aeipathy | one shot collection

dead or alive.

*Willow's POV*

"We've gotta go, Aubree! We're going to be late!" I yell to her in a rush, putting Marie's jacket over her squirmy shoulders.

"Okay, just give me a minute!" she calls back from upstairs. I sigh, throwing my hoodie over my head and taking Marie outside to strap into the car.

As soon as I close Marie's door, Aubree is rushing outside with one arm in her jacket. She apologizes and hops in the car, so I slide into the driver's seat and start the car.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath. "We have reservations with Hailey and Patrick at 6 o'clock. The restaurant is 45 minutes away and it's almost six now. If we're late, the staff won't let us hear the end of it for inconveniencing them-"

"It's okay, just drive, okay? Sitting here and stressing about it isn't going to get us there any quicker. It'll be fine," Aubree says as I start the car and looks out the window.

We drive into town and I turn onto the interstate. I guess it doesn't matter too much, but I don't want to leave a bad impression on everyone. And I'd just feel like hell about it because I'm always guilty now for some reason.

"Babe, you're not paying attention to the road," Aubree states and breaks me out of my thoughts. I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"S-sorry."

Marie and Aubree talk a little bit as I drive but I stay quiet. I can't escape my thoughts. My brain keeps remembering when I made myself drunk and hysterical. I don't understand why I did that. If I don't know, then Aubree sure as hell doesn't know what's up with me. She watches me a lot more cautiously now and it almost feels as if I'm walking on eggshells all the time. I don't want her to worry about me and I don't want Marie dragged into anything.

"Willow! Did you hear me?"

I glance at her in alarm. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, 'you almost hit that car'! Why aren't you paying attention? Do I need to drive?"

"No, no, I'm okay. I'm fine to drive."

Aubree eyes me and I nod at her. I'm fine.

Twenty minutes slide by in silence. Aubree texted Patrick and told him we'd be a little late. He was calm and understanding like always. I don't know what we'd do without him or Hailey. 

My mind starts to slip away again into thoughts I always try to push away, but immediately come back in quiet situations. I won't dare say anything to Aubree right now because she's stressed as it is and Marie is in the car. Maybe this dinner will help take my mind off things. We'll all have a good time together. It's been a while since we've seen them. I -

"Willow!" Aubree screams before I can understand what's going on. My head snaps up to see the rear of a pickup truck approaching us rapidly. I slam on the brakes but it's too late. My hand flies up in front of Aubree as if that's going to help her and I prepare for the impact in the split second it takes for it to happen.

I feel an explosion of pain and everything goes black and... nothing.

---

I open my eyes to see I'm in the driver's seat of my car. The sun is so bright I can barely look out the windshield; I look to my side. No one else is in the car with me. I rub my eyes, trying to focus on what's in front of me. There are blood splatters on the passenger's seat, on the dash, on the steering wheel... wait. 

Why does it feel so cramped in here? Why is there blood? 

I struggle to get up and crawl out the open driver's door - which is odd, why is it open? - and fall to the ground. My senses start to come at me all at once: the sound of cars whooshing by, the stench of burnt rubber and blood... I stand up, turn around and realize the front of my car is crushed and completely obliterated. What the hell?