Karen Saunders

Adam shakes his head, and, as if he’s come back to life, stamps his foot down onto the accelerator. The car jumps forwards.

We’re speeding along, but the police are getting closer, much too close, and soon they’re only inches away from our bumper.

Adam’s staring ahead, concentrating on the empty road in front of him. My head snaps between watching him, then the police, then Adam again.

Their car tries to pull around us, but Adam swerves out into the right-hand lane to block them.

The police accelerate, and draw level. We’re driving alongside each other, parallel on the road.

They’re so close I can see their faces. I try not to look, I don’t want to be recognised if we do get away, but I can’t help myself. A man’s driving and a woman is in the passenger seat. She’s speaking urgently into her radio.

Going faster and faster, we’re still on the wrong side of the road. Fear twists my insides as from nowhere, headlights are coming straight for us.

Adam swears as he brakes hard and yanks at the steering wheel. The car skids across the tarmac. Suddenly we’re spinning, spinning, and the world turns into a blur.