SNOW ANGEL | p. sunghoon

Broken Wings

PAST

Sunghoon and his parents were driving back home from a ice skating competition. It was the best night Sunghoon had ever had since then. He won first place in the ice skating competition, he was now known as the 'Ice Prince' in the figure skating industry. Sunghoon never imagined this getting any better.

This night in particular was cold, a car drove across the Incheon bridge. Sunghoon and his parents were inside, their laughs filling the car. The Incheon bridge stretched out before them, illuminated by the soft glow of lights and the moon shining above the water beneath the bridge.

Sunghoon was sitting in the backseat of the car, still basking in the thrill of winning his latest competition. As the car drove, the soothing sound of the tires calmed Sunghoon's racing heart. He leaned back, his thoughts thinking of the next competition. A smile formed on his lips just by thinking of another competition. Another day on ice.

But suddenly, this night would turn into a tragedy. The car suddenly drifted, Sunghoon heard his dad curse. He could see his dad trying to press the breaks, but he couldn't. The car turned into the opposite side of the road, a pair of bright head lights blinding his dad. The tires lost friction, causing the car to skid uncontrollably. A screech was heard, ringing inside Sungyoon's ears.

Sunghoon's dad attempt to control the steering wheel failed. The car veered sharply, slamming into a gaurdrail and into another car. The sound of metal against metal filled Sunghoon's ears, followed by the screams of terror. The force of the impact threw Sunghoon forward, his body being thrown in different directions violently. His seatbelt digged into his skin, cutting him.

Sunghoon's head striked the window, glass shattering. Pain erupted from the side of his head, spreading across his body as the car came to a halt. With the halt, he let out a gutteral scream. Glass fell inside the car, the world around him becoming a blur of chaos. A silence fell inside the car but Sunghoon's ears were still ringing. Hot liquid streamed down the side of Sunghoon's face, seeping into his mouth.

He grimaced at the metallic taste of blood. The young male's vision was blurry but it slowly began to clear. Sunghoon managed to turn to look in front of him. His eyes widened, breaths quickening. Tears started to form inside his eyes, hearing his own breaths. Inside the reflection of Sunghoon's dark brown eyes, the front of the car had been crushed. His parents were motionless, their skin pale.

"Mom. . . D-Dad?" Sunghoon rasped, breaths hitching.

There was no response.

Sunghoon swallowed hard, bile rising inside his throat. He couldn't ignore the pain he felt on the lower half of his body. His hands slowly reached down to his legs, eyes looking at his lips. Blood seeped through one of his pant leg, his right leg. Every breath sent waves of pain through Sunghoon's body. His eyes grew darker with the pain and shock around him.

His eyes slowly began to shut themselves, a numb feeling controlling his body. In the distance, sirens could be heard. The sound of muffled voices filled his ears, slowly being drown out by the creaking sound of metal.

_____________

The smell of disinfectant filled the air. In the distance, a heart monitor was heard. Its constant beating echoing inside the room. A hand brushed against the thin bedsheets, cuts and bruises on the skin. The young male lying in bed slowly opened his eyes, wincing as he felt a surge of pain hitting his head. He groaned softly, his vision unclear. Slowly, the heart monitor started to beat faster as Sunghoon regained his consciousness. A hand slowly reached to a numb feeling on one side of his body.