lost & found || Joel Miller

The night I died.

ᖭི༏ᖫྀ

26th of September
2003
New York, New York

It was a silent night in New York as the seven James family members exited the fanciest restaurant in the city, laughing. Their laughs echoed through the empty sidewalk.

"Alright, I'm going," Jannette, the oldest sister announced as she headed to her brand new car that she'd gotten as a gift from her Father once she'd gotten her license, and the others waved at her as they walked to the family car.

"Bye, Jannette!" The group had called out as everyone began to get in, and as August entered last, she noticed an absence...

"Where's Nora?" She asks, looking around the car for her youngest sister and they all began to look around to try and spot her little figure in the car before a knock at the window beside August makes them all jump.

They turn and see Nora? Grinning as she waits for them to open the window.

August rolls it down and before she gets to lecture her on not disappearing like that. The little girl cut her off, "Jannette's taking me to get some ice-cream, you wanna join?"

The three girls look between each other, a smile forming on their lips as they turned to their parents who laughed, "Fine. You can go." And the three girls squeal as they exit the car and rush to Jannette's car.

"I called shotgun!" Nora exclaims as she runs fastest to the passenger seat door making sure to blow a raspberry right before going in.

August chuckles as the three make their way to the backseat, Meridith heads to the left-side door while Fiona and August head for the right-side door.

Fiona opens the door while August waits excitedly and instead of entering, Fiona raises her eyebrows at the girl, "Youngest in the middle," She teases and August stares at her before groaning and going inside and Fiona jumps in after her.

"Everyone's inside?—Nora, seatbelt," Jannette begins to turn on the car as she scans the car to see if everyone had gotten in as Nora buckles her seatbelt and they begin to drive.

Jannette switches on the radio and they begin to hear the sound of 'Our Last Summer' by ABBA and they all began to sing along, it was safe to say that ABBA was a usual sound to hear in the James household.

As they drove down the New York streets, heading to their favorite ice-cream shop, 'Our Last Summer' blared in the car and so did their laughs and happy voices singing.

The windows were down, so the world could hear the happiness in the car—But, below the loud sound of ABBA was havoc. The road was full, horns were honking, people racing down the roads, way over speed limit.

It took Jannette a little while to begin to grow concern and so did the girls in the car.

"Jannette? What's going on?" August leaned forward in her seat and looked out the window in front of her, to see cars racing past their car and people running down the road.

"JANNETTE! DRIVE!" Meridith screams at the top of her lungs and August turns her head to Jannette and the last thing she sees is a bright light coming straight at them.