Driving toward her home， 18-year-old Heather Peebles hummed1 along to the radio.
" Cool！" Heather enthused when the Backstreet Boys came on the radio. She flicked2 her eyes from the road for an instant to turn up the volume， and as she did， her tire suddenly hit something.
What was that？ She worried. Looking up， she gasped. Whatever it was had thrown her Dodge off course as she rounded a sharp curve.
" No！" Heather shrieked3 as the car careened4 off the pavement and plunged into a gully， charging toward a group of trees. A loud crunch split the air——and then……nothing， as her world went black.
Newlyweds Nathan and Kelly Stover had spent most of that day putting the final touches on the dream house they'd built with the help of Nathan's father， Dave. Four months pregnant， Kelly was too exhausted to cook， so the couple decided to drive into town for a quick bite while Dave remained behind. But no sooner did they pull into the restaurant parking lot than Nathan complained of stomach cramps5.
" Let's just go back home，" Kelly suggested.
As they crested6 a hill less than a mile from their house， Nathan noticed a flash of metal in the woods. It's a car！ He realized when they saw Heather's Dodge in the gully， wedged between two trees.
" That looks bad， honey，" Kelly said as they pulled over.
Looking closer， Nathan's eyes widened. Tendrils7 of smoke drifted from the auto， and beneath the bashed-in hood he could see an eerie8 orange glow.
" I'm going to check on the driver，" he told Kelly， racing into the ravine9. Peering in the window， Nathan felt his heart lurch 10 in horror： a figure was slumped11 across the seat！
" There's a girl trapped in here！" Nathan shouted to Kelly. " Go home， call 911 and get Dad！"
He turned back to the injured girl. The car had hit the trees with such force that the steering wheel had snapped off and the dashboard was laying in Heather's lap， pinning her in the seat. Nathan reached through the broken window and shook her shoulder. " Can you hear me？" he cried.
His voice barely penetrated the darkness clouding Heather's mind. Is it an angel？ She wondered， turning her head slowly.
Nathan gasped in shock. The impact of the crash had smashed Heather head first into the wind-shield——slashing her face， knocking out teeth and shattering bones.
" Help me，" she groaned as flames spit at her from the hole left by the dashboard.
I have to get her out！ Nathan panicked， tearing at the driver's door. But it wouldn't budge12. I'll never be able to pull her through the window！ He thought.
But he had to try. Working his fingers between the top of the door frame and the rubber gasket13， he yanked14 on it with all his strength. With a screech15， the metal gave way， and he managed to bend it enough to reach inside.
" C'mon！" he cried， lifting the dashboard from Heather's lap and sliding his arms beneath her shoulders. But he couldn't wrench16 her free.
Spotting Heather's thick leather belt， he grabbed hold， tugging again and again. Wincing17 in pain as hot plastic from the car's melting interior dripped on him， he managed to pull her partway out. Then， looking down， he saw Heather's foot pinned beneath the broken steering column. What do I do now！ he thought.
Meanwhile， Kelly had reached home. After calling 911， she and Dave raced back to the ravine——but not before Dave grabbed a portable fire extinguisher18 from his car.
By now， Nathan was dizzy from the heat inside the car when suddenly， he heard a voice call， " Son！"
Turning， he saw his father running toward him.
As Dave aimed the extinguisher into the window， Nathan dove into the inferno， clawing at the hot metal trapping Heather's foot. He tugged with all his might until the foot slipped free！
" Let's get out of here！" Dave shouted， helping Nathan carry Heather. As they staggered to the top of the embankment19， the car exploded in a fireball behind them.
Moments later， an ambulance arrived， and Heather and Nathan were rushed to the hospital. Nathan was treated for minor burns and a gash on his wrist. Heather had suffered a fractured20 skull， a broken right shoulder and fractured right arm， as well as third-degree burns to her face， arms and legs.
Heather spent over a month in the hospital. Back home， she called Nathan， Kelly and Dave to thank them. " If it wasn't for all of you， I wouldn't be here，" she said.
Later， state police awarded citations21 to the family of rescuers.
" They're heroes，" says Heather.
But Nathan insists they were only doing what came naturally. " There was no time to think， just do，" he says. " And thank God we had the strength to do what we needed to do."
18岁的希瑟·皮布尔斯开着车回家，一路跟着收音机哼唱着。
"太棒了！"听到收音机里播出"后街男孩"的音乐时希瑟高兴起来。在她把音量调大时，眼睛一时没看着路。就在这时，她的车轮突然碰到了什么东西。
那是什么？她感到奇怪。抬头一看，她倒抽了一口冷气。就在她急转弯时，不知是什么东西使她的道奇车脱离了车道。
"啊不！"希瑟尖叫起来。她的车冲出了路面，一下子扎进一个隘谷之中，冲向一片树林。一声巨响划破了长空——后来她就陷入黑暗之中，什么也不知道了。
这天，结婚不久的内森和凯丽·斯托弗花大部分时间给自己的梦幻之屋做了最后的装点。这房子是他们小俩口在内森的父亲戴夫的帮助下自己动手盖起来的。怀孕4个月的凯丽太累了，不想做饭。于是两人决定开车去城里随便吃点什么。戴夫则留了下来。但是当车一开到饭店的停车场时，内森说他胃痉挛了。
"那咱们回家吧，"凯丽建议说。
在他们到达离家不到一英里远的小山山顶上时，内森看到树林中闪过一道金属发出的光。是一辆车！他们看见希瑟的道奇在隘谷里，卡在两棵树之间，他明白了。
"情况不妙，亲爱的，"凯丽说，他们把车开到路边。
走近一看，内森眼睛瞪大了。从车里飘出来一缕缕的烟。他还看见在撞瘪了的车罩下面有令人恐惧的橙黄色的火焰。
"我去看看驾车人，"他对凯丽说着，往隘谷疾跑下去。从车窗往里一看，内森感到自己的心因恐惧而猛地一抽：有个人倒在车座上！
"有个姑娘困在里面了！"内森对凯丽喊道。"快回家，打911，找爸爸来！"
他又回到受伤的姑娘那儿。车猛撞到树上，力量之大以致方向盘都折断了。仪表板压在希瑟的腿上，将她卡在车座上。内森从破玻璃窗将手伸进去摇她的肩膀。"你能听见我吗？"他大声问。
处于昏迷状态的希瑟依稀听到一个人的声音。那是不是一位天使？她感到十分惊奇，同时慢慢地转过头来。
内森惊吓得只喘粗气。撞车的冲击力使她的头栽到挡风玻璃上——脸划破了，牙敲掉了，骨头也轧断了。
"救救我，"她呻吟着。仪表板脱落时留下的大洞口中射出的火苗向她身上喷扫。
我得把她弄出来！内森心急如焚，使劲地拽左前车门，而门却纹丝不动。我决不可能把她从车窗拉出来的！他想。
但是他得想办法。他把手指伸进门边上的框和橡皮封条之间，使尽全身的力气去拉。随着一阵刺耳的声音金属松了。他终于将它掰弯，双手能够伸得进去了。
"来吧！"他高声说道，一边将仪表板从希瑟的腿上搬开，将自己胳膊插到她的腋下。但却无法将她拉出来。
他一眼看见希瑟腰间的厚皮带，立即抓住它，反复用力拽。但是由于车内烤化了的、灼热的塑料滴到他身上，使他疼得退了出来。他已经将她拉出一半了。再往下一看，他发现希瑟的脚还卡在折断了的方向盘下的柱子下面。我该怎么办呢？他想。
在此期间，凯丽已经回到家里，打了911以后，她就和戴夫赶回了隘谷——但此前戴夫还从自己的车里抓了一个轻便灭火器。
这时，车里出来的高温已经使内森昏昏沉沉。突然他听到一个声音叫道，
"儿子！"
他转身看见父亲朝自己跑过来了。在戴夫用灭火器喷向车窗时，内森又冲进那炽热的车内。抓住卡着希瑟一只脚的滚烫的金属，他用尽了全身的力气拖——终于把希瑟被卡住的那只脚拽出来了。
"咱们快出去！"戴夫叫道，他和内森两人抬着希瑟。在他们艰难地到达堤的顶端时，汽车在身后爆炸了，升起一团火球。
不久，救护车到了，将希瑟和内森送进医院。内森有轻度烧伤，手腕上有一个伤口。希瑟颅骨破裂，右肩骨折，右臂折断以及脸、臂和腿部三度烧伤。
希瑟在医院里住了一个多月。一回到家，她就给内森、凯丽和戴夫打电话，向他们表示感谢。"要不是你们，早就没有我了，"她说。
事后，州警察对他们全家进行了嘉奖。
"他们是英雄，"希瑟说。
但是内森却坚持说，他们当时做的是极其自然的事。"当时没有时间考虑，就是动手做。"他说。"感谢上帝我们当时有足够的力量做我们必需做的。"
注释：
1.hum vi.哼曲子
2.flick vt.（急速地）轻轻转动
3.shriek vt.尖声喊叫
4.careen vi.[美]猛冲
5.cramp n.痉挛，痛性痉挛
6.crest vt.处于（或达到）…的顶点
7.tendril n.卷须状物
8.eerie adj.引起恐惧的，令人害怕的
9.ravine n.沟壑，冲沟
10.lurch vi.突然倾斜，突然急动
11.slump vi.（沉重或突然地）倒下，坍塌
12.budge vi.微微移动
13.gasket n.[机 ]垫圈，密封垫
14.yank vt.[口 ]猛拉，使劲拉
15.screech n.尖叫，尖锐刺耳的声音
16.wrench vt.猛扭，猛拧
17.wince vi.（因疼痛等）本能地退缩
18.extinguisher n.灭火器
19.embankment n.筑堤
20.fracture vt.使断裂
21.citation n.表彰，嘉奖
