Retrospection

Chapter Three-Out of Nowhere

It was much later than she anticipated when she finally brushed all the snow off her car and headed home. She stopped to get a quick bite to eat through the drive-in of a fast food restaurant and turned towards Emigration Canyon, where her small home was. At moments like this she both loved and hated living up the canyon. She had a spectacular view above the clouds and temperature inversions of the city, and tonight's full moon would be incredible. But the drive up the narrow and twisting road was not pleasant.

As Susy neared the mouth of the canyon she noticed that, for the moment, it had stopped snowing. Driving up the canyon in the dark was bad enough without adding snow to cover possible black ice. Coming to a fork in the road she slowed the car down because of the sharp turn. But instead of turning to the left, Susy found her car sliding on a patch of ice to the right. The road was too narrow to attempt turning around there and not feeling comfortable going down backwards and possibly finding the patch of black ice again, she decided to continue up the mountain.

"I'll just turn around at the summit," she said out loud to comfort herself.

Fifteen minutes later and on her return from the summit she decided that the roads could have been worse. The snow covered hills were very peaceful, and she actually regretted not having the time to see them once the moon had risen. Taking her eyes momentarily off the road, Susy reached down to finish her last French fry when--

WHAM!!!!

Slamming on the breaks and skidding a bit, Susy jumped out of her car. "The poor deer! I can't believe it! I've never hit anything before," she muttered as she walked quickly towards the dark lump on the road. But this wasn't a deer or any other forest creature--it was a man! He was tall with light brown hair (although she noticed that it was going gray.) He was probably in his mid 30s and looked vaguely familiar. He must be freezing in that shabby black…cloak, Susy thought, again wishing she had remembered her coat. He's so pale, almost as if he were sick or--, she couldn't bring herself to even think of the possibility. As she knelt next to him, trying to find a pulse, he slowly opened his eyes and stared at her.

"Sir? Sir? Are you all right? Can you hear me?" Oh no, she thought, what if he has a concussion or is in shock?

"Where am I? What are you doing here? Have I died?" Susy noticed he spoke with a British accent and again she wondered if she knew him.

"I hit you with my car. I'm really sorry. I wasn't paying attention and I didn't see you. I'm really sorry. How are you feeling? Is anything broken? I'm so sorry!"

"Stop blaming yourself, woman. I neglected to look both ways before crossing the deserted road." He tried to sit up.

Offended, she nearly got up and left, but realized that he was teasing her. Trying to collect herself, she spoke the first thing that came into her mind, "Well, I really don't think you should move until we know that nothing's broken."

"I can assure you that nothing is broken. It's just a few bumps and bruises. Believe me, I've been in worse pain than this before. However, may I ask your assistance in getting to my feet?" He grabbed her extended arm and pulled himself up. Susy held onto his shoulders to help stabilize him.

"Well," he said, "that will go into my list of firsts. I've never been hit by a..." And then as if he suddenly remembered something important, he glanced at the mountain peaks above him. They were beginning to glow as the moon rose behind them. "Not now!" He looked like he was in pain as he backed away from her. "Run! Leave! NOW!!!" And before she had time to object, he ran in the opposite direction of Susy's car back towards the summit.

Not quite sure of what had just happened, or if the man was all right, she hesitated a moment longer before walking back quickly to her car. She was glad that she left the engine running. The warmth was very welcome.

Her mind was still trying figure out how she knew him when she arrived at her small home. Guided by moonlight, she turned the car off and walked through the foot of unshoveled snow to the front door. Then she remembered. He was the homeless man she had seen outside the Salt Lake Times building earlier that day! As she unlocked the door, a wolf howled in the distance.