Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers
I sit and look around. I’m still in slow motion, heart racing. I see a woman. She doesn’t seem to have noticed that anything happened. A car drives by, its driver oblivious. My hands are shaking slightly and I pull over, hazards on.
I take a deep breath in, allow my eyes to close for a moment, breathe out.
Before this,
I lived in a slow motion moment. I drove down the street, watchful but relaxed. Listening to Hamilton, almost home. Suddenly, a van cut across the street directly in front of me. (They made the word suddenly specifically for situations like this, I think.)
I slammed the brake and watched as my car still got closer to the van as the van continued across the street. I braced for impact, eyes squinted. I hoped I wouldn’t hit the van too hard, I pressed the brake. The van kept going, I kept going. Shouldn’t brakes work faster than this? My hands gripped the steering wheel, and I wondered if maybe I would just scrape the back of the van.
And then it was over. The van went on its merry way, and I watched as cars passed all around me, unconcerned.
Now safely pulled over, I call Mr. Thought.
“I’m okay,” I start, because I am.
On a Thought 
Yikes! You did a great job painting that very scary moment. I’m so glad you’re okay! I recently had a shaking hands car-related incident, so I can relate. On a plus note, we both got blog posts out of it!
Yes! Way to look at the positive. :0) Glad you are okay!
I actually started squinting my eyes while reading this… what a terrifying moment described with beautiful words.
Thank you!
So well written- heart pounding! Glad you are ok! A friend of mine (she, too, miraculously, is ok) said of a recent accident in which she looked up to find herself looking at the grille of a semi (hit because her car was in its blind spot) “I thought to myself, I am going to die right now.” The tone of your writing reminded me of how she sounded when she told her story.
Oh my gosh that sounds scary!!! So glad she is ok!
What a scary moment. I’m glad it ended well.