I STILL REMEMBER ONE OF THE MOST TERRIFYING MOMENTS OF MY LIFE.
I WAS A SPITFIRE COLLEGE STUDENT WITH BAD SOCIAL SKILLS + A WORSE ATTITUDE. EVERY DAY I COMMUTED 1.5 HOURS TO SCHOOL… UNTIL I FOUND A SHORTCUT. THIS NARROW ROAD CUT OFF A CORNER AND REJOINED THE MAIN ROAD LATER. IF YOU WENT TWICE THE SPEED LIMIT, YOU COULD SHAVE OFF 15 MINUTES.
IT WAS A BAD IDEA.
I DID IT ALL THE TIME.
ONE DAY, I GLIMPSED ANOTHER CAR AHEAD OF ME ON THIS NORMALLY EMPTY ROAD. STRANGER STILL WAS THAT IT WAS IDENTICAL TO MY CAR. SAME MAKE, MODEL, COLOR. AND WHEN I CAUGHT UP AT A HAIRPIN TURN, I SAW THAT THE DRIVER WAS A SLIGHT YOUNG WOMAN WITH HAIR JUST MY COLOR, IN A PONYTAIL JUST LIKE MINE. SQUARISH SHOULDERS, JUST LIKE MINE. DROVE JUST LIKE ME.
SUDDENLY I WAS TERRIFIED.
WHAT IF I CAUGHT HER EYE IN THE MIRROR + SHE HAD MY FACE?
I HIT THE BRAKES + LET HER TEAR OFF.
TWO DECADES LATER, I STILL DON’T KNOW WHY IT SCARED ME SO BAD. I DO KNOW THAT THE MOMENT I GOT HOME I STARTED WRITING A STORY, AND THAT YOU ARE HOLDING A BOX WITH THAT STORY IN IT NOW.
I HOPE YA LIKE IT.
URS,
MAGGIE (note: this is her autograph so its written in a different font with arrows coming off the first and last letters). /end ID]