Soul Survivor

How it Began

Capitulo Uno

You know that moment, the one where everything is just so perfect that you could die and be perfectly content? All because you just don't have a care in the world? My night started like that. My one night that would end up changing everything.

My car's stereo system was on full blast, my brown hair was loose of its usual bun and was fluttering behind me as I cruised over the deserted roads of my small town. The top was completely off of my cherry red Jeep.

As I remember it now, the air was sticky with humidity and the breeze coming off the town's river was just enough to remove the sweat beads forming on my upper lip for a few seconds before new ones would begin form all over again. The smell was a mixture of the air before a thunderstorm, lilacs, and livestock. It was wonderful. It was home. It was normal.

I had nowhere to be and it was a Friday, so my curfew got pushed back to 1 a.m. Flicking my eyes to my clock, I remember smiling gleefully at the sight of the time being only 10:47 p.m. My phone was switched to silent and sitting snugly in the front pocket of my jean shorts. There were to be no distractions for me that night. There had been enough distractions lately and all I wanted was to free my mind and cruise. So far, it had been going terrifically.

The bigger things I had wanted to forget about were my, now ex, boyfriend, and my, now ex, best friend. Exactly a week before, I had caught them 'together' at a party. Instead of becoming furious like you could imagine that anyone would, I just kind of folded in on myself. I refused to eat, talk, or even come out of my room. Not a great way to start off the summer before my senior year.

My solitary time lasted about two days before my mom and sister both marched into my room and dragged me out by my ear, me practically kicking and screaming along the way. After many 'screw those bastards' from my 19 year old sister, and a pint and a half of Ben & Jerry's 'Cherry Garcia' ice cream from my Mom, I was feeling moderately better on Monday. I was definitely not ready to face Brad and Thalia yet, or even respond to their guilty texts for that matter, but I was a lot more relaxed about the whole situation than I had been two days before.

All the next week the two fugitives blew up my cell phone with apologetic (more like ass-saving) texts that were, no doubt, just to make themselves feel better about what they had done. All that was pretty much why I had come out on my own, just driving. There were no things to think about but speed limits, headlights, and shifting gears. It was soothing.

All of a sudden, the CD in my player started to skip. I only took my eyes off the road in front of me for a few seconds, I swear. It was just long enough to press the eject button, spit out the CD, and nudge it back in.

I never even saw the semi cross the center line. He had been right in the middle of his lane only a moment before. Apparently, that moment was long enough for the huge truck to hit my Jeep, send me rolling, and land me smack dab in the middle of the Maquoketa River.

There was the tearing, ripping, screeching sound of metal against metal and pieces of one of our vehicles breaking away. Within seconds, the black, inky water was inside the Jeep, sinking us to the bottom. I remember sucking in a huge breath of water as we first plunged under. It was so cold and I couldn't breath. I clawed frantically at my seatbelt, my hair swirling around me wildly, but the buckle was jammed. I fought and I fought until my muscles were weak with exhaustion and my chest felt as if it would burst. Then came the darkness. I felt myself slipping away as the pain in my chest slowly released and my racing heart started to calm. I gave in to the quiet of the water and closed my eyes. Soon, all I saw was blackness and I felt nothing.

The next thing I remember is bright, white light. It was all I could see. At first, I thought it was the sun. Or star light. But it was much too pure.

For sure, it was something more heavenly than sunlight or a light from the stars. Although, sometimes I sit and think that that would have been so much easier to cope with.

But no. It was not light from the sun, or from the stars.

It was a light coming straight from a flashlight. Shining straight into my face.

From behind the flashlight, a guy's face appeared. He looked to be about my age with brown hair that was obviously styled to look just like Harry Styles'. He laughed as I slowly peeled my eyes open, a smile taking over his features.

"Get up, ya lazy scag. We haven't got all day."