Dead Girl Walking
Rachell Relyea
I look at the cable box above the television with droopy eyes. It glows 12:50 a.m. Sleep races out of me with the realization that I have to be home in ten minutes to make my curfew. I walk to the garage door and peer outside. All is motionless, blank and dreary. I twist the door handle in my cold hands and open the only barrier standing between me and darkness. I wave my final goodbye and pull the door shut behind me. The minute I feel it click I turn and sprint to my truck. “DING DING DING DING.” I jump in, turn the key and slam the door, in one swift motion. My headlights come on, illuminating the yard in front of me. Was that an animal? I swear I just saw something out of the corner of my eye. I tell myself to relax as I put it in reverse, trying to maneuver my way out of the driveway without having to look in the rear view mirror.
The rear view mirror is always where it begins. In the scary movies the victim gets into the car, thinking that it is safe, just to end up glancing at mirror to see her killer in the back seat.
I pull out of the driveway and I am surrounded by nothing. I put my foot to the pedal trying to get the speedometer to catch up to my heart rate. I jump at the sight of mailboxes, street lamps, telephone poles, and bushes. Then I start to think that I am being followed. A dead girl is behind me in the street, grey face with blood blacker than the sky. I can’t look but I can feel her. She is there. Just like in the movie. I hit my blinker and pull onto my road, barely touching the brakes. I have to slow to thirty but I roll through the stop sign between the end of the street and my house. I live on a dead end so I start to think the girl will be there, emerging from the forest, all of the sudden appearing in the passenger seat planning my death. I zoom up the driveway and hit the garage door opener just in time to pull in and hit it again. I walk in the house at 1:00, right on time.
“MOM! I’m not driving in the dark anymore.” I declare to her as I run up the stairs and dive into my bed. I fall asleep still thinking I’m going to open my eyes and see her standing over me in the night.
Feedback: Is the point of view effective?
Feedback: Is the point of view effective?
