A Ride in the Country
You are enjoying the feel of the wind in your hair as Adam's convertible winds its way through the moonlit English countryside. Your eyes are closed and you are completely relaxed, that is until you hear the car pull off to the side of the road. Adam curses softly. "What is it?" you ask without opening your eyes.
"We've uh, we've run out of gas."
You laugh. "Adam for Pete's sake. You're taking me to an inn where we're going to share the same room, you hardly have to pull the oldest trick in the book just to..."
"No, I mean it. The stupid thing's on empty."
You finally open your eyes and see frustration written all over his face. He is grumbling, swearing under his breath, and gripping the steering wheel hard. "You're serious?"
"Yes I damn well am," he snaps.
"Take it easy. I think I have some Midol in my purse if you think you need it that badly." The look he flashes you tells you he is in no mood to be joked with. "So how far is the next town?"
"Too far. If we started off now, we might find it just before the sun came up, but I doubt it."
"Okay, well there has to be a payphone or a farm or something somewhere around here."
"Or some nice moors to sink into and die."
"What about your cell phone?"
"Sitting on the dresser in the hotel room we can't get back to."
"You didn't bring the cell phone? Let me guess, it ruined the line of the leather pants?" He blushes, so you know you are right. "Great. So what do you want to do?"
"Wait here until morning, then try to get some help."
"But you never got the roof fixed and it's already getting cold. I think we should walk on and try to find a phone."
"Well I don't. It could be dangerous out there."
"It could be dangerous waiting here. We don't even have a roof over our heads. We're not exactly bolted in."
"Well I'm not going stumbling about out there in the dark." He crosses his arms over his chest.
Minutes of uncomfortable silence pass between you. You want to go, but you don't want to go alone. "God. It's like Texas Chainsaw Massacre terrain out here."
"Don't say things like that."
"I'm serious. I almost expect to see the Terror Truck come barreling out of the brush at any second."
"Stop that." You fight off a smile, clear your throat, and make a chainsaw noise. The look he gives you is pure ice. "Are you quite finished?"
He returns to looking straight ahead. After a few minutes, you speak again. "Gosh, do you know how many X-Files episodes start just like this?"
"FINE!"
Adam opens his door, jumps out, slams it behind him and begins striding down the road.
You open the glovebox and retrieve a flashlight. You open your door and get out, grabbing his keys from the ignition and stuffing them in your pocket on your way to follow him. You fall into step beside him. He won't look at you. You sigh and start to walk a little behind, giving him his space. After about a half hour, he stops walking. You stop as well, wondering why he has. He extends his hand back to you. You smile and take it, catching up to him. He smiles down on you, releases your hand and instead slides his arm around your waist.
About an hour later, you hear rustling in the bushes on the side of the road, causing you to squeeze closer against him. He shines the flashlight on the foliage. There is very clearly movement there but you can't see anything. "Maybe you should go see what that is?" you whisper to him.
"Why me?"
"You're the guy."
"You're the curious one. You go." You gulp and move forward. He reels you back to his side. "Are you mad?! Don't go in there. You could be killed."
"Well we have to find out what it is! We can't stay here all night, and I don't want to start back down the path and have whatever this is sneak up behind us."
"Christ! I'll go. Just stay back," he shines the flashlight ahead of him so that he can see.
"Be careful." As he moves closer, you can see something furry begin to poke out of the thick bushes. "Adam get back! Something's coming through!" He backs up toward you once more, keeping his eye on the emerging thing, while extending a protective arm in front of you.
The next thing you hear is a low frightening growl. As it pushes its way through, you see it is a large mastiff dog, and it is foaming at the mouth. "Oh my God," you whisper.
"Keep calm and back up very very slowly," Adam whispers back. You do as instructed, and your foot finds a pothole with the accuracy of a Patriot Missile. You drop onto the asphalt on your backside. The sudden movement triggers an attack response in the beast and it lunges for your position with a growling snarl. You scream and throw your arms up in anticipation of the bite. As the dog flies by his leg, Adam brings the heavy flashlight down on the back of the thing's neck. It whimpers, and crashes to the road just short of you. Adam bends down and grips your hand, pulling you to your feet. He begins running down the street with you in tow as the dog gets back to its feet and begins to chase you.
You are scanning your surroundings as you run, finding nowhere to hide, hearing the dog closing in. "I love you Adam," you shout out, trying not to start crying.
"And you'll prove it to me later tonight. For now, just run." You round a bend and are suddenly blinded by the glare of headlights. Adam turns back and dives to cover you. You both roll out of the path of the oncoming vehicle and to the side of the road. You've landed in a panting tangle and as you look up, you can see the dog breathing over you. As it rears back, your breath freezes in your chest. It lunges forward only to be propelled back with a loud bang that makes you scream and Adam jump. You hear one loud yipe, and then it is still.
When you sit up and look around, you see that the dog has been shot, and that the car that almost hit you has its door open. A man with a rifle stands beside it. He lowers the gun and sits it on the back seat of his car before he makes his way over to you. "You folks all right then?"
"Thanks to you, yeah." Adam stands and then helps you to your feet. You are hugging against his chest, still a little shaky.
"Poor old Amelia. She were a good dog. I'm sorry about this. When I went to put her down tonight, she'd dug her way out of the pen. I've been tracking her almost all night. What brings you folks out here this time of the night?"
"Our car broke down."
"Where are you staying?"
"The Red Spring Inn."
"Oh that's not that far up road. Get in, I'll get you there and you can get mechanic to come get your car in the morning."
"That's very kind of you, thank you." Adam escorts you into the car, climbs in beside you and the man proceeds to drive you back to your hotel.
When you get back to your room, you hurriedly shower and dress for bed. You wait under the covers for Adam to join you. When he crawls in, you turn to lay on his chest and he smoothes your hair. "Next time, we'll stay with the car just like you wanted."
"If we'd done that, we'd be sleeping there tonight. I prefer the bed thanks. And there won't be a next time. I don't think I'll ever let the car get under half a tank again, and I am never going farther than down the block without the cell phone."
"You were almost killed tonight listening to me."
"And somebody could have come along and shot us sitting all helpless in the car if we'd stayed."
"Don't say that."
Adam kisses the top of your hair. "Now who's being the sensitive one?"
"I'm sorry."
"Shh," he tilts your chin up to face him and kisses you on the lips. "Do you remember when you said you loved me?"
"I do."
"And I said you could show me later?"
You smile. "I do."
He grins wickedly. "Well?"
You move forward and kiss him soundly as your hand slips inside his pajama top...
|
|
| The character of Adam Klaus and the show Jonathan Creek were created by David Renwick and are © the BBC. No infringement is intended and no profits are being made. |