The Day I Died

Chapter 1

The Day I Died

It was a Tuesday.

Big fat raindrops were falling from the sky, the clouds were overcast and I was wearing my favourite red wellies.

I was texting my best friend, Alice. We were talking about something stupid, a new film, a boy, a school project. It wasn't important.

It was cold though, and as my red-boot clad feet sloshed through the puddles, I pulled my jacket tighter around my chest, trying to defeat the October chill.

Then I saw the girl.

She was young, only 6 or 7 and she was walking along the edge of the pavement a few yards in front of me. Her pigtails moving from side to side as she tried to stay balanced.

I smiled when I realised her boots were almost identical to my own.

She was playing that game, the one we have all played at some point in our lives. The one where you stretch out both of your arms and pretend to tightrope walk along the edge of the curb.

She was grinning ear to ear "Liam! Look! I'm balancing!" She giggled, looking at the guy stood to her left.

He was looking bored, uninterested, not even glancing at the small, smiling girl to his side as he held his phone to his ear. "That's great Maisie." he said, brushing her off and checking his watch. Their matching brown hair and brown eyes identifying them as siblings, or close family.

The girl, Maisie, stopped smiling and put her arms down. Defeated, she put one uncoordinated foot forwards and slipped of the curb.

In movies, this would be the point where time slows down and you see the car coming towards her in slow motion, the driver looking elsewhere, the girl and her brother oblivious. This is the point where the world spins and you don't know what to do. You take a moment to think, to do the rational thing.

But this isn't a movie.

As that girl slipped of the curb, as that driver didn't see her, as other onlookers appeared oblivious. I acted on instinct.

Darting forward, I grabbed the lapels of her coat, pushing her back onto the curb, sending her tumbling into the guy, Liam. "Hey!" He exclaimed, his phone falling out of his hand, smashing to the floor. I open my mouth to apologise but the words are only just leaving my mouth when my body is hit and everything falls apart.

The world spins and an icy fire spreads through my body. My neck. My back. My head.

The screech of brakes, the splintering of shattered glass and the intake of breath from several people and the constant, rhythmic rain drops on concrete fill my ears and I feel the cold concrete slam against my side. The gravel burning into my cold skin, the rain still bearing down in icy, relentless drops.

The world has turned. I can only fathom a few thoughts. the main one being 'Huh. I guess the car hit me.' Probably not the best thing to be thinking but amongst the chaos, I have forgotten to take a breath, to think, to feel.

My arm lies to my left, the cobalt coloured nail varnish still perfect on my nails, not one chip or crack.

Then I notice the blood.

It's next to my head, I can see it. Expanding. In that moment I thank god that I am not one of those people that faints at the sight of blood because that really wouldn't help my situation right now.

After that, I notice a peculiar feeling. Not the feeling its self, the lack of it. I feel numb. Trapped. In a haze. I take a shaky breath and a ferocious burning engulfs my chest. I allow my eyes to focus and see the guy, what was his name again? He is knelt down in front of me, looking at me in horror. I close my eyes for a few seconds, the pain fleeting. "No!" A voice snaps. My eyes fly open and I see his mouth moving frantically. A small girl next to him, her eyes wide, silent tears running down her face. Have I seen her before? I instantly feel the need to comfort her. To smile. To assure her that I'm fine. That I'll get through it. But I can't. And that in its own terrifies me.

I blink several times trying to remember who I am, where I am but I'm feeling really quite tired and the overwhelming urge to sleep is growing by the second. I can't hear. I can't speak. I can't fathom any other thoughts. Except for one. One thought that seems to be running through my brain at full speed.

I think I'm going to die.

And then I do.