Flashback
The sun hung low in the sky, painting streaks of pink and orange across the suburban landscape where Madi's family lived. It was a peaceful evening in 1997, and four-year-old Madi bounced with excitement as her parents prepared for a rare family outing. They were going to visit Madi's favourite ice cream shop on the outskirts of town—a treat to celebrate her recent birthday.
With a skip in her step, Madi climbed into the backseat of their old station wagon, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Her mother settled into the driver's seat, her father beside her, both exchanging knowing glances filled with parental affection.
"Are you ready, sweetheart?" her mother asked, adjusting the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of Madi's beaming face.
"Ice cream!" Madi exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight.
Her father chuckled softly as he fastened Madi's seatbelt, his voice warm with fatherly pride. "You're going to have the biggest scoop they've got, kiddo."
With a click, the car door closed, enveloping them in the familiar comfort of family. The engine hummed to life, and they set off down the quiet neighbourhood street, Madi's laughter filling the air.
As they approached the intersection leading to the main road, the world seemed to hold its breath. The traffic light blinked yellow, cautioning them to slow down. Her mother's grip tightened on the steering wheel, and her father scanned the road ahead with practised vigilance.
Then, in a split second that stretched into eternity, it happened—a blur of motion, the screech of tyres, and the sickening crunch of metal. Another car, running the red light at full speed, collided with theirs in a violent collision. Glass shattered, metal groaned, and the air filled with the acrid scent of smoke and burning rubber.
Madi's world spun in chaos. She was jolted in her seat, the force of impact knocking the breath from her lungs. Through tear-blurred eyes, she saw the twisted wreckage around her, her parents' voices lost amidst the cacophony of sirens and shouting.
Emergency responders arrived swiftly, their uniforms a blur of movement as they worked to extract Madi and her parents from the mangled car. Her mother's gentle touch, her father's reassuring voice—gone in an instant, replaced by the cold hands of strangers and the harsh glare of emergency lights.
Amid the chaos, Madi clung to her teddy, Snuggles, a cherished gift that had suddenly become her only link to the family she had known. As she was gently carried into the ambulance, her world fractured irreparably. The innocence of childhood shattered by the harsh reality of loss, leaving her adrift in a sea of grief and confusion.
Last she remembered being in her grandmother's arms, safely in the elderly woman's cottage.
End of flashback
YOU ARE READING
Madi
Short StorySince 1997, Madi has been under the care of her grandmother after losing her parents in a devastating car crash. However, towards the end of the school year in 2001, tragedy strikes again when her grandmother passes away unexpectedly. Left alone and...
