My mind raced.

As best as I could, I swerved the car between the two lanes of the highway, trying to lose the Banshee but she held on fast. The good thing was, if she held onto the sword it meant that she couldn’t remove it and try to stab us again. What to do?

A turn-off was up ahead on the right hand side.

An empty lot of gravel and dead brown grass sprawled next to an AM PM gas station. Truckers used it to flip u-turns or rest for the night.

“Hold on everyone.”

I slowed down and entered the turn, then mashed on the gas and yanked the wheel to the right, pulling off of the asphalt and into the gravel. The g-force made all of our stomachs drop as the tires screamed in protest. In my side mirror I saw the Banshee fly off and roll several feet before hitting the gravel. I slammed on the breaks and whipped the car a complete 180 degrees, facing the she-devil and the highway. Thick dust lingered in the air.

“Sean, what are you doing? Keep driving!” said Mom.

I shook my head, “She’ll just keep catching us.” I opened my door, stood on the frame and retrieved my katana. She put a hole in my car! My baby! Ducking back into the car I handed the sword to Aiden. “Careful with that.”

The Banshee lay partially in the weeds but she was recovering. I kept revving the engine with my other foot on the brake as I ejected the Boston CD. I had Aiden pass me my CD binder and selected Metallica Ride the Lightning and put on For Whom the Bell Tolls. Boston is feel-good. Metallica is throw-down.

The Banshee staggered to her feet.

I let off the brakes and accelerated. The ‘Stang leapt into action. When you’re in the driver’s seat and you’re doing something crazy, it feels okay, because you’re still in control. I’m sure everyone else was terrified. But I had a plan.

Flipping on the high-beams, I blinded the she-demon. We smashed into the monster with a disgusting sound. She draped halfway over the hood, but her legs dragged under the car. She punctured more holes in the hood with her clawed hands. I increased the speed and the engine grew louder. One second she was there and the next she lost her grip and slipped. I felt vibrations under my feet as we ran her over.

But I heard more claws on metal and my heart sank.

Tain growled, looking out my back window.

“She’s holding on still!” yelled Aiden.

She had indeed slid underneath and held onto the trunk like Indiana Jones. In the rearview my eyes locked onto hers. Searing hatred boiled my blood. But I could lose her on a wild turn again.

I spun the car around in a donut to shake her, but she held a fierce grip on my trunk.

Mom and Aiden’s eyes were popping out of their faces. Tain’s snarls grated on my ears.

It was time for something drastic.

Exiting the donut, I raced back towards Highway 12 again, passing the AM PM. Up ahead the light turned green. If I turned right I could barrel down the highway and eventually she’d fall off.

I sped up to 55 mph. 60 mph. 65 mph. I’d have to be careful of highway patrol out here though. In these backwoods suburbs like Suisun they have nothing better to do than issue speeding tickets.

“Slow down,” said Mom. “You won’t make the turn. We’ll die!”

“I’ve gotta take this light.”

As I spoke it turned yellow. Bob Saget! I was approaching too fast to slow down in time but not fast enough to run a red light. Running through it could lead to a full-on, massive car pileup.

The light turned red.

A millisecond was about all I had to decide. No one crossed the intersection because no one was there. I knew if I got close enough to the light, my ‘Stang would trip it, turning it green. Because I believed.

“Hold tight. Say your prayers.” Just then, the fast riff of the song kicked in and James Hetfield belted out, “...the bell tollllllllllls!”

“Yeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhaaaaa!” I screamed.

As we neared the intersection however, I discovered I’d misjudged the intersection’s absence of cars.

A big rig chugged down the highway towards a green light. Green for him. Not for me. My light was going to stay red to keep me from dying.

He was in the first lane, closest to my ‘Stang. If I shot past him and got into the second lane we’d be off to Vallejo.

I wasn’t going fast enough though. The truck blew full steam ahead.

Behind me the Banshee eyed the big rig. I cracked a wicked smile. We both knew what was coming. “That’s right, B—”

“Watch your language,” yelled Mom.

“Really? I was gonna say Banshee.”

The gas pedal was down to the metal.

Over the sounds of blast beat drums and machine gun guitars, the loud heart-stopping trucker horn blared. The big rig lights reflected off of all my mirrors, high beams stabbing my eyes.

I firmly yanked the steering wheel and felt the rubber fighting the asphalt as we drifted in front of the thirty-ton truck. He locked his brakes and his tires screeched. Smoke billowed from the rig tires.

My ‘Stang pulled out in front of the truck, barely missing it. A sheet of paper might have slipped between the vehicles. Maybe. We drifted through the first lane and into the second, in a moment that lasted forever. I couldn’t have timed it better.

The Banshee was not so lucky. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? In this case there was only the unstoppable force: the semi. The truck blasted the Banshee, ripping her off the back of my ‘Stang.

She got sucked underneath all 18 wheels.

For one victorious second I thought it was over.

But then I heard her scream.

From beneath the semi she unleashed all her fury into one earth-shattering vocal blast. Her burst of power launched the trailer into a front flip over the truck, like in The Dark Knight movie. The trailer twisted in the air, coming down at us like a massive Redwood tree. TIMBER!

I tried to speed up, but the Fastback was already topped out. I wouldn’t clear it.

The trailer came down and we barely escaped the shadow of death. A loud crash and smash boomed. Metal and debris flew everywhere. The impact of the fall caused me to lose control and I hit the brakes as my car did speed-wobbles.

Smoke choked. Glass cracked. Screaming ensued. Crying continued. Hearts pounded. Ears rang.

My chest rose as I drew in a deep breath, awestruck, taking in the sight of a sideways semi-truck.

Inside, the dark outline of the trucker pushed against his door, but he was trapped.

I cut the music and unbuckled my seatbelt. It was a wonder I’d buckled it at all in the first place.

“Sean, don’t,” said Aiden.

I held out my hand and he presented my sword which I re-sheathed. Mom grabbed my hand and we locked eyes. We said nothing but she knew I had to finish this or die trying. She handed me the shotgun.

My headlights illuminated the overturned truck. Smoke, dust, and burnt rubber filled the air. I stood there, preparing for the worst. This needed to end.

I wished Dad was still here. But my hero was long gone and I had to face this monster alone.

I heard padded feet approaching and looked down to see Tain standing by my side at the ready. Well, I wasn’t completely alone.

I grinned and scratched his ears. “You with me?”

He barked.

“All righty,” I said, pumping the shotgun with a click-clack. “Let’s get’er done.”