she didn't care. She just kept tugging. The magnet had to be strong enough not to fall off when the car went over bumps and stuff, but it couldn't be _that_ strong.
Andy smacked her with the coloring book again.
Then Michelle remembered that she didn't need to pry the whole box free. She slid the lid off and the key dropped onto the ground. She scooped it up and leaned back into the car.
She pulled the door shut, but several ants had already gotten inside.
It took a few minutes for them to hunt down the ants, Michelle crushing five of them with her coloring book, Andy crushing four.
"Did we get them all?" asked Andy when they were finished.
"I think so. But keep your feet on the seat."
Andy obliged, leaning back against the door.
Michelle put the key in the ignition and started the engine. Dad had never even let her _pretend_ to drive on his lap, but she'd paid close attention on several occasions, and she knew the basics. She pushed the button on the center shift and pulled it back to "R."
The car instantly jerked backward. She slammed her foot on the right pedal, and it shot back faster. She quickly pressed down on the left pedal. The car screeched to a halt.
"Put on your seat belt," she told Andy.
She very slowly released the brake, and as the car began moving she turned the steering wheel until the front of the car was facing the exit to the campsite. Then she stepped on the brake again and set the center shift to "D."
She took a moment to compose herself, and then pressed the gas pedal. The car moved forward in jerky motions, but as long as they were making progress she didn't care if the ride was uncomfortable.
"Where are we going?" Andy asked.
"I don't know. We'll find somebody."
A bunch of ants were on the windshield. Michelle spent a moment trying out different things until she found the windshield wipers, which knocked most of them off.
"Try to squirt that cleaning stuff on them," Andy suggested.
"I'm not sure which one it is."
"I think it's the one with -- _Michelle watch out_!"
A man staggered out of the woods, dozens of ants crawling on him. Michelle screamed and tried to slam on the brake, but in her panic floored the accelerator instead.
The car shot forward, narrowly missing the man, but slamming into a large tree. One of the branches burst through the front windshield, spraying safety glass all over the children. The hood of the car bent almost in half as it struck the trunk of the tree. Michelle struck the steering wheel and slumped backward in her seat.
"Michelle?" asked Andy, trying to unfasten his seat belt. "Michelle? Are you okay?"
She turned toward him, but her eyes were only half-open, and she fell over onto her side.
"Michelle, I can't get the seat belt off!"
Ants began to climb in through the broken windshield.
"Michelle, _please_! They're getting in!"
Andy looked outside. The man with ants on him had fallen to the ground. He was still alive, but he was screaming and rolling around.
Andy pressed the button on the seat belt again and again, but it wouldn't release. As one of the ants began to crawl on Michelle, he tried to squirm his way out of the seat belt. It was much too tight.
Ants continued to pour in through the front window. Some of them crawled on Michelle, but others went after Andy.
He smashed at them with his fists. One crawled up on his knee and stung him before he was able to kill it. It hurt so bad he could barely stand it.
"Michelle! Wake up!"
She had nine or ten or more ants on her now. Ants kept coming in, way too many for Andy to kill with his bare hands. He grabbed the seat belt and pulled as hard as he could, as if he'd be able to break the material with super-hero strength, but it wouldn't give. He cried out as another ant stung him. And then another.
Michelle sat up with a gasp, and then bellowed at the top of her lungs as the movement caused a dozen ants to simultaneously dig their mandibles into her skin and
Andy smacked her with the coloring book again.
Then Michelle remembered that she didn't need to pry the whole box free. She slid the lid off and the key dropped onto the ground. She scooped it up and leaned back into the car.
She pulled the door shut, but several ants had already gotten inside.
It took a few minutes for them to hunt down the ants, Michelle crushing five of them with her coloring book, Andy crushing four.
"Did we get them all?" asked Andy when they were finished.
"I think so. But keep your feet on the seat."
Andy obliged, leaning back against the door.
Michelle put the key in the ignition and started the engine. Dad had never even let her _pretend_ to drive on his lap, but she'd paid close attention on several occasions, and she knew the basics. She pushed the button on the center shift and pulled it back to "R."
The car instantly jerked backward. She slammed her foot on the right pedal, and it shot back faster. She quickly pressed down on the left pedal. The car screeched to a halt.
"Put on your seat belt," she told Andy.
She very slowly released the brake, and as the car began moving she turned the steering wheel until the front of the car was facing the exit to the campsite. Then she stepped on the brake again and set the center shift to "D."
She took a moment to compose herself, and then pressed the gas pedal. The car moved forward in jerky motions, but as long as they were making progress she didn't care if the ride was uncomfortable.
"Where are we going?" Andy asked.
"I don't know. We'll find somebody."
A bunch of ants were on the windshield. Michelle spent a moment trying out different things until she found the windshield wipers, which knocked most of them off.
"Try to squirt that cleaning stuff on them," Andy suggested.
"I'm not sure which one it is."
"I think it's the one with -- _Michelle watch out_!"
A man staggered out of the woods, dozens of ants crawling on him. Michelle screamed and tried to slam on the brake, but in her panic floored the accelerator instead.
The car shot forward, narrowly missing the man, but slamming into a large tree. One of the branches burst through the front windshield, spraying safety glass all over the children. The hood of the car bent almost in half as it struck the trunk of the tree. Michelle struck the steering wheel and slumped backward in her seat.
"Michelle?" asked Andy, trying to unfasten his seat belt. "Michelle? Are you okay?"
She turned toward him, but her eyes were only half-open, and she fell over onto her side.
"Michelle, I can't get the seat belt off!"
Ants began to climb in through the broken windshield.
"Michelle, _please_! They're getting in!"
Andy looked outside. The man with ants on him had fallen to the ground. He was still alive, but he was screaming and rolling around.
Andy pressed the button on the seat belt again and again, but it wouldn't release. As one of the ants began to crawl on Michelle, he tried to squirm his way out of the seat belt. It was much too tight.
Ants continued to pour in through the front window. Some of them crawled on Michelle, but others went after Andy.
He smashed at them with his fists. One crawled up on his knee and stung him before he was able to kill it. It hurt so bad he could barely stand it.
"Michelle! Wake up!"
She had nine or ten or more ants on her now. Ants kept coming in, way too many for Andy to kill with his bare hands. He grabbed the seat belt and pulled as hard as he could, as if he'd be able to break the material with super-hero strength, but it wouldn't give. He cried out as another ant stung him. And then another.
Michelle sat up with a gasp, and then bellowed at the top of her lungs as the movement caused a dozen ants to simultaneously dig their mandibles into her skin and
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