My Life: Congrats, You Lost Me

Chapter 7 - I'm on my Way

***June 8th***

It's been weeks since I called Becca. I never got anymore calls from either Allan or Becca. But one things for sure, it was about to get much better. It was time for the end of school, today would be Becca and Allan's last day and I managed to get the next 2 days off of work. I smile looking at the date on my phone, the 8th of June, a Monday. I flip off my phone and toss it into my bag and pull out my cash box. I pop it open and start counting the bills and coins, from pennies to 100's. I end up with counting out $1,398.13. I smile and put the cash into my bag and walk down into the lobby. I smile at the woman behind the counter, a rather friendly one, I think, and walk out the door and into the rain.

I pull up my hood and stuff my hands into my pocket, walking down to the bus stop. It had a cover over a bench but there were already 3 people crammed under it so I just stood next to it, in the rain. After about 15 minutes the bus came and all of us huddled onto the bus, I was the last one on. I check the time on my phone, 10:30, I'll make it to Allan's before they'll even be home from class.

The rain was extremely heavy and I could tell the bus driver was having issues with the traction on the road because we were constantly jerking because of the tapping of the breaks, but I'll still make it home to Allan and Becca. I watched the cars around the bus, all swaying and moving in the heavy wind. There was a semi-truck on its side off of the road. Some people around me were obviously terrified something was going to happen on the way, but me and most of the people on this bus, weren't worried about a thing.

Well, we weren't worried until something happened. We were going over a bridge, the rain still drowning everything in sight, causing the river to run wild, and the wind whipping trees and knocking some down. As we went across the bridge a car to the left of us was blown by the wind and had lost traction from the road and slid into the side of the bus. The big green bus was scratched and dented and had rammed into the guard rail. The same car, while trying to right itself, ended up hitting one of the back wheels of the bus, tearing the front part of the car off and crashing into the rail on the other side of the bridge. As the car hit the wheel, it made the bus jostle and lose its own traction. We were sliding and the driver was trying to keep from ramming into the guard rail but it was impossible, the wind was too strong and the wheels couldn't latch onto the ground any longer. We rammed into the guard rail, hard enough that it snapped against our wait.

The bus fell into the water on its side, I was on the side that was still above the water. I pull open the emergency window in the seat behind me and pull myself out of the bus, my leg catches on a torn piece of metal on the window sill and it slices a huge gash into my leg just under my knee. calling for the rest of the riders to do the same. A woman tried to coax her 5 year old child out of the window but when it refused I grabbed the child and heaved her out.

The bus was now underwater and sinking even faster. The child's mother had enough time to get out before it sank. I fought to stay above the water with the small child clinging to my back, but it was just so strong. The child's mother called out, trying to swim to the bank of the river, but consistently bobbing above and below the water. The water stung my eyes and burned my throat whenever it made it in. I swam against the current towards the bank, and I prayed silently that the poor little girl on my back could hold on to me against it. I had water washing up and into my nose and mouth with ever wave. I could feel the little girl gasping for air as water splashed us both.

I was so close to the shore, but the water was running even faster and rougher over the rocks. I started to lose my energy to fight against the heaving water, and I started to slip under. The girl on my back was crying loudly, and it took everything I had to push up to the rocky shallows, scraping my legs and arms as I tried to stand up in the heavy water. My eyes were running, tears streaming down my face.