This is my flash fiction entry from last night. I had a really hard time coming up with something so I went with two characters I know very well for support. Thanks Ben and Louisa!!
The Wheel
Louisa opened the car door and sat down. Her breathing became shallow and her mind absolutely raced. She looked over at the passenger seat as soon as he sat down. “Ben? I don’t think that I can do this?”
“Nonsense. Of course you can.”
She let out a deep sigh. “But that’s the thing, I can’t. I could never drive back home in London but now that I’m in the States, it’s going to be twice as bad. The wheel isn’t even on the right side of the car, it’s on the left.”
He put his hand on top of hers. “You’re worrying about it before we even start. We’ll just take it one step at a time, alright? You’re going to be just fine.”
She nodded, placing both hands on the wheel. “Okay. One step at a time. What do I do first?”
“First thing is to put the keys in the ignition.”
Something easy. Good. She took the keys and went to insert them into the steering wheel but kept jamming it into the side. “Where in the world is the ignition, anyway? It’s supposed to be here.”
Ben shook his head. “No sweetie, it’s there on the dash next to the radio.”
She turned a deep shade of red as she put the key in the ignition and turned on the car. This is not going to be pretty. I couldn’t even find the right place to put the key. I should run back inside right now. “Okay. Got that. Finally. Now what?”
“Louisa, I should have told you this before you even started the car but you should probably put your seatbelt on before we do anything else.”
Louisa pulled down the seatbelt but somehow got it twisted. She reached to put the buckle in the lock but somehow lost hold of it and it snapped back, hitting her on the cheek. “Ouch!” Her hand flew instantly to her face.
Ben reached across to move her hand. “Honey? Let me see if it left a mark?” He looked at it carefully, his head tilted to one side. “It’s just a little red, nothing that’s going to leave a mark. You going to be okay?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. I might kill myself if I do anything else in this car.”
Ben pulled the seatbelt down for her and fastened it securely in the lock. “Okay. The car is on and you’ve got your seatbelt fastened; now, check your rearview mirror. Okay good. Put it in reverse and slowly back up.” Louisa began to back up but not before the car began to go off of the driveway and into the grass. Ben ran his fingers through his hair as he looked over at her once more. “Honey, you’re going crooked. Step on the break, pull forward and try again. Okay?”
Louisa’s shoulders slumped . “Sure,” she answered him, only she stepped on the gas pedal instead of the break, sending the car slamming into a tree just off the side of the driveway.
As the car came to a stop, Louisa looked over at her brand new husband: his eyes were closed and he was holding on tightly to the door handle. He slowly opened one eye and looked at her. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she turned away, ashamed to look him directly in the eye. She put her head down and rested it on the wheel. After a moment, she felt his arm wrap around her. “Are you alright, sweetie? We don’t have to do this now if you don’t want to.”
She looked up at him and smiled through her tears before turning her attention back to the wheel and giving it a slight shove with her fists. “Stupid wheel on the wrong side of the car. It’s all your fault.”
Ben began to shake with laughter. “Sure honey, the wheel was the problem.”
Louisa looked up at him with one eyebrow raised. “You know there might be consequences for disagreeing with your wife on this one. It could be lonely on the couch.”
In a mock serious tone, Ben pounded the steering wheel himself. “Stupid wheel on the wrong side of the car.”
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