Eden Falls

Chapter One

Eden

One, two, three...I open my eyes. My brain feels several sizes too big, pressing against my skull and burning hot, as though fire had engulfed it, tearing through every nerve and vein, bubbling and boiling. Hot stinging tears spilling down my face, blurring my vision, I am blinded. The smell of petrol fills the air, overwhelming and filling my lungs, choking me. Trying to look around but barely able to move my head, my neck paralysed rigid. Everything is upside down and instantly the nausea kicks in as I realise the car has landed on its roof. All my organs suddenly feel too big for my own body, the seatbelt restraining me, holding me down in a claustrophobic vice and cutting deep into my throat.

There is blood, so much blood, all over the car, spattered across the broken windows like flecks from a painter's brush. The taste of blood, my blood, starts to fill my mouth as though I'm sucking on metal. Dizziness creeps over me as the blood continues to rush to my head. It's as if a blanket were draped over me, covering my senses, a dull ache starts to grow in my bones, slowly pulling at my eyelids, willing them to shut, at least then everything will be silent and still, let the darkness come. It trickled like a river, clotting in the corners of my mouth, seeping into my eyes and pouring out of my nose...

3 hours earlier...

The glimmering tea lights sparkled like thousands of tiny rainbow moths hibernating amongst the trees that surrounded the seating area. Hundreds of ivory metal chairs nestled in the ground, with lavender cushions settled on them and a matching sash set in a bow on the back of each chair. Champagne glasses chinking away in harmony, like a symphony starting up to congratulate the newlywed couple, children's laughter in the distance as they play, mixed with excited chatter of long awaited reunions between friends and the occasional "It'll never last, never does these days", the typical drunken ramblings of a few family members.

I had to admit that the evening ceremony had been beautiful, the weather had been perfect (as predicted) for an outdoor reception, a warm summer evening coaxing the guests to slowly shed their wraps and coats like a caterpillar sheds it's skin. The flickering candles on each table cast an ethereal glow upon the bare bodies, alabaster and golden arms resting on tables, couples fingers entwined or clasping champagne flutes, all eyes were on the happy couple, the perfect couple, Chloe and James. Joining them, I lifted my eyes towards two of my oldest friends as they prepared for their first dance, James beaming proudly as he takes his new bride into his arms, twirling her around like a porcelain ballerina in a music box, frozen forever, from this day on forever his wife.

"That could have been me..." but quickly I force myself to brush those thoughts away. Focusing on the past is only going to make tonight so much more uncomfortable, but I couldn't shift the cold feeling in the pit of my stomach, my throat suddenly felt dry and tight, "It should have been me..." I say to myself, when I feel Rose stir beside me and reach for my hand.

"We can go soon if you want?" Rose squeezed my hand tightly, it comforted me when she did that. Ever since we were children, even though she was younger by two years she had always been the braver sister out of the two of us, if ever I got upset or nervous she would reassure me with that familiar squeeze. Her inquisitive hazel eyes stared straight through me, I recognized that look, slight frown lines appearing on her fore head as though I was a mystery she was trying to solve, I was the Da Vinci Code of emotional problems lately. Hair piled high on top of her head in a chignon bun with sun kissed curls down loose to the side, with the evening ambience around her, Rose looked at what I imagine an angel to look like, if such a thing existed. Whenever you were with her, everything felt right, everything felt safe, everything was perfect...

"Rose?"

My voice sounds as though it's coming from someone else. I want to scream, I want to yell as loud as I can, but I can barely breathe, as though my lungs are made out of concrete and ready to plunge through my chest at any moment. There's no movement inside the car, all I hear are thud of tiny raindrops starting to beat down hard on the road outside. "Focus Eden" I tell myself, "Focus and stay calm". Trying to take a slow deep breath and not give into the panic that has already set my skin alert and on fire, I lift my left arm up above my head and feel for the roof of the car, with my other hand I fumble to unlock the seat belt. Hitting the roof hard on my back, I wind myself and any breath I did have has now vanished.

I start to notice a weight beside me, something damp and warm by my shoulder. Turning, I see her perfect curls stuck to the side of her face, just as if she were sleeping, except now the curls were matted and sticky, the blood kept coming, overflowing from the wound on her temple and down her neck. The delicate chiffon dress that was once a sunny yellow is now dirtied with deep crimson pools of blood, clinging pathetically to her slender shoulders, she reminded me of a tiny fragile bird we once tried to save as children, finding it dying by the side of the road, with her skinny ribs visible through her dress, poking beneath her porcelain, almost translucent skin.

Shutting the car door I manage to sneak one last glance at the happy couple, goodbyes were being said on the stone steps beside Chloe's house, waitresses were busy collecting up plates and silver food platters, while children were being scooped up into their parents arms and ushered into waiting cars, sleepy little faces ready for bed.

"Well now that that's over.."

Rose lets out a little sigh, squeezing my hand once more and slipping off her heels she rests her head against the passenger window. She was right, it was over, and I had managed to get through it with out the tears...

 I start to notice a thin grey mist appear, stroking Rose's face, then shoulders, over her chest and suddenly completely covering her. The mist is now a thick black smog, I try to reach for Rose's fingers but it's too hard to see, my eyes are burning uncontrollably, as though somebody has dug their fingers deep into my eye socket, scratching and clawing away at my eye, tearing layer by layer. Suddenly I feel the over bearing heat above me, the belly of the car is steaming, we don't have much time. Realising to my left is a window, I scrunch my knees up as tight to my chest as possible, giving me as much force as I can find and kick hard against it. It takes me two tries to get as much of the glass out of the way, I can feel tiny shards splintering my calves and catching my dress. I don't care. Nothing matters until I have Rose out of here and safe. I can feel her hair and using my hands to feel for her face and then her shoulders, I grab them tightly and pull towards me. The glass crackles under her weight like tiny firecrackers, the flames have almost spread down the sides of the car, licking at the front of it, like wildfire approaching us.

Nestling on the wet grass, rain spitting on our faces, there is no differentiating between the mud that surrounds us and the blood on our bodies. Hauling Rose onto the embankment was the last of my strength, I feel weak. I notice a deep wound down my right side, the blood won't stop and I have nothing to bandage it with. All I can do now is wait. Wait for help and pray for a miracle. That's when I notice headlights coming towards us in the distance. "Hold on Rose", I squeeze her hand tightly this time as I feel the tears coming...

The hospital was buzzing all around me and I begin to feel dizzy again. The police officer who found us, Grey is his name, what it says on his badge anyways, he remains by my side and ushers me to the nearest chair. Taking in slow deep breaths I try to calm myself. Officer Grey carried Rose into the reception, that's when the nurses and doctors took over, laying her onto a stretcher and taking her somewhere, I don't know where exactly I just know that I'm not allowed to go any further and to wait here  until told otherwise. 

"My son! Where's my son? Tell me where my son is!" A shrill hysterical voice pierces my distraction away, coming towards me, another body on a stretcher,  wearing a neck brace which  stifles her movements, she starts to try and thrash around wildly. "My son, where is he?" Her entire face is covered in blood, I see shards of glass embedded in her left cheek, scattered upward towards her hairline, glistening under the harsh blinking lights.  Nurses in every direction, two at her side helping to guide the trolley she's on, another is trying her best to reassure the woman, holding her hand tightly.

It's only for a moment, but as she passes me our eyes lock, two sets of  different eyes sharing different problems but looking for the same answer, are our loved ones alright, are they safe? Before I can look away she is pushed through the heavy double doors ahead of me and the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach that I'd been trying to ignore since getting here aches deeper now, looking around at all the other nameless faces around me, I realise that we are all the same, for we are all helpless here..