Carina's Relief

Carina's relief at seeing the mountains in her rearview mirror and the dark green highway sign with its promise of home in front of her was short-lived as her car hit a patch of glittering black ice.

The Skid

She automatically steered into the skid but, even though she did everything right, the car's momentum spun her around until it hit the plowed snow at the highway's edge and stopped, facing oncoming traffic.

Desperate Maneuvering

Her heart in her throat, Carina tried to maneuver the car out of the drift but the wheels spun uselessly. She applied the gas and the brake alternately to get the car rocking enough to clear the drift. A bright light suddenly pierced her car's interior. Too late, she saw the semi bearing down on her. Carina's eyes burned with sudden tears of recognition: Fate had found her.