by David Fenton
***
Donovan heard the sound of water. Dizzy, he lifted his head off the steering wheel. All he could see through the windshield was an endless variety of multi-coloured stone and rock. The front of the SUV had dug itself into the ground.
He climbed out of the SUV and inspected it. There was a large dent in the bumper, but everything seemed to be in place. He looked at the tires and saw they were buried to the axels in the ground. This and a thick covering of moss on the boulder must have lessened the impact. Most of the damage was in the form of dents and scratches along the side panels. A lot of the glass was cracked, and both side-view mirrors were ripped off. At some point the spare tired had also been torn off. The undercarriage had a few scratches, and there were droplets of liquid coming from somewhere, but overall, the vehicle seemed fine.
Donovan shook his head and turned to survey his surroundings. He had come out on a stone beach just at the edge of the forest. Wisps of various grasses and mosses covered the rocks and boulders. The river cut its way through the forest and rocks. Pine trees lined the opposite bank and leaned over the river like a protective shield. A large outcrop of rock jutted into the river at a bend further downstream. Dead branches and driftwood lay strewn about the beach.
Donovan smiled. He looked up at the distant mountains. You can’t reach me here, you bastards, he thought. He breathed in a large amount of air and let it out. He did this several times. After a while, he began to collect driftwood for a fire. I can camp now, and nothing is going to stop me, he thought. What a great day this is turning out to be. Too bad Meriam isn’t here.