gave us a good blend of darkness and light. the windows were down, moonroof open, it was just us, the road, and the loud sounds of the forrest. we passed a eerie town which was the only sign of civilization on highway 16 before we had our fateful encounter.
I'm still trying to figure out whether I saw the body first or the totaled montero sport. peripherally, I think I saw the body first because as soon as i entered that curve to the left, i saw the lifeless body on the pavement but since we were descending down the mountain, the wreck aligned in my vision. chris and mike drove past the mangled steel and countless keystone ice cans and pulled up next to the woman's body. mike quickly jumped out of the car and stooped down low to listen for any signs of life or faint breathing. chris walked towards the suv to see if there were any other passengers.
my knuckles coiled the steering wheel. i began to get that feeling similar to that of the beginning of a roller-coaster. the fear that i felt wasn't based on whether she was dead, but more on the possibility that she might be alive. i backed the car into a ditch on the side of the road. all three of us got out of the car into the hot and humid air of the ozarks. we looked at mike and he looked right back signaling that she was gone. jessica's hand began to shake a bit, she covered her mouth as her eyes began to water. andrew stood quiet as he wrapped his arm around her.
with hands and feet completely drenched in sweat, i decided to look inside the mangled suv. on the ground i noticed a chunk of brown hair, the wind was moving it slowly across the pavement. there were so many cans of beer along with the woman's purse, pills, and other personal items. the sound of crunching glass was all i heard and the smell of beer and alcohol became stronger as i got closer to the wreck. i looked inside but i don't remember anything because as soon as i peered inside, a loud burst of white noise blared out of the suv's speakers. i jumped backwards with my heart in my hand.
i walked back towards our group and the suv belched out another loud noise. we decided that we were to stay with the body until help arrived. our 911 calls were useless since there was no reception. i was about to jump on the car and drive back on the road we had just driven on when we heard the sound of choppers. 3 bikers were coming down the road. they rode right past the dead woman; none of them seemed affected by the sight, like if it were just another roadkill. we explained to the bikers that we were the first ones on the scene and they said that they would alert the local authorities a few miles ahead.
a few minutes went by when we finally heard the faint sound of an ambulance. i have no idea why but i felt compelled to see the woman's body. past the beer cans, past the suv, her corpse laid parallel of the road. all of her limbs were intact, although she did have many broken fingers and toes. her face was severely torn, and the right side of her head had a massive gash. i kept thinking in my head that this was all fake, someone was playing some sick joke on us and that this would all be over, but that wasn't the case. it was all real. i looked back and saw the faces of my friends and the woman's belongings on the floor, herself on the floor; everything was surreal. the ambulance finally came and we decided to leave.
we drove off, but not before andrew snapped this shot of the woman covered in a white sheet.
drinking and driving is not a good idea people. that's all
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