Silver Crest

Meeting 'the one'

Chara's POV
*Before the Accident*

"Charie! Are you going home?" Stella's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. She's struggling to load her oversized bags into the trunk of her car, looking like she might actually have a whale stuffed in there. I chuckle to myself, wondering how she manages to haul all that around.

"Charie?" Stella repeats, snapping me back to reality.

"Mmmh?" I murmur, realizing I didn't hear her the first time.

"Are you heading home?" she asks again, her voice tinged with the slightest hint of impatience."Oh, yeah, I'm planning to leave around one," I explain, glancing at my watch. The digital numbers flash 12:45 back at me. "Actually, I should probably get going soon. It's a bit of a drive back home."

Stella and I exchange our goodbyes, promising to keep in touch over the summer break. I can't help but feel a mix of relief and apprehension as I get into my car. It's been a long semester, and I'm looking forward to the break, but there's always a part of me that dreads returning home. It's not that I don't love my grandmother; I do. She's the only family I have left. But home is a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, and sometimes, that's more than I can handle.

As I start the drive, the sky darkens ominously, and by the time I'm halfway there, the rain has turned into a torrential downpour. The windshield wipers work furiously, but they can barely keep up with the sheets of water that blur my vision. The mist is thick, hanging low over the road, and it's hard to see more than a few feet in front of me. I slow down, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I navigate the winding roads that lead to my hometown.

The road is eerily quiet, and I shiver despite the warmth of the car's heater. There's something about driving in this kind of weather that always makes me uneasy. The rain slams against the car roof, each drop sounding like a tiny hammer, and the mist wraps around the car, turning the world outside into an indistinct gray blur.

I'm almost home when it happens. One moment, I'm focused on the road, trying to see through the fog, and the next, something darts out in front of me. My heart leaps into my throat, and I slam on the brakes, but it's too late. There's a sickening thud, and the car jolts as I hit something—or someone. Panic floods my veins as I skid to a stop, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Oh my God, oh my God..." I mutter, fumbling with my seatbelt before practically throwing myself out of the car. The rain is still pouring down, soaking me instantly as I rush to the front of the car. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might burst out of my chest.

And that's when I see him. A man, lying motionless on the road, his body crumpled and lifeless under the relentless rain.

*No, no, no...* My mind is screaming at me to do something, anything, but I'm frozen, staring at him in horror. This can't be happening. This can't be real.

I force myself to move, dropping to my knees beside him. He's bleeding, the dark red mixing with the rain, but he's breathing. Barely. My hands are shaking so badly I can hardly think straight, but I know I have to get him out of here. I have to get him help.

"Hang on, please hang on," I whisper, though I'm not sure if I'm saying it to him or to myself. I somehow manage to lift him, half-dragging, half-carrying him to the car. He's heavier than he looks, and I'm straining with the effort, but I don't stop until he's lying in the back seat.