It's All In Your Head

>Chapter Twenty-Five< Isaac

"Why is your face so red?" My dad asked as I climbed into the car. I hit my head against my window. "I. Am. The. Stupidest. Human. Being. In. Existence." I announced, punctuating each word with another slamming sound from my head. 

My dad started to laugh. "She gave you a little goodbye kiss, didn't she?"

"I AM SO STUPID!" I yelled. "I DIDN'T EVEN KISS HER BACK! I JUST RAN OUT OF THERE!"

My dad laughed even harder. "SHUT UP!" I yelled. 

My dad rubbed his face and grinned at me. "You, my son, have officially experienced the charm a girl you love can preform."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

My dad started the car and began to back out of his parking spot as he spoke. "It means that girls can amaze you quite a lot. Especially a girl you love. Your mother used to catch me by surprise like that all the time, and I never knew what to say either. But it's alright, Isaac. Girl's think that it's rather cute."

I raised my eyebrows. "Cute? They think utter confusion and fear is cute?"

My dad grinned as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Yes, Isaac, they think that it's cute."

That was not a very welcoming fact. "Why?"

My dad shrugged. "Well, we think it's cute when a girl tries to punch us, don't we?"

"Yeah, until it hurts because we pissed them off so much."
"True."

"Either that or we just plain piss them off and they dump our sorry as--"

"That's enough, son."

I smiled a little bit. 

My dad pulled to a stop at a red light. He looked down at the ground. "Shoot, I dropped something." He muttered, bending down and feeling around for whatever he dropped.

I stared at the light. "Green, dad!" I yelled. My dad's head shot up and he hit the gas.

That's when it happened. "DAD, WATCH OUT!" I screamed as a car came barreling down the intersection on the driver's side of the car. 

There was a terrible screech as my dad attempted to swerve. There was a loud crashing noise as our car was hit. The airbags inflated. Our car spun to the side. There was another crashing noise.

I closed my eyes and screamed. Glass shattered, pieces of it getting embedded in my arms. 

I threw my hands over my head and neck, screaming even louder. The car tilted, but somehow, it didn't flip. My heart slammed against my ribs. Drops of blood spattered my face.

Suddenly, the world went silent. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around. I gingerly removed my arms from my head. My breathing was heavy. My leg was trapped between two pieces of metal. I attempted to open my door and was surprised to find that it was still working, somehow. 

Then I froze. My dad. 

I turned to look at him, afraid of what I would find. 

There he was, one arm bent at an awkward angle, one leg wedged between two pieces of metal, just like mine. His hair was covered in blood, his face was scratched up, his eyes were closed.

"DAD!" I screamed, my voice sounding awful and scratchy. I grabbed his good arm and tried to pull him out of his position. He wouldn't budge.

I took a deep breath and looked down at my own leg, which didn't hurt too much. I tried to wedge apart the two pieces of metal. 

Eventually, I managed it just enough to slip my rather bloody leg out. 

Then I focused on my dad's leg. I crawled over to him and pried apart the two pieces of metal, shaking and sweating. My hands retained more scratches as I worked, but I eventually managed.

"Dad?" I whispered, grabbing his hand. "Dad, please, you gotta wake up."

As if he'd heard me, his eyes fluttered open. He looked at me. "Isaac..." He croaked. I held on to his shoulders. "Dad, I'm going to get you out of here." I said determinedly, starting to pull him out. My dad hacked into my shoulder. 

After a few moments of struggling, I managed to get myself and my dad out of the car. We had spun into the grass. 

"Isaac..." My dad said weakly, reaching up and grabbing my face. "I love you so much."

"No! You're not going to die." I snapped, reaching for my phone in my pocket. "I'm going to call someone, okay? Just..."

My dad grabbed my hand and held it tightly. My phone wasn't turning on.

"Isaac, please." He whispered. "You have to let me go."

"Dad, no I can't let you die."
"You're not letting me die...I'm already dead."

"No, dad, you're going to be alright!"

"No...you don't understand..."
"Dad, please!"

I started to cry. I couldn't lose him too. He was the only family I had left. 

"Isaac...I've been dead...for years..."

I froze. "W-what?" I choked. 

"I've been dead...since your mother...died." He whispered. "On the...inside...I've...been...dead."

"No, dad, please!" I dropped my head and sobbed.

 "You...have...to...let me...go."

"Dad!"
"I want to...see...her...again."
"But I need you!"
"Please..."

I dropped my dad's hand and stared at him. "You're killing me!" I wailed. 

"No...Isaac...you're stronger than...me."

I let out a scream of anguish. I couldn't stand this. My dad hasn't been dead! He's been here, with me!

"I don't want to...be without her..."

"Dad!"

"I love you...so much."

"Dad, no! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!" 

My dad was staring at me. I realized that he was crying too. 

"Please...let...me...go."

His eyes seemed to be getting dimmer. "I love you..."

I hugged him tightly. "I love you too dad."

He sighed softly, his last breath tickling my ear. I pulled away from him, tears dropping into my bloody hands. 

"I love you too."