Chapter 2

            She woke up to the smell of smoke and ash. The sound of a million pieces of paper being crinkled up echoed around her. She opened her eyes to see charred items around her. Her head thumped and her eyes felt crossed. She was in the middle of a fire – or the beginnings of a fire. It didn’t look like she had long. She did her best to stand, unsteady on her feet. She hissed as pain shot through her lower arm. A loud banging got her attention. It appeared the fire was spreading to some crunched medal to her right. She grunted as she looked around, trying to find a safe path to get away from what appeared to be a disaster area. Luckily, one was to her left. She limped as fast as she could. A brown case with intricate patterns got her attention on the way. She didn’t know what was in it but grabbed it just in case it would be useful. She continued to limp away from the wreckage. She coughed from the smoke. Once she got some distance from the fire, she turned around and looked.

            What used to be a plane was in front of her. She had been on a plane. From what she could tell, she was the only one who made it. There were no other bodies as far as she could see. But the black smoke was rather thick and getting thicker. Her eyes went crossed on and off and her head was still hurting.

            I best be on my way. It appears the fire is spreading.

            She walked, the best she could until she got to a road – a highway. She coughed a few times and stopped. Her ankle or foot – or maybe both were killing her. She couldn’t tell which because the pain was so bad. She was barefoot and her right foot did appear to be swollen. Her left arm wasn’t fairing to well either. She plopped down next to the road. All she could do was hope someone would come by who would give her a ride. This was the first chance she had gotten to take a gander at what she was wearing. The black leggings she wore were full of holes around the calves. The satin short sleeved blouse she had on was filthy. Her long hair was frizzy and all over the place. As she considered her appearance, she wondered if anyone would stop with her looking such a fright.

            She didn’t know how long she waited out there, but finally someone came along in an extremely large truck – an eighteen-wheeler. The driver was hauling a trailer that said, Getter Done Trucking, on the side. The truck was obnoxiously loud as the driver put it in park. She would have stood, but she just didn’t have the strength.

            “Hey, little lady,” the driver said as he rushed around the front of his big rig. “Are you okay?” He was a tubby white man with brown hair sticking out of his dirty raggedy cap. It looked like his faded jeans had seen better days but considering how she looked who was she to judge.

            “I don’t think so,” she answered hoarsely. “I was in some sort of crash. I didn’t see any survivors.”

            “Crash? What kind of crash? Car crash?”

            “No. A plane. I was on a plane. I must have been flying it. I didn’t see anyone else.”

            “What do you mean you must have been flying it? You don’t remember?”

            “I’m afraid not. But I had to have been. I didn’t see anyone else.”

            Then again, it was so smoky. I could barely see to get out of it.

            “Are you injured?”

            “I think something is wrong with my foot or ankle. It’s swollen. And my lower arm hurts like the dickens.”

            “First thing we need to do is get you up and in the rig. Unless there is a forest fire or someone dying, emergency crews aren’t going to come all the way out here.”

            It was a painful process, but the driver got her into his truck.

            He turned the key to the noisy contraption and they were on their way. “It’s going to take a while to get you to the hospital. At least a hundred and fifty miles or so. Can you hold on for a while?”

            “I think so, but I am thirsty - and hungry. My mouth is dryer than the desert.”

            “We can stop on the way and get something for you to eat and drink. We have to go at least twenty miles to get to the diner. I drive this route a couple of times a year. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of ya.”

            “Thank you,” she whispered.

            “By the way, my name is Redd. What’s your name?”

            “I’m –”

            What the hell is my name? she thought with confusion.

                                                                              ****

            True to his word, Redd took care of her – especially when they both realized she had no memory of who she was or where she came from. Thirty minutes into the drive, they stopped at the diner he was telling her about along the way. She stayed in the truck while he got them something to eat. Then they were back on the road.

            He had gotten them both a double decker bacon cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milkshakes.  It was a lot of food for her to eat. She only ate half of it, but it was good despite all the grease. After about ninety miles they made a pit stop.  She had to go to the bathroom. The place was clean and the people were friendly for a truck stop. Redd got some more food and they were back on the road for another thirty miles. Redd was becoming concerned about her on and off headaches. So, instead of taking her to a hospital where he personally knew the doctors, he was going to take her to Billings.

            “Billings? Is that a small town with a hospital?” she asked.

            “It’s a city of over a hundred thousand people. Billings, Montana,” he boasted.

            “We’re in Montana?” she said with wonder. It never occurred to her to ask where they were. She had just seen loads of forestry scenery and livestock.

            “Yep. It won’t take long to get there. The turn off is just up ahead.”

            They took a right within ten minutes and next thing she knew they were on the interstate with other trucks, SUVs, and cars. When they were on the country highway, she had only seen a few pickup trucks and cars along the way. Now they were everywhere. The traffic actually made her feel comfortable.