A Close Call

Last night I was in Virginia City dropping off tax returns and coming back home a strange thing happened. As I was leaving town, I started to speed up as the limit changes just outside town near the cemetery from 20 mph to 35. I was pressing down on the accelerator, and suddenly the car started to slow down. I pressed the gas pedal down more, and yet the car continued to slow, almost as if it was dragging something. Ginny, my dog, started barking and looking toward the rear of the car. By then, I should have been going about 35, but the speedometer kept creeping down toward 15 mph. I was getting worried; maybe my alternator was going out or something was wrong with the engine. I kept pumping the gas pedal. The car's engine was really struggling to move faster as I passed by the cemetery, but to no avail. I could hear the metal of the car straining, almost being pulled apart. All of a sudden, the tires screeched laying rubber as the car suddenly jerked ahead and finally began to accelerate. It was like a big weight had been removed. It was so sudden, I almost spun out. Finally, we got home and I put the car in the garage. For some reason, I walked around the car toward the rear. There on the rear bumper were these large claw-like marks on both sides of the bumper. It was creepy. Not human hands, but claws which were obviously very sharp as they had dug deep grooves into the plastic. Could it be that I had just escaped the "Grim Reaper" and that I had escaped death itself? All I know is that I'm very glad I own a Honda Element and that it has enough power to pull a heavy load behind it. I'll have to get the bumper fixed this coming week, but I think that's a small price to pay. Thank God for the Japanese! And another reason why one should drive slowly through Virginia City to avoid the "Grim Reaper".