Flora (my aura/ora sis) and I chat about the play we saw with our school. We smile at strange inside jokes, and complain about how much spacers hurt. Her mom joins in occasionally at stoplights. Their shiny new blue prius zippes down the highway leaving school far behind. All is well. But no one—not even me saw what was coming.

    A cinnamon blur flashes against the window with a bang. There is a slight pause. Then another bang—a different sound this time, the kind you hear when you know that when you get out there will be an enormous dent—this time coming from the roof.
A simultaneous gasp spreads throughout the car.
“What was that?!” Flora asks—her breath ragged and uneven
“We hit something . . .” I hesitated, looking around for some sign of desolation.
“I think it was a deer . . .” Flora’s mother (Jill) replied with worry plain on her face.

     We get out and examine the evidence. Dented front, side view mirror dangling by a cord,  . . . and a dented roof . . .?
“Man, I saw the whole thing. That deer flew twenty feet—at the least—and landed on your roof!” a man walking a dog informs.
Great, now we had everything. Evidence, a witness—now all we were missing was a suspect.
“Well, where is it now?” Jill worries, her voice several pitches higher.
“Out dieing in the ditch,” he points to the other side of the street. “Better call 911.”
A deer a mere several feet away inspects us curiously—must have been part of the other deer’s pack. Then a deer from over where the man was pointing darts away join its friend, and together they disappear into the snow-draped fields.
“You girls stay in the car, I’ll go check it out” With that Jill jogges across the street.
She comes back awhile later with a solemn expression.
I do a ‘thumbs up or thumbs down’ sign.
She steps into the car using the shotgun’s door.
“Well he’s not there, must have been one of those deer’s who ran away.”
Flora and I are pleased to know that the poor deer is okay.
And with at least a thousand dollars worth in damage we drive away—if nothing, at least no one was hurt.