Fiction: The Bridge of Luck

This month's Words for Wednesday's prompts are provided by River at her blog here. This week's prompts are: on the run, belong, street, breakfast, tent and this image:

photo credit: "Genius" and allowed by Val.

Fiction: The Bridge of Luck
It was about three in the afternoon but the dark sky made it appeared as if night will descend at any moment. We were the only car along the old Golden Chariot Bridge. It was often known as the Hawk because of the hawk cries that were heard on the bridge. Some said if you hear a hawk's cry while on the bridge, you will either get three hours of bad luck or three days of good luck.
    Cold September wind seeped in through the one opened car window as Will liked to drive with the wind in his face. In the passenger side, I tried to listen to the classical music coming out of the car speakers as I stared out the window. The Hawk was an endless miles of concrete above and below but it was really only 7,000 feet long and yet, haven't we been driving for hours?
    We started the drive with only bagels and cups of black coffee for our late breakfast. The streets were empty when we set out even though it was after two in the afternoon. Within about an hour, we reached the Hawk rather quickly but smoothly.
    At times it seemed like we were going in an endless loop around the Hawk, as if we're on the run from some disaster just to get to some safe place. Will drove either too fast or swayed the car haphazardly from side to side as if avoiding invisible bumps on the asphalt.
    Did we belong here on the bridge? Did someone want us here going in circles? I wanted to ask Will how much longer before we get off the bridge but he was immersed in the music. He had said right from the start that he didn't like conversations while driving and to only talk to him if it was an emergency.
    Three years ago, a car accident left me with a barely usable left leg and unable to drive. My sister, Carolyn, had somehow got Will to drive me. Carolyn had assured me Will was a good driver and that he will get me where I wanted to go but I wasn't so sure. Could you get lost on a bridge?   
    Kee-eeeee-arr. The sound echoed. Was it a hawk? I couldn't see anything in the sky. Will one of us or both of us have three hours of bad luck or three days of good luck?
    We drove past what appeared to be a white tent that was askew and left on the bridge. The lamps lining the side of the bridge were lit but of little help to clear the foggy air. I checked my wrist watch. It was only three ten. Hadn't we been driving for hours? How could only ten minutes had passed?
    Will put on another cd, this time, of rock songs. The classical music was making me drowsy. I spied another broken white tent on the side of the bridge. Was it the same tent or had the wind blew it here? But how could it had come ahead of us?
    We entered the tunnel where I no longer could see the sky. All around us were gray walls lined with lights on either side. One by one, the lights started to go out as we passed them. Soon, only the car's headlights lit the bridge's dusty floor but those lights suddenly cut out. The music stalled and faded. I couldn't hear the engine and none of the dashboard lights were on.
     I turned to Will but I couldn't see him in the darkness. "Will?" My voice echoed. "Will, did you turn off the headlights? I don't think that's a good idea. Will?"
    There was no respond. From the passenger seat, I reached out toward the driver's side. I felt the cotton of Will's shirt sleeve. I shook his arm. "Will?" But he didn't respond. I ran a hand over him and felt his eyes. They were closed. He must had fallen asleep or blacked out. Neither idea sounded good.
    We were moving but swaying side to side. What if we crash with another car that was going the other way? The Hawk was a two-way traffic bridge. I released my seat belt and bent and twisted and used my hand to find the brake. The wind was doing its best to pester me.
    I touched something solid, sightly long and rectangle. I wasn't sure if it was the brake or the clutch but I took the chance and pressed down but it didn't budge. We were still moving. I got back onto the seat. For safety, I put my seatbelt back on and then took hold of the steering wheel, leaning toward the driver's side as much as I could to keep the wheel steadily though I saw nothing in front of me. The wind was whipping my face.
    In the darkness, the only sound was my breathing and the wind. How long could we go on coasting on this bridge in this darkness? Was it the wind or some invisible hand moving the car?
    
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With the darkness all around me, I had a sudden thought I might be dreaming. Bright lights aimed at me and I held up my arm to block it. I was too late to realized it was another car as it crashed against us. We slid backward little by little. I swayed forward and backward and then forward and slammed the back of my head on the seat as the car came to a halt.
    With the bright lights of the other car's headlight, I was able to see through the cracks of the windshield at the other driver who seemed to be cursing but I couldn't hear what he said. Something fell on my arm. I turned to the side. "Will!" I called. I pushed him upright. "Will, wake up!" I shook him but he didn't respond but he was breathing. I took out a handkerchief from my bag on the car floor and tied it around Will's bleeding head wound.
    I dug through my bag for my phone but then I recalled I had lost it a few days ago. I searched Will but he didn't have a phone. With a rushed hand, I combed through the glove compartment. There was nothing but crumbled papers and leftover candy wrappers and a flashlight that didn't work. I veered my eyes around the car at the various piles of mess. When was the last time Will cleaned his car?
    My left leg throbbed. I took a few breaths in and out. I will need to get Will and the other driver out of the tunnel. There was a sudden light in my face and then I was spinning along with the car. My head hit the side window and the pain made me squeezed my eyes shut. What the hell! I opened my eyes and saw the wall of the tunnel. Our car was now against the tunnel wall with the second car on our left and the third car somewhere in between the front and the side of our car.     
    The third car had stopped but the driver reminded unmoving in the car. I could see blonde hair and red clothing. But I didn't have the energy to worry about her. Will and I were trapped between two cars. We would need pliers to get us out. I should call for help but I had no phone. In this semi-darkness, it was easy to believe I was in a dream and yet the pain in my head was telling me otherwise. I should be afraid but I wasn't. Was it because I had been here before? I closed my eyes for a moment. Is this the Hawk's bad luck?
    "Would you like some help?"
    I opened my eyes. Where did he come from? The man was wearing a long dark coat. I couldn't see his face as it was in the shadows.
    "Where did you come from? Never mind. Yes, I would like some help, thanks," I said.
    "Name's Hawk." He pushed the second car aside as if it weighted a few pounds and stepped around to Will's side and pulled the car door opened. He grabbed Will and put him on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I will get him out first and then I will return for you."
    "Thank you, Hawk." I smiled. Who was this man? As long as he got us out, did it matter? Hawk walked on and disappeared into the darkness. Didn't he need a light to see?
    My left leg was aching but I didn't dare move. I was packed tight from both sides like I was in some tiny steel box. The third car was close enough that I could see the driver was a young woman. Her car was one of those shiny, yellow sports car. She was probably going somewhere fun and wonderful.
    I was going to a wedding where I was going to pretend to be happy drinking wine and eating expensive but unpalatable food. I should have declined when I got the invitation but my sister convinced me I should go just to show I was the bigger person. But who wanted to see their ex-husband marrying their best friend?
    Hawk returned. He moved the third car out of the way as effortlessly as before. With ease, he got the car door on my side open. He bended his head as if he knew how to hide from the light. I put the straps of my bag over my shoulder and eased out of the car. Hawk took my arm and put it around his shoulder and held on while he put his other arm around my waist. Slowly, he led me down the tunnel. The car's headlights lit the space but as we moved farther away from the cars, the light slowly faded away until we were walking in complete darkness but Hawk didn't seem bothered. Nor did he rush me and even paused for me to take a little break. It was quiet with only our footsteps echoing. There was a musty odor mixed with fresh laundry scent coming from Hawk. It reminded me of the park near my house where I took walks.
    It took a while but the darkness started receding and we stepped out of the tunnel. The sky had darkened but was bright enough to see there was more bridge ahead of us.
    "You wait here while I get the others," said Hawk.
    I didn't argue and wiped the sweat off my forehead with the sleeve of my blouse. I watched as he disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel. The ground was filthy but I sat down beside Will and I rubbed my leg to ease the ache.
    In about fifteen minutes, Hawk returned with his arms around the other drivers. The first driver grunted as he lowered himself onto the ground a little away from us. His right thigh was wrapped in a towel already soaked through. Hawk lowered the young woman to the ground on the other side of Will.
    "Hawk, do you have a phone we can call for help?" I said.
    Hawk shook his head. "I do not use such devices."
    So there were still people who didn't believe in technology?
    "Do not worry. Help will come soon. Just wait." There was a casual smile on Hawk's lips. His eyes were two vivid brown suns. He turned to look up. "It might rain soon," he said.
    I looked up at the sky. The fog had cleared a bit and there were dark clouds overhead. "Hawk, where did you park your ca—" I looked down but Hawk wasn't there. I stood up and looked around. How could he had disappeared so fast or where would he had gone? Back in the tunnel and then away? I was too tired to think clearly. Maybe he was just some guy who liked to help people and then leave.
    My leg was killing me. I wanted a painkiller but I had weaned myself from them. I sat down again. There was nothing to do but wait.
    It soon got darker and colder. A light rain began to fall. If help didn't come soon, we might have to spend the night here.
    By the time a car appeared, it was nearly six o'clock. The driver, a middle aged man, helped get Will and the young woman into the backseat of his four-door while the other driver got in on the other side of the young woman. I climbed into the front seat. We headed in the same direction Will and I were heading. I glanced out the window and looked back at the bridge. In the darkness, I couldn't see anything but in the sky, a creature flew by. Was it a hawk? I couldn't say. We had our three hours of bad luck, didn't we?