I woke up lying in the middle of a road. It was a cold, foggy day, unlike any other this year. I got up slowly, naked and shivering, from the hard, rocky surface. The dark asphalt, unable to warm up because of the lack of sunlight, made my feet begin to sting. Droplets of moisture clung to my bare skin like glue, sending tingling chills throughout my body constantly. I wrapped my arms around myself to try and gather as much warmth as I could, my teeth chattering ferociously.
Where am I? I thought to myself. “Hello?” I shouted aloud. “Can anybody hear me?” After waiting for a minute with no response, I started walking in one direction directly beside the road.
The fog as dense as it was, I wouldn’t be able to see a car until it was nearly upon me. I was starting to shake violently from the icy temperature, rubbing my hands over my biceps to heat myself up. My breath became short and shallow, and came out of my mouth like white fire.
I couldn’t tell how long I’d been walking. A minute? Ten? My body was now on the point of collapsing from loss of heat, and I could see my vision begin to blur. I shook my head and kept going, against the pain and chill of the air.
Just then, a beam of light pierced through the veil of thick fog, lighting up the road a little bit ahead of me. I immediately ran forward, flailing my arms and hoping this guy wasn’t driving fast. The large headlights drew closer and stopped directly in front of me. I charged to the side of the eighteen-wheeler and yanked open the door, then jumped inside and slammed it.
“Heat,” I croaked. “Please…” The man in the truck turned the A/C knob all the way up and stared at me, confused. I didn’t pay any attention to him; the only thing on my mind was warming up. I pressed my body closer to the vents and rubbed my hands along my skin, starting to gain the feeling back in my fingers and toes.
“What in the heavens were you doing out there?” the man asked loudly, in a southern accent. “How’d you even get all the way out here?”
“I don’t know…” was my only reply. He sat, looking in disbelief. I didn’t want any more questions. I just wanted to be in a warm house, with warm food, and some warm clothes. The man put the truck in drive and we rode in silence, me still trying to warm up.