Dark ENCOUNTER

After a NYE party, Erin’s car broke down on a dark, lonely road

As Erin drove out into the evening, her headlights carved two cones of light in the darkness.

The night was moonless, and the trees in the bush arched above, almost blotting out the sky.

Everything had gone well – wonderfully well. When Anna mentioned the New Year’s Eve party, Erin realised she might get a chance to have a conversation with Alan, who she’d brie y met at Anna’s before.

‘Conversation?’ Anna had mocked. ‘Check him out, you mean.’

‘No, I don’t mean “Check him out”,’ Erin protested. ‘Yeah, right!’

The funny thing was, Anna had been right.

Although they’d had a pleasant conversation, Erin had found herself getting distracted by the way Alan’s shirt clung to his arms, the way his tanned face set off his blue eyes, and the way a subtle scent of aftershave wafted her way each time he leaned in to whisper some gossip.

Now, ‘Auld Lang Syne’ had been sung, the festivities were over and everyone had left.

Erin barely noticed her old car slowing down. But she eased it into an opening in the foliage beside the road, and came to a stop. Erin glanced outside.

If it was possible, the night appeared blacker than before. Or maybe that was just because she was about to step into it.

She reached across and opened the glove box, fumbling about until she found her torch. Then she opened the car door. Despite trying to close it gently, the sound echoed through the dark. The torch’s beam ignited the mass of trees around her, casting restless shadows in the gloom.

Fear traced an icy nger along her spine.

Reaching the front of her car as quickly as possible, Erin lifted the bonnet.

A moment later, she heard the sound of an approaching car.

Without thinking if what she was doing was foolish or dangerous, she darted back to switch on the hazard lights.

The car began to slow down. It stopped about 30 metres behind hers and a gure emerged from the vehicle. Erin raised her torch.

All she could make out from this distance was a dark outline, which appeared to be a man.

‘Hello?’ she said, shakily. No response.

‘Hello!’ she called again. ‘Hello?’ a man’s voice responded.

Was it him?

‘Alan?’ Erin said.

And suddenly he was there, his blue eyes ashing in the light of her torch, a quizzical look on his face. ‘Erin! What happened?’ She shrugged. ‘What does it look like? My car broke down.’

‘Oh no! What a start to the new year.’ Alan peered under the raised bonnet, before offering a sheepish grin. ‘Can’t see much.’

Erin handed him the torch. It took two seconds before he gave her another grin. ‘I don’t really know what I’m looking for even now I can see, to be honest,’ he admitted.

‘But we could send out a mechanic in the morning and I could, er, give you a lift home… if you like?’

Once they were in Alan’s car, Erin smiled at the way things had turned out.

After not knowing how to suggest one of them leave their car at Anna’s so they could drive home together, she’d come up with a plan – and it had paid off.

But what if they did have a future together? Alan was bound to discover she was actually a mechanic.

As her ngers closed over the spark plug in her pocket, Erin realised she’d have to cross that bridge when she came to it.

It was a good start to the new year after all. ●

‘Oh no!’ he said. ‘What a start to the new year’