So... the journey starts here. As I already mentioned from now on I will be posting my first novel in episodes here on Steemit.
You can check the back story of how I came up with the idea for the book as well as watch the book trailer in the previous post.
New episodes will be posted every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Can't wait to meet new readers here on Steemit as well as get your impressions in comments!
Episode 1
It was yet another ordinary day. Almost everything was ordinary in Annika's ordinary life. She was an ordinary teenager of seventeen leading a resolutely ordinary existence. Annika studied in the ordinary way, had ordinary friends and felt quite happy. She did not know what love was, but that did not seem to bother her too much. It was nothing out of the ordinary. She was content with her non-extraordinary life and willingly went with its flow.
Annika stood at the bus stop, hoping that the bus would come soon. It was very cloudy. She did not have an umbrella, and getting soaking wet was not in her plans. But life follows its own plans, not someone else's.
It started raining. Raindrops landed on her hair, big and heavy. Some kissed her cheeks, others made her clothes wet and the least lucky landed on the dirty pavement and died disgracefully.
At first Annika got really annoyed and cursed through her teeth but then, realising that she could not fight back the rain, resigned herself to the situation.
Annika was lost in her thoughts when she heard the loud squeal of hysterical car brakes. She turned around to see a black car, out of control, coming straight at her. The driver was desperately wrestling with the steering wheel to save the situation. Annika on the other hand froze into immobility. She simply watched the car and waited for it to hit her. She accepted the situation and resigned herself to fate. When the car was almost upon her, she just closed her eyes.
The few seconds that passed seemed like an eternity. Annika was braced for the worst, but all she felt was a weak impact. The bumper grazed her legs, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.
The driver jumped out of the car and helped her to her feet.
“Are you alright?” he was asking over and over again. “Are you ok?”
Although Annika was completely ok, the shock and the fear had paralyzed her for a while. All she could do was look at him, speechless.
“I'm sorry...I am so sorry... I am really sorry,” he went on. The shock seemed to have the opposite effect on him. He asked and apologized, apologized and asked nonstop.
After a few more minutes of monologue, he finally made his first logical statement.
“I'll take you to the hospital.”
“I am fine,” Annika finally managed to whisper in a weak voice.
“I'll take you anyway just to make sure. Come on.” Basically he bear-hugged her to the car.
Her weak, cotton-wool body did not resist. She did as she was told and sat in the car that had almost killed her. He started the engine and drove to the hospital.
Not a word did Annika say; her wet clothes were soaking the seat and her hands were ice-cold. She merely enjoyed the fact that it was warm and dry in the car. The rain was as fierce as ever, but he was driving much more slowly now. It seemed as if he had already learnt his lesson.
Annika looked at a fixed point in the rear-view mirror. She watched the rain and thought of nothing. She felt completely empty and let happen whatever was supposed to happen. Since she had been getting ready to die fifteen minutes ago, whatever happened now couldn't be worse.
After a while she finally managed to turn her head and looked at the “almost killer”. He hadn’t killed her but he definitely had a killing look. Well, at least for a 17 year-old teenage girl who loved rock music. He looked like Kurt Cobain - but with dark hair and dark eyes. There certainly was quite a pull...
Just what Kurt would have done Annika did not know, but this guy took her to the hospital. He ran after doctors and looked terribly concerned until they told him that she was completely fine. Meanwhile Annika looked around and had the impression that things were happening to someone else. She looked on but took no part. She said and felt nothing.
Annika followed him outside and they stood there for few minutes, just looking at each other. What each one saw in the other, no one knows but the fact that, with not a word spoken, both got into the car again, said a lot.
He was driving again. She did not ask where to.
He spoke.
“I think it's time for us to have a coffee and celebrate the fact that after bumping into each other we're still alive.”