Mask

Chapter 2: Distant Memory (RW)

A shrill scream echoed making me grab my head, the sound causing an excruciating throb. A minute of throbbing later, the pain became dull enough for me to let go. 

I looked around to see a blurred image. I squinted my eyes. Looking closely, I realized it was a little girl. A girl with the same eyes and hair as me. She was the source of the scream. 

I reached out to her.

All of a sudden it was as if I went back in time. I could literally see the rewind. When it was over, I was standing at an abandoned road. The once purple-y setting of the sky that showcased early morning was painted pitch black, little spatters of twinkling lights as the stars and the full moon shining bright.

There was a feeling of dread inside of me. Something bad was about to happen. I could feel it, and apparently every fibre in my body could feel it as well. 

I was tense and all my little hairs stood up in on end. A cool sensation washing over me made me feel detached from wherever the hell I was. I knew I was just here to witness whatever was going to happen next.

A black car soon appeared along with the sound of crunching gravel underneath the tires. The strong scent of gasoline hit me. Observing the scene carefully, I vaguely spotted the silhouette of a family in the car. The vague image cleared up just the slightest bit. There was a man, a woman, a little boy, and a little girl.

Suddenly the car went spinning out of control. I didn't have a clue what had happened that caused the car to swerve abruptly. Blue flashed. It barely lasted a second before the car hit a tree. The air was filled with the crunching sound of shattered glass and a soft crying.

It wasn't over yet. A small fire ignited itself. In a few seconds the car would be engulfed in flames.

In a split-second I was beside the car. Cautiously, preparing myself to hold in a scream, I peered inside. The family was gone, disappeared as if they were never there in the first place. All except for the little girl. 

Salty tears ran down her face as the fire flicked closer and closer. Beads of sweat ran down her face, and when the flames licked her arms, she screamed.

I tried to help her but my hand just went through the car. Frantically, I tried to figure out what was wrong. Why couldn't I feel anything? Why couldn't I do a thing to help the girl? I touched the fire but it didn't scorch me. It didn't even touch me.

The girl screamed again and my breathing quicken. I was starting to become hysterical. Now, the car was completely engulfed the red, hot, fire. Generous amounts of black smoke floated upwards. The girl had little chance of survival.

If by some miracle someone appeared and she wasn't already dead because of the fire then the smoke would definitely kill her. My eyes stung and I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't help her. She would die in there. I hoped- I prayed for a miracle.