The acrid smell and metallic taste in her mouth gave way to a frantic hammering just by her left shoulder. She flinched at the angry, ragged monster berating her from outside. The window exploded as he smashed his way through, in a desperate quest to open the door.

“Out. Out. You have to get out,” he screamed, now tugging at the door with both hands, thighs braced tightly.

As she breathed in, she shrank back, inhaling a malodorous concoction of old sweat of the unwashed—and gasoline too. She grabbed at the belt and then its clasp, struggling with its failure to work as it had done every other time.

“Come on. Now. It’s going to blow!” She could see, this was a final demand.

At last, the seatbelt came clear and tangling with it as she fumbled for the handle, she pulled hard. Nothing. She kicked with both feet as he pulled from the outside and she finally tumbled out, rolling away through the dense undergrowth with him holding her tightly. She could only smell his smell now, as the roar and heat from the inevitable blast ripped into them. She shielded her face in his clothing and more of the unpleasant odors.

They slid further down, and for a few seconds she saw the wreck falling towards them, momentum gained by the propulsion from the explosion. Then relieved, she was safe as the burning mass held firm behind the girth of a tree.

“You saved me!” she told him.

“You saved my life.”

“One good turn deserves another.”

He pulled her further out of harm’s way.

There was a blur of lights and sounds as the emergency services showed up. They dragged a shiny cape around her. She was hurried to an ambulance and given a warm drink as the paramedics did their thing.

Sitting on the step of the ambulance with the chaos around her, she felt her nostrils twitch as she smelled him again. But he was not there beside her. There was no sign of him in the chaos around her. But that smell was still there, still wrinkling her nose.

Reminding her of something. Somewhere.

She was taken back to that night three weeks past. A birthday treat with friends gathered in their familiar haunt in the city, plenty to drink and eat. Too much to eat as usual. Stuffed though she was, they requested their polystyrene boxes, and they took their doggy bags with them as they stepped out into the bitter night.

She knew to walk on when they approached.

Her subconscious, ingrained by constant parental instruction and peer reinforcement told her so. Eyes straight ahead; ignore them and they’ll leave you alone. But this night she was thinking outside that still warm box that she didn’t want, as his eyes met hers in appeal.

The night was so cold. He looked so hungry.

“Here, take this,” she said and walked on as she knew she should, nose wrinkling with his smell.