SO WE MEET ONCE AGAIN...

I’m totally caught off guard, how, I mean when did she get in the car. As I step back from the trunk and the keys fall to the ground, I watch and see her slowly pull herself out of the front seat. She leans against the car badly banged up – I mean real bad – dried blood, hair and soot cover her face. Her shirt is hardened with blood, while fresh blood still stains her upper lip from what appears to be a broken nose. I step forward to get a better look and as I do she tells me, “We don't have time to waste, I don't know what you and Robert discussed, but I am the only person that you can trust right now...” I can clearly see she is in pain as she pauses mid-sentence in an attempt to sit back down in the passenger seat. She slowly settles herself in the seat before she continues, “...but forget about the trunk for now and lets get out of here, we will soon have company.” I ask, "Where did you go, and when did you get in the car?" She looks at me and says, "Um, I've been in here the entire time..." I look at her side-ways as I form my mouth to say, "Huh?" - I just shake my head and figure she is out of it or something. I bend down pick-up the keys and as I stand up I think about opening the trunk anyway, but if what she says is true, getting out of here is probably the best and number one option. I hurry around to to the driver side and get in, she shuts her door turns to me and in a soft and timid voice says, “Thank you.” I turn and look at her and that's when my weary brain starts to process, that this is not Veronica, as I move the hair from her face she looks at me and in a very confused voice asks, “What?” I begin to squint and I try to recall, not if, but where I know this woman from. I guess she can tell I’m trying to figure out who she is because she says, “Um, I was at your house a couple of weeks back...(I give her a blank stare) I'm April, your wife's soror...I was helping her move.” I snap my fingers and quickly point at her and say, “yeeeeah...” she cuts me off and finishes my sentence, “I'm the one who found the condom wrappers.” We continue to look at each other and there is a long, awkward silence, a second later I put the key in the ignition and start the car. I back the car away from the tree put it in drive and as I press the accelerator it does pretty much nothing – yeah this car is going no where fast. I'm thinking' though, if I can at least get it to the SUV I might be able to jump it and drive it instead. However, getting over to the SUV takes a lot longer than I would have imagined but somehow I manage. I jump out and try to pry open the hood, it is a struggle to say the least but I do get one side of the hood up when the trunk *slams* and April comes up behind me with jumper cables and crow bar in hand. She stops looks at me and says, “I thought you might need these...I found them in the trunk.” I look at her and hesitantly say, “thanks.” I take them from her and just look at her for a second before I eventually put the crowbar to use. I finally manage to get the other side of the hood up as she patiently looks over my shoulder. I pop the hood of the SUV, attach the cable to both batteries, take a deep breath - look up to the sky to say a quick prayer - turn the key in the ignition and by the grace of God it starts. I get out to help her into the SUV and find her once again in the trunk of the car, and as I walk toward her she quickly does something and slams the trunk shut. When she comes from behind the car I see she has a duffel bag on her shoulder and a little pep in her step. She hurries past me and says, “I had to get my over night bag,” and literally hops in the front seat. I don’t know if I'm trippin', but she seems to be feeling a whole lot better now and before I can ask, she says, “shoot I think I locked the car keys in the trunk.” I think to myself 'Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight' as I bring my hands up to my mouth and place my 2 index fingers on my lips and think for a second, 'am I being played?' I decide to leave it alone for now and just get in the SUV. As I put the car in reverse and back out she asks, “So, what happened to the woman who was with you, is she...” I can't take this anymore, I slam on the breaks, put it back in park, cut her off and ask, “OK, WAIT...WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK, NO BETTER YET, WHO ARE YOU REALLY AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?!” But before she could answer, a voice from the back of the SUV emphatically says, “Yeah April, tell him why you're here!”...