Chapter 5 - The Submerged Car
The old man stopped on the bottom step, turning slowly. When he saw what Copper had unearthed, all the color drained from his weathered face.
""No,"" the man whispered.
Leo stepped closer to the culvert, peering through the tangled briars and muddy runoff. The bumper belonged to a small sedan, wedged nose-down inside the massive concrete culvert that ran beneath the road. Rising water from the swollen ditch was already creeping past the side mirrors, swirling thick and brown against the shattered windshield.
""Whose car is that?"" Leo asked, his voice tightening.
""My daughter,"" the man choked out, stumbling toward the ditch, slipping on the wet clay. ""She... she was supposed to come home from her shift an hour ago. She drives the back lane.""
Leo didn’t hesitate. He thrust the zipper of his jacket all the way up to keep the three kittens secured against his chest. ""Hold Copper's leash!"" he shouted, thrusting the nylon strap into the old man's trembling hands.
Leo slid down the slick muddy bank, his sneakers sinking deep into the muck. The water was icy, numbing his shins instantly as he waded to the driver’s side door. The windows were heavily tinted, beaded with rain and condensation.
He hammered his fist against the driver’s glass. ""Is anyone in there? Can you hear me?""
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Inside, through the murky glass, a hand weakly pressed against the interior pane. A pale palm, fingers splayed, trembling before sliding down an inch against the fogged glass.
Then, with a sickening groan of shifting metal, the rear end of the car slid deeper into the culvert.
