Chapter 1 Road Kill

Amy

December, 2003

It was a cold night in December. A fresh batch of snow covered the tall trees as well as the ground that surrounded the road I was driving on. I've been driving for a good thirty minutes, but haven't seen any other vehicle aside from mine. I really regretted going all the way to my colleague's house to celebrate her birthday. It was a long drive back to the city and I was alone and pregnant. I should have listened to my gut instinct and just gone straight home. Well, that's life for yah. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

As they say, steady wins the race. I slowly drove my car knowing the forest was the home of a herd of deer. I didn't want to hit one by chance nor get into an accident knowing full well I was almost 8 months pregnant. I put on the car radio to keep me company and I peer out of my windshield, admiring the full moon and the stars twinkling in the clear night sky. It was such a beautiful night. I wish it'll be like this on Christmas eve. Ah, soon it will be Christmas. I drove quietly, listening to the radio, imagining my next Christmas with my baby girl. I start singing along to a song being played on the radio, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, as I picture a perfect Christmas with my daughter.

I feel Diana give me a big kick in protest to my singing and I rub my belly instinctively. I know baby, you want to sleep too, but Mama has to drive us home first. Don't worry, I'll drink a glass of warm milk for you as soon as we get home.

I will soon be a single-mom. I never imagined my life would turn out this way, without a husband and without someone my daughter could call dad. Yet, you fall in love and make mistakes. Costly mistakes. When I gave him the news we were pregnant...well, I was pregnant, he gave me some money to get an abortion and said if I decide to keep the baby, he didn't want anything to do with a half-breed. I didn't understand what he meant about half-breed, however I fully understood he didn't want to be a father. I cried myself for months for being an imbecile. How could I have been so careless?

After he bailed, I decided I should do what he said and get an abortion. Sure, I was financially stable enough to raise a kid on my own, but I knew fair well that it was going to be a struggle. My parents had trouble juggling their jobs and taking care of me and my brother, what more if a parent was alone? I used that rationale to justify getting an abortion and so I went to clinic.

As I was sitting in the waiting room of the abortion clinic for my turn that day, I started having second thoughts. I couldn't believe I would ever consider killing my own baby. Mine. I rubbed my flat tummy, apologizing for the brief moment of weakness. I hurriedly walked up to the nurse's station and told them I had changed my mind. They told me if I still had doubts on whether I should keep it, they could only provide abortions during the 1st trimester. Another option was to give my baby up for adoption. I told them I no longer had any doubts and will provide for my baby. One of the nurses then gave me a card for a single-mom support group. I was going to be a single-mom! I shook my head and started crying. The nurse hugged me and said, "There, there. I'm a single-mom to a beautiful little boy. I have never regretted keeping him. You will feel the same way, too."

And look at me now, I'm as big as a whale and about to pop. I need to finish preparing for your arrival Diana. Our baby shower will be happening soon and I know I'll be getting all the things you need from family and friends.

My parents weren't too happy when I told them I was pregnant without a father in sight. My older brother though was excited. Another one to add to the Williams' brood. I guess his excitement rubbed off on my parents, because now all they can think of was little baby Diana.

Diana. I have always loved that name. It was a name of a Goddess, the Moon Goddess to be exact. I look up again to stare at the moon. Big, beautiful, and lonely. Just like what I am at this very moment. I laugh at my own joke.

All of a sudden, I saw him standing there in front of my car and even when I had stepped on the breaks of my car, I hit him. My car swerved to the side of the road and came to a full stop. Oh my God! I hit someone! I hastily unbuckle my seatbelt and get out my car to see if he's hurt and needs medical attention. I grab my phone from my pocket and dial 911.

"911. What's your emergency?" The operator asked.

"I hit someone with my car. I swear, I didn't see him." I try to explain to the operator while looking for him. Where is he? He can't be far away. I walk up and down the road searching for any sign of him. Was I imagining it? I take a look at my car and see my bumper bent a little. I definitely hit something. Maybe it was a deer.

"Operator, sorry. I think I hit a deer. I'm driving through Salty Moon forest and it's really dark out. I must have imagined it to be a person. I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding."

"It's ok, Ma'am. We get these types of calls all the time. Best you get back in your vehicle and drive home. I'll stay on the line until you're safely in your car." The operator said kindly.

"Sure, that's really kind of you." I place my phone in my coat and lift my head to look at the forest. I hear an owl screech and a howl of wolf. That does it. I better get back to my car where it's safe.

I turn around and walk towards my car, looking down at the pavement to find any piece of evidence of what I just had hit with my car before I leave. I was so engrossed with what I was doing that I didn't notice the man standing beside my car.

"Nice night to be out, huh?" He said in a deep  sinister voice. I felt my blood run cold. I slowly looked up to see who had just spoken. What I saw made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my heart race from panic.

He was a big man, over 6 feet in height with bushy brown hair and black eyes. He had on hunting clothes and big black military type boots. He was leaning on my car nonchalantly, with his arms crossed in front of him, clearly amused I was all alone with no one to hear me scream for help. I stick my shaking hands in my pocket to fish out my phone, but he stops me.

"No need to take out your phone. They won't be able to get here in time." He sneers and I notice he had fangs. Fangs? I've heard of vampires and werewolves in fairy tales, but they can't be real. Or are they?

"Don't play coy with me, woman. You know what I am. You're just the same. I could smell you a mile away." His eyes became darker, clearly angry at me.

"I-l'm s-sorry, Sir, if I hit you with my car. I didn't see you. I-I'm willing to give you anything I have. Mo-money, my jewelry, just don't hurt me and my baby. Please, I beg you." My lips were quivering and I was having trouble speaking because of the fear I felt. I could feel my legs start to buckle  underneath me. It took every ounce of willpower I had to keep me standing up.

"I don't need your money. What I need is for your kind to stop trespassing on my territory and giving my pack problems. I think I need to make an example out of you so, your kind will no longer find the urge to enter my territory." In a flash, he was right in front of me. He grabbed my arm and twisted it. I screamed in pain, my scream echoing throughout the forest.

"Please stop. My baby..." I felt water trickle down my legs. My water broke. I was going into labor prematurely.

"You and your baby are going to die tonight."

"No, please. My water just broke. I need to go the hospital." I pleaded with him, my sobs racking my body. This can't be happening. God, what have I done to deserve this?

"You die, your baby dies and no one will ever find your body." He uses one hand to twist my arm behind my back, then he yanks my head with his other hand and bites my neck and rips a chunk of flesh from my throat. I scream once again, the pain from my neck searing through my body.

He pushes me to the ground and I press both my hands on the side of my neck to keep me from bleeding out. "That's what you Rogues get when you enter my territory!" He yelled at me. He kicks me with his big black boot and I roll over onto my back. I heard his footsteps over the icy pavement then he was gone, leaving me alone in the middle of the road like road kill.

I lay down on the cold frozen pavement, tears flowing down my cheeks, looking up at the moon in the sky. I think of the Moon Goddess and I silently pray for a miracle.

I remember my phone and grab it from my coat. I hear the operator frantically asking if I needed help. "He-lp me.." I try to say, but the blood made my voice inaudible.

I cough out and viscous blood starts spurting out of my mouth while I gurgled out red bubbles. I could feel the warm blood oozing from my neck pool onto the icy pavement, making my hair stick in the ground. My heart starts to slow down, each contraction it makes, ringing in my ears. My eyes start to droop and my life suddenly flashes before me.

So this was how I was going to die...

Pregnant, alone and bloody.

I take one last look at the moon and I could have sworn I felt the moonlight kiss my cheek.