*Chapter One*
*Mattie*
I remember the smell of dirt and smoke; rancid as it filled my sinuses and clogged my nose. I remember the sound of screaming and the sound of glass shattering. I remember the sensation of my body flying and turning in the air and the thud of my head as it cracked against the pavement. Then, absolute silence. I heard sirens in the distance, but I couldn't open my eyes. They were so heavy. Sleep sounded like the best thing in the world to me at this moment. As I began to drift off, someone opened my eyes.
"Here! Over here! Her pupils are reacting, but we need to hurry!" The voice screamed to someone behind me.
I realized I was shivering and cold, my body shaking uncontrollably. I moaned and tried to sit up but a hand touched my shoulder and pushed me back down.
"Shh...don't move. Just lay down and sit still. Everything is okay now. You need to stay awake. Do you remember what happened?" the voice said soothingly as they wrapped a collar around my neck, immobilizing my head.
I struggled to put my thoughts together, but they came in snippets, like someone editing a movie and deciding which parts were important, and which ones weren't. There were more people on the scene now. Paramedics, police, and firemen rushed around my head, like I was in orbit. I licked my lips and tasted blood.
"No...", I began to say but my voice was rough and it cracked.
"It doesn't matter right now, sweetie. It's okay," the voice said, it was soft like velvet and it made me want to sleep more than ever, "Kim! We need to get her in ambulance three! Right now! Everyone move!"
I felt my body move upward and heard gurney wheels click into place. Then it was bumpy and everything hurt, but I kept my eyes shut. I felt like I was going to throw up.
"Blood pressure is 85/60...cuts and abrasions all over her head and face...possible broken bones and internal bleeding," the voice said again talking into a radio, "Set up O.R. five and have blood on stand by. In route to OverLake Medical. E.T.A. will be 10 minutes."
Doors slammed. An engine revved. Sirens blared. This was all way too much for my senses, so overwhelming. I let myself slip into the place between sleep and awake. I knew this place well, and it felt like home. I didn't open my eyes again.
