Tires screeched. One rolled right at my head but skidded to a stop a breath away. All I could do was stare at it with my heart beating an earthquake into the concrete.

"Leigh!" A car door slammed. "What are you doing in the middle of the road? I almost hit you."

"Oh," I said, but it came out sounding shocked, as though I was surprised to be alive and talking to someone. I lifted a hand to my head and winced. The bird had flown off and had taken chunks of my hair with ...