At the edge

This story is by Marina Sapnara and was part of our 2024 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

As I stared at that Greek sign in the middle of nowhere, my self-esteem dropping with every tick of the clock, I wondered. Should I go back and apologize? It wasn’t our first fight. It definitely wouldn’t be our last. We had come to this island to rekindle our relationship.

I looked at the lush forest in front of me. Even the dark clouds couldn’t hide its beauty. I parked my sedan at the side of the road and got out, the rich smell of rain in my nostrils. It was somehow liberating to feel the tiny raindrops on my face. I knew Lizzy loved me. She could be a little rough sometimes, that’s all.

A sudden push jolted me from my thoughts as a young woman bumped into my back. Her petite figure wasn’t enough to move me, but still, I was surprised. She said something in Greek that I didn’t understand.

“Oh, I am sorry, sir. Are you a tourist? I didn’t see you there,” she said, out of breath.

Her clothes were soaked, her pants filled with tiny branches and leaves. A large bag on her shoulder weighed her down. She looked like she had a worse day than me. Definitely in a hurry, if she hadn’t noticed the only person in the middle of a mountain.

“Do you need a ride?” I asked.

She looked around her cautiously, weighing her options. The road ahead of us was long, full of twists and turns, and the rain was only getting heavier. Finally, she nodded.

“Can you drop me off at Charavgi?”

“Lead the way,” I said, opening the door for her.

Ten minutes later, listening to a melodic voice on the radio, I felt a bit more optimistic. Lizzy would have calmed down by now. I would go back, apologize, and all would be forgotten. Our marriage would live to see another day.

The woman next to me sat in silence. She was rocking back and forth in her seat, scratching her palms.

“So, how long have you been hiking?” I asked, trying to break the ice.

“Hiking?” She turned her head and froze when she noticed a black jeep behind us.

“I was a hiker… when I was younger,” I said, giving the other driver room to pass. He didn’t. I felt my throat go dry. It hurt when I had to give up on my hobby to satisfy Lizzy’s needs, but that was a long time ago.

“I would definitely advise you to invest in a good backpack,” I said, looking at the one at her feet. “It makes all the difference.”

“Sure,” she said. “Turn right here, please.”

I noticed the road at the last minute and turned the car with a force that almost took us off the road.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” I looked around in disbelief as the jeep turned behind us.

“Of course.”

The road was bumpy, filled with potholes from years of neglect. I tried to avoid them as best as I could. The rain was also a factor I didn’t take lightly, so I slowed down. I could see the driver behind us looking at me angrily through the mirror, but the road was too narrow for two cars.

“We’d better drive a little faster,” said the woman, also looking in the mirror.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not afraid of impatient drivers.”

“You should be,” she replied, tapping her fingers on her thigh. “Turn left.”

Again, I turned at the last minute, afraid I would lose control of the car.

“Maybe you could let me know a little earlier from now on?” I said as the jeep followed us. She fixed her eyes on me, an inner battle going on in her head.

“I have to tell you something, but I want you to stay calm. The jeep is following us.”

“I noticed,” I sighed. With my luck, he was probably one of Lizzy’s friends. She would love to hear what an incompetent driver I was.

“No, he’s following us. Me, in particular.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m not a hiker,” she said.

“I still don’t understand.”

She let out a long sigh. “He’s trying to kill me!”

I gasped, lifting my foot from the pedal. The sedan jumped from the sudden loss of power, almost touching the vehicle behind us.

“What do you mean? Why?” I yelled, trying to regain the lost distance between us.

“I stole some of his money,” she said, tapping the bag at her feet. “I had to get away.”

“Get away from what?”

“Our relationship didn’t end on the best of terms.”

“Then, let’s just give it back.” I cried.

“I don’t think it’s that simple.”

The jeep made a sudden maneuver, veered off the road, and came up beside us. The driver waved at me to stop, his eyes filled with fury. My wheel began to slip from my hands and I struggled to get away from him.

“If we stop and explain that this is all a misunderstanding…” I said, but she shook her head.

“We’ll both be dead before you say a word.”

The jeep made another maneuver that knocked us off the road. Our car ran over some dead branches, mud staining the windows. Holding my breath, I steadied the wheel and climbed back up.

“Turn left!” The woman said.

“There is no left,” I shuddered, looking at the rocks that spread out in front of us.

“Now!”

She tried to grab the wheel, but I resisted.

“Are you crazy?”

We struggled for a few moments; the car lurching from side to side.

“We’re dead anyway,” she said, and with a sudden movement, her elbow hit my nose.

The pain spread instantly. Instinctively, I covered my face, leaving the wheel in her hands. The car took a sharp turn, windows creaking from the impact on uneven ground. Blurry images passed me by as the bag opened, scattering bills around us. I could see a road ahead, followed by a cliff, but with that heavy rain, there was no way we could stop. I closed my eyes, awaiting the end. Lizzy would probably find this amusing. A fitting death for an unworthy husband.

The woman pulled the handbrake and turned the wheel. The car did two full spins; the rims got stuck in the mud and stopped a few meters from the edge. I opened the door and got out, falling on the ground as my shaky legs couldn’t support my weight.

“We have to go,” the woman said. Her voice trembled, but her hands were steady as she grabbed the bag and started gathering the money.

Tires screeching made my head turn, and my heart sunk as I saw the black jeep coming towards us. It stopped next to the sedan, trapping us at the edge. I glanced at the sea below us. The dark water staring back at me.

The man got out of the car holding a revolver. The barrel pointing at my head. He spat some words at me in a language I didn’t understand. The woman stepped between us and started arguing with him.

“Go!” He finally said.

He was letting us go? Relieved, I reached for the woman’s hand.

“No,” the man said, “Not her. You. Go.”

I gasped, taking a few steps back. He turned his back at me and pointed the gun at the woman’s head. She dropped the bag to the ground and closed her eyes.

I tried to move, but my feet felt heavy. It shouldn’t be such a hard choice, should it? I could leave and go home, reunite with my wife. We could find a way to get over our differences. She used to love me once, after all. Whereas this woman was nobody. I didn’t even know her name. I never asked.

The man started yelling at her, not paying attention to his gun. It was a unique opportunity. I gathered all my strength and grabbed him from behind.

We fell to the ground; the revolver slipping from his hands. We struggled for its possession, swimming in the mud. I got him in a headlock, but he pushed me away, knocking the revolver further with his leg.

Time seemed to slow down. He reached for the gun as I grabbed his leg. His face hit the ground hard, mud covering his eyes. The woman screamed as his legs went over the edge. His body traveled through the air, his hands trying aimlessly to find something to hold on to, but it was too late. He fell into the void with an agonizing scream.

Lying on my back, I gasped for air. I never realized life could be so short. How many minutes had I wasted? How many of them were spent with someone I didn’t love?

“Are you okay?” The woman said, kneeling at my side.

A laugh escaped my throat.

“I think I’m getting a divorce.”