Blank

Prologue

Penelope

        I played the last key and sigh with relief. I had done it. I finished my piece of music. Clapping erupted from the crowd. I stood, and walked a couple steps away from the piano, then turned to the audience, and bowed. I raised my head and looked for my parents. I saw them standing, and clapping, with big smiles on their faces. I smiled. They had liked it.

      I walked off the stage, and Barry was there, glaring. I smirked. "What's wrong Barry, you nervous?" I asked. He scoffed.

      "Nervous? Of course not." He said. I rolled my eyes and smiled at him. 

      "Good luck." I told him. He actually smiled. 

      "I don't need it. I have skills." He said. I walked off to the back room, where you can go listen to other performances, and prepare for your turn. I go to listen to Barry's performance. He walked on confident as ever. He sat at the piano, studying the piano for a couple seconds, then started boldly. I smiled. Barry was really good. I wouldn't be surprised if he ever surpassed me. No mistakes for most of it. Then he held a note too long, and then he missed a crescendo. I frowned. He wouldn't be in first. After a couple minutes he finished perfectly. I walked to the back door, and wait for him to come in. After a minute he walked in, and stormed away. 

    "Barry..." He walked into the bathroom, and I felt my stomach drop. Barry went to school with me, and he was always going against me, and he always ended up second. It seemed to kill him every time. 

***

     We walked out of the building happily. I raised my first place trophy, and my parents cheered. "You did amazing! Let's go get ice cream!" My mom said, beaming with happiness. We hopped in the car, and my dad started the car. "We video taped it, so your brother can see it when he comes home this month." My mom said. I smiled happily. My brother had been gone to college at Harvard, and now he was finally finishing with college. My parents were going to fly out to see his graduation, while I finish seventh grade here. 

        "Sounds good to me." I said. 

       "You did so good. Your brother is going to be so proud!" My mom said. We continued on, and we talked, and I don't remember what else we said, it wasn't important. Then my dad stopped at a red light, and looked at me in the mirror at the top of the car. 

        "We love you so much, and we're so proud." He said. I smiled and I felt my face get red. My parents praise me way to much when I win.

        Then before we even know it, a car is coming straight toward us! slightly swerving. "Watch out!" My mom screamed. But there was not enough time. They hit us, and the car flipped. and everything went black.

       I opened my eyes gasping. there was smoke and fire, and glass everywhere. I feel pain through out my body. I start gasping, panicking. I was upside down.

     "Mom?! Dad?!" I screamed. I looked in front of me, and blood was running down my mother's face. I couldn't see my dad's face, but I saw his arms, which were bleeding, and look like they were broken. I started to cry, and scream. My parents weren't moving. Then I hadn't realized, it but there were tires screeching around us, and I could hear them getting closer. I look out the shattered window, and a beat up car was swerving toward us. I started to panic more, and kept trying to get out of the seat I was stuck in. Then the car barely hit, and the car spun, and once again I passed out.

***

     I woke up gasping. But everything was still black, even though I could feel my eyes opening. "Hello?" I yelled. I heard my brothers voice. "Jackson? I-I can't, where am I?" I asked.