Blinding lights.
I shut my eyes for a few seconds.
The honk of a car in the distance. Then much nearer, too near.
A glance in the rearview mirror tells me my father has dozed off. His eyes snap open at the sounds of the other cars.
The panic in his eyes, with which he meets mine, causes me to panic too and I close my eyes again when something rams our car. The air is knocked from my lungs and a scream tears from my throat when the car flips, my head slammed into the window- shards of glass grazing my face, arms, legs.
I catch my sisters fear filled eyes and grab her hand, the movement slow.
Pain shoots through my whole body and glass flies everywhere.
I clench Marys hand laying in mine, letting go under no circumstances.
The car stops moving and I'm relieved until water soaks my socks and I look up to see the bridges railing bent outward. People halt their cars, jumping out to stare down at us with phones in hand.
I close my eyes for only as second, but when I open them again the water reaches up to my chest, the car fills way to fast. "Mom?!" I cry out but my voice sounds distant. Like my ears are filled with water, even though it hasn't reached my face just yet.
My eyes shoot to my mother, who's looking back at us, her lips trembling. I don't know if it's because of the cold water, or the fact that we're drowning. Dying.
I try to keep my head over water as we sink, my face presses up against the ceiling to avoid the water until I can't.
The pressure in my ears hurts and I try holding my breath, while ripping at my seatbelt.
I have to release my breath, my body needing more oxygen but taking in water instead, my lungs starting to fill up, and I cough, bubbles rising from my mouth and nose.
Looking to my right, I see my sister already passed out, her hair floating around her head.
She looks peaceful in a way. Like she's sleeping.
My eyes land on our intertwined hands, and bubbles keep rising from her nose as she unconsciously coughs.
I try not to gulp down more water and rip her seatbelt out with as much force as I can muster, grabbing her arm.
Glancing back at my parents, I catch my mothers gaze, grabbing her hand when she reaches for mine. She nods at me and slightly clenches my hand.
I close my eyes again.
Until her fingers slip from my grasp, a few last bubbles escaping her lips before her eyes lose their life.
Now they look rigid and empty and lifeless.
I assume my tears are already flowing,
but wouldn't know with all the water surrounding me.
Mary coughs again, snapping me out of my daze and I grab her by the waist, pulling us out of the car, through the broken window. I hiss when a shard tears through my skin, from ribs down to my waist.
I ignore the pain, black dots swimming in my vision, and kick upwards, feeling like I only distance myself from the surface.
My sister feels way too light in my grasp and I
gasp in relief and desperation when my head finally reaches the surface. I cough uncontrollably as I pull my sister with me, towards the riverbank, removing a few strands of hair from her face as I push her up onto the grass.
I blink at the blue and red light, my vision swimming and sirens ringing in my ears. I ready myself to get back under the water, wanting to get my parents, when hands tightly grip my shoulders, preventing me
from diving back under.
"No, stop." I try fight them as they pull
me out of the water, but unconsciousness threatens to take me.
My eyes barely recognize the few faces appearing over me, but suddenly my mind feels blank, and I slowly let my eyes shut, my body welcoming the numbness.
