Chapter I
The van flipped over and over its’ self. Natascha was getting tossed around; against the window, her brother, Garreth, the seat, anything and everything. Finally, it stopped. Natascha’s head kept spinning, suddenly smelling blood; that coppery smell that is impossible to mistake. What happened? Where are we? What’s that smell? All at once the memories came flooding back.
“Garreth,” her father had been saying,”what do you plan to do with your life? You sit at home doing nothing. You need to go outside. Start a life. Go get a job, go to college, get a girlfriend and settle down and start a family.”
“Dad. I’m seventeen; I just got out of high school. I’m not ready to make up my mind on what I'm going to do for the rest of my life. As for the girlfriend part, I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“Garreth, dear, your father is just trying to look out for you,” his mother said, “We aren’t going to be here forever. We need to make sure you are on your way to where you want to be before we are gone, to see you happy. Plus, we need to know you would be able to take care of your sister if something were to happen to us.”
“Why are yall being so morbid today?” Natascha asked. “I mean really. Just leave Garr alone. He’s fine with where he is in life. So you guys should just deal with it.”
“You watch your tone, young lady. Or this conversation will go to how you have been behaving lately,” said her father.
“The only reason I’ve been ‘acting’ this way is because I’m leaving all my friends back home to go to some Hicksville in the middle of Hell!”
“Nat. Chill, ok?” Garreth had always been the mediator between their father and her, “you will make more friends out here in ‘Hicksville’. Just give it a chance. Besides, if you don’t like it I will personally drive you back to Philly, okay?” He was kidding. Just trying to lighten the mood, but her father didn’t see it that way.
“Garreth Michael Crawly! Do NOT put any ideas in her head! Are you insane?! You—“her father had lost control of the vehicle while he had been on his tirade.
Oh, dear God, please let them be all right.
“Garr? Mom? Daddy?” No answer. “Garreth?! Mommy?! Daddy?! Someone answer me please!”
She was getting hysterical and she knew it. She needed to stay calm. And that’s when she smelled it. That’s when the smell hit her -- blood; that unmistakable smell of rusty copper. She looked over at Garreth, who had been sitting to her right. She saw him, a gash across his forehead, apparently unconscious. Unconscious as he was, his breathing looked normal. Next she looked to her mother, who had been sitting in the front passenger seat. Oh God, there was so much blood… she has to be okay though, she just has be! But all that blood… She stopped her train of thought before it scared her too much to check on her father. Daddy. All she could see of her father was his head bent forward and a shard of glass in his neck. She looked away quickly, knowing the inevitable. She had lost her father.
What is that smell? Besides the bloo… blood. My family’s blood. Focus. Think. It smells like… fire! “Mom!” she cried, “Mommy!” No response. Now that she focused, she couldn’t see the rise and fall of her mother’s chest. She hadn’t only lost her father, but her mother too. She had caused her and her brother to become orphans.
Is this some kind of punishment for giving them a hard time?! God, please, don’t let this be true. Don’t let them be dead. Please, God, if you are there listening, take me instead.
