Chapter 3

It was well past midnight, but Danni still couldn't fall asleep. He was thinking about the time he spent with his father. It was a perfect Saturday. The thought that he would not be seeing him during the next two weeks made him angry.

"It's not fair," Danni whispered," I do not deserve that"

He was drifting into a sleep when a strange noise startled him. He couldn't determine what it was, but it sounded like a clattering of metal. A silence ensued. Then the same sound again. Danni stood up and padded to the door. It was dark in the corridor. Deciding not to turn on the light, he silently got out of his room and headed toward the staircase. His eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness. He stopped as he reached the stairs and looked down. The living room was dark, but Danni felt that there was someone there.

"Not now!" Danni heard his mother whispering.

"Why not?" the man asked.

"I told you already," Rachel said irritably,"I don't want my son hearing us."

"You are so beautiful when you are angry!"

"Shut up, Mike!"

"Ok, Ok."

"My crutches fell on the floor. Do you see them?"

"You don't need them now, Rachel. I'm holding you!"

"We can't do it here. Stop it!"

"Gosh! I'm harder than your cast."

"Mike, be cautious! My leg still hurts."

"Sorry, sweetie."

"Carry me to the bedroom!" Rachel moaned.

"Ok, fine. Maybe I will find out how to remove your panties. The cast makes it quite difficult to me," the man said lewdly.

"Don't turn on the lights, and get my crutches."

"Your breasts are gorgeous!"

Danni could not bear it anymore. He ran to his room and locked himself in. He could not understand why his mother let this stranger touch her.

Danni was shocked as he saw Rachel smiling at him in the morning. She behaved as if nothing had happened at all. He looked down at his feet to conceal the anger that was burning in his eyes.

"Are you Ok, Danni?'

"I'm fine, mom."

"Look at me!"

Danni reluctantly complied.

"You played computer game all night, didn't you?"

"No mom, I just..."

"You what?"

"I didn't sleep much. I was worried about you."

"Me! I told you that my ankle is a lot better. The cast will be removed soon."

"But I heard you moaning last night," Danni persisted.

"Oh ... I got up to drink water, and hit my toes against the table ... so ... that's it," Rachel explained innocently and smiled.

Rachel pulled the car out of the garage and stopped to see if Danni will close the garage door. As he did so, she waved at him, placed her casted leg in a convenient position, and headed for work. She felt satisfied that she could drive. As the transmission was automatic, the cast wasn't a big obstacle.

The traffic light turned red as she neared the intersection. Rachel put on the brakes and reached to take a CD. Her right foot sank down. The brake pedal felt unnaturally soft. The car didn't even slow down. She pressed the pedal harder, but the car didn't react. Her hands grasped the wheel. Every muscle in her body tensed. She turned abruptly to the left to avoid hitting the car in front. The wheels screeched and the tail swung, but she somehow managed to regain control of the car. A terrified pedestrian jumped aside to avoid being run over. The car shot through the intersection. For a second, Rachel thought that she could do it. Then a truck loomed ahead like a monster, and she knew that the crash was inevitable.