Anxiety Alley

Accidental Survivors [Chapter 9]

I have two hours before six. I go to the mall with a friend. He is calm, and he takes me to Hot Topic. Yay! My home!

After an hour, I realize that it would take a little bit to get to Ben's house. I call my Mom and she tells me to hop in the back seat. I do, I slid in right behind her. My brother is in the front. I like him. He is so nice, he understands why I am depressed. He understands.

We settle into silence. A comfortable silence. None of us really like to fill up the silence with words.

Mom takes a left, then a right, right, right, left, left, right, left. and then I see a large pickup truck. I know we are going the right way. It's a one way only road, and I saw the sign that meant we were going the right way.

The truck smashes into the front. At the point of impact, time stands still. I around. I feel like this isn't real. I feel like I am in a movie theater,  watching a movie like... Like If I Stay. Oh, right. I am. I reach my hands up, and try to take off my 3D glasses. My hand hits air. Then I look to the left. And I see a window. Real? I don't think so. But it is. I open the door, with some difficulty.

I walk with a slight limp. I look down at my leg. Blood is caked onto my right leg. A piece of glass is stuck in my leg. I check over the rest of myself. All good. Just the glass cut. That might need stitches. But I can't check my head very well. I hear sirens. Can I sleep with them? I wish I could.

An ambulance turns the corner up ahead. Why would there be an ambulance? More sirens are following. After a few minutes, two fire trucks and three ambulances have arrived. Why would all of those be needed? I survived with minimal damage... unfortunately.

A medic runs over to me. "Miss, are you all right? Are you  okay?" So keeps demanding an answer. I just stare at her. I start laughing. She looks at one of her coworkers. She makes the crazy sign and points in my direction. I fall into the snow, laughing. I hold my sides, and just laugh.

I look at the car. I stop laughing when I see my brother's face shredded. Like if a giant cat got mad and thought he was a scratching post. A medic pulls him out of the car. Well, the accordion of a car. For some reason, the front has been smashed in.

At the sight of his mutilated body, I realize... Someone smashed into the front of the car. The whole accident rushes into my mind. I start to cry. They try to take him out of the car, but it takes several people. One of the men gets mad, and he rips him out.

"Dude! Calm down!"

"SO WHAT? HE'S DEAD ANYWAY!"

They turn and look at me. I shake my head. "He isn't dead. He can't be. I don't want to live with a horrible cheerleader sister, and a drunk dad. He can't be dead. Jake? Stop playing around! They think you're dead! But you aren't! You can't be! Can you? Jake? ... Jake?"

Everyone looks at me with sympathy. Some even shake their heads. One tells me that she is sorry.

"I'm so so so sorry." As if repeating one word, one phrase will magically make it okay. As if to  convince me that I will be okay.

"No, you aren't."

"Pardon?"

I raise my voice to a shout. "YOU AREN'T SORRY, AND YOU NEVER WILL BE! IN A FEW DAYS YOU WILL FORGET THIS EVEN HAPPENED! YOU REALLY THINK THAT SAYING THAT YOU ARE SORRY OVER AND OVER AGAIN MAKES ME BELIEVE YOU? IT DOESN'T! IT MAKES YOU SOUND INCONSIDERATE!" I turn and run. I plan to leave the area, but I run straight into the stop sign that was invisible to me. I couldn't see it through the blood spilling into my eye.