What was left behind

7.Venus

I came back to reality as the alarm sounded on repeat from my radio. My head was pounding, and the loud beeping didn't help me collect my thoughts at all. When I finally managed to focus enough to open my eyes, the headache subsided a bit, but then I suddenly realized I couldn't move. I got scared when I remembered what happened. Accident... Burning Mars engine... Explosion of flames... I was following them, so I must have veered to the side and stopped for something, because I couldn't see Mars anywhere or feel the heat of the fire.

I tried to look around, but realized it was a mistake when I felt a stabbing pain near my collarbone. At first I was terrified, but as soon as I looked down, I saw that, at least at first glance, only the seatbelt was very much stuck into my skin. I tried to move my arm and, to my relief, the pain went away as the seatbelt moved down slightly, revealing only a large bruise. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach the end of the seatbelt to unbuckle myself.

But it was at that moment that it dawned on me that I didn't see or hear Justin or Shane anywhere. In a panic, I tried to reach for the seat belt buckle again and somehow managed to press the button as tears came to my eyes.
Now, when my whole relationship with Justin got back on track, when he finally stopped talking about the apartment and understood that meeting him every free moment wouldn't make me like him more, I actually started to like him even more than I did in secret for years. But at that moment, all the anger I felt towards him when he started arguing with Shane about me evaporated as I realized what situation he was most likely in. Anger was replaced by fear, fear for someone that I had never felt before. But if I survived, maybe there was a chance that they were still alive? After all, you always had to hold on to hope, right?

Unfortunately, as soon as I got out of the car and climbed back onto the road, all my hopes fell apart. The sight was indescribable. There was broken equipment everywhere that must have fallen from Mars' open shelves. However, the car itself was in much worse condition. Although much of the equipment could be salvaged, even at first glance, Mars will probably never drive with the pride of a fire truck again. It was lying on its side, with the lower window broken, and I could see long scratches from braking even from a distance where I was still standing. However, the worst part was the front, which, apart from the broken windows, was on fire. Black clouds of smoke were coming out from under the hood, but I couldn't see the fire, so I concluded that either what could have already burned did so at the moment of the explosion, or was still burning inside.

Then I was overcome with terror again. In this particular model of the Mars fire truck, all the lines and tubes connecting the engine to the entire fire truck passed directly under the passenger seats. If something was still burning there, the same heat could spread downwards, heating up the cabin. If Shane and Justin survived, the heat could have made the cabin too hot for any breathable air.
I tried to move, but I couldn't. It was as if my legs were stuck to the ground. In an instant, I understood what Shane had warned me about that first day. You don't know what fear is until someone you know is in danger. But just as fear began to cloud my thoughts again and remind me of Justin still there inside, my grandfather's words came to my mind: "Turn fear into strength." I tried to take a step again and this time I was relieved that it worked. I tried to breathe evenly so as not to let fear take over me again when I started not only walking, but running towards Mars. A moment later I was already starting to look for footholds on Mars' chassis to climb higher.

"Justin?! Shane?! Can you hear me?!" I screamed loudly, leaning over the broken window. "I'll try to help you soon!"

"Call for help," Justin muttered through his teeth. One look into his eyes told me he was in pain. I wanted to be there for him and support him somehow, but I wouldn't be able to go inside. I couldn't help them in any way.