Bad Conditions

The wind howled and beat against the windshield of the car. We leaned forward, squinting into the darkness, trying to stay on the road. We were not used to this weather; coming from a city that experienced nothing but sunshine and extreme heat. Rain smashed against the glass, and our wipers went on strike; smearing streaks across the window. It was so dark we couldn’t even tell where we were going. However, we were too stubborn to admit that we were lost; driving dangerously. All of a sudden, something smacked violently against the side door. We had hit something, and fear swelled within us. Screeching to a complete stop, we could see the small, crumpled outline of what could only be a child. Slowly, and dazed, we opened the door as unexplainable dread rose within us as we began to make our way over to the dark mound. Unexpectedly, the figure began to crawl away, almost in fear. Squinting against the rain, we tried to follow, only to have it again try to run from us. Lighting flashed against the dark backdrop of the sky, and for a brief moment we could see the face of the child we had hit. It’s tangled face was fused with sticks and shrubbery. Our mouths dropped with shock. The beaten down child was: a tumbleweed. A very large, misshapen tumbleweed that crashed into the side of the car, and now lay limp in the middle of the road after the roaring wind died down. Needles to say: the decision to stop driving until conditions cleared up was made for us.