His Halloween Kisses by Kathy Bosman Page A

the agony of a simple movement. Using his left arm, he took hold of his cell phone and clicked it on.
    Who could he phone? He scrolled through his contacts.
    â€œSimon, it’s Byron. I’ve been in an accident.”
    â€œWhere are you?”
    â€œI’m not sure. Somewhere between Villiers and Newcastle.”
    â€œOh, that helps. Are you hurt?”
    â€œMy arm’s sore but I’ll survive. Just want to get out of here. I have a feeling I’ve gone down a hill.”
    â€œOh, it’s dark. How will we find you?”
    â€œWait, I have a GPS. Let me give you the coordinates. Bye. I’ll call back.” He clicked some buttons on his phone to copy and paste the coordinates to send to Simon.
    The phone rang minutes later. “You’re just outside Memel. I’m at work. I’ll send my sister to get you after I phone the ambulance.”
    â€œI don’t think…”
    â€œYou helped her in her time of need.”
    â€œI suppose.” He ended the call and closed his eyes, suddenly wishing he could allow the all-encompassing drowsiness to take over.
    ****
    Ali felt glad Janet was home when Simon called. Janet had driven rally cars before. She knew how to wing it safely. And Ali had terrible night vision. With shaky hands, she climbed into the passenger seat of Janet’s car, and they took off down the Memel Road, the GPS on her cell phone all ready to tell them where to find Byron.
    They drove in anxious silence, every nerve in her body wired to respond.
    â€œHere. It’s here. Pull over.”
    Janet obeyed and pulled right off the shoulder of the road onto the grass and brush. Ali scrambled out into the dark, her headlight torch on her forehead and another in her hand, ready to find a mangled car. She kept on swallowing hard lumps in her throat and struggled to breathe. What if Byron were dead now? He’d sounded fine according to Simon, but he hadn’t answered any of her messages, and she’d sent about twenty since she got into the car.
    Janet caught up to her fast and took her hand. “You’re not going down that hill on your own in the dark.”
    â€œOkay.”
    The two ladies forged their way over rocks and through bushes, all the while calling out Byron’s name. Minutes later, they heard ambulance sirens from the road above.
    â€œMaybe we should have waited for them,” Janet said.
    â€œNo. I couldn’t have.” Ali shone the hand torch rays outwards and spotted something shiny and blue. “There.” Letting go of Janet’s hand, she sprinted towards the car which lay on its side.
    â€œByron.” She rushed to the car and shouted. “Are you okay?”
    â€œAli?” A muffled voice came from inside the car.
    She clutched her throat and gasped deep breaths. “He’s alive.”
    â€œI’m going to get the ambulance team. I know the way back,” said Janet.
    â€œYou sure?”
    â€œYes.” Janet was also old hat at hiking and navigation. Thank goodness Ali had her as a roommate.
    â€œByron, the ambulance people are coming now. They will get you out. Are you okay?”
    â€œI’ll survive.” He could even make a joke at a moment like this. Oh, if only she could hug and hold him, touch him to make sure he hadn’t disappeared off planet earth.
    â€œI hit a pothole.” He laughed and then started coughing.
    â€œDon’t talk.”
    â€œIt’s fine. Helps me stay awake.”
    Why was he sleepy? Was he losing consciousness? Her heart raced, drying up her tongue and making it hard to talk, but she had to.
    â€œWhere were you coming from?”
    â€œPretoria.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t travel at night.”
    â€œI know. It took longer than planned. What I had to do.”
    What did he have to do? It didn’t matter. What mattered now was getting him to safety.
    â€œThey really need to fix this road.” She shouted now, trying to