Trapped

Chapter 3

Luke sipped his coffee peacefully and I watched him carefully. How his cheeks sank in slightly in the center, and how the outer edge of his lips lay in a direct line with his pupils. His lips were a light hue, slightly pinker than his skin.

"What?" He asked catching me staring at him. "Nothing." I said with a hint if defensiveness in my voice, not that there was anything to even be defensive about. "Are you tired?" He questioned. "Not at all. I think we should go clubbing actually" I said with a straight face trying not to laugh. He raised an eyebrow with a smirk, almost like he was considering it.

"One, we're having a hurricane... Two, you're only seventeen... And Three, I don't think older brothers can take their little sisters "clubbing". It's like against the sibling code." he said with a grin. "Who said you were actually going to go in with me? You're just my ride" I teased. He looked at me with a more sarcastic look. "Yeah, okay. I think you're tired." He laughed. "Really? I just had a cup of liquid caffeine with like four packets of sugar, I'm pretty awake now." I laughed. Eventually the waiter gave us the bill, and we thanked him and left.

In the car, sirens sounded in the distance. They loud buzzing noises made my head flood with unwanted memories. I tried to shake my head and dim out the sound but it only continued to get louder.

Luke pulled over the car as a line of police cars, fire trucks, and a few ambulances flew by. I watched the familiar cars ride by and shivered at the sight.

Eventually the noise of the cars exited my eardrums and I tried to stay focused on the present, not dwell on the past. The car ride was quiet again and the night seemed to have gotten more eery. There were few cars on the road. I didn't think Luke was taking us home because it was in the wrong direction, but where could he be taking us? There was barely anything on the other side of town. I was caught up in my thoughts when Luke broke the silence. "So, Grey." Luke started.
I looked over at him but his eyes were still glued to the road, which I was grateful for, of course. I motioned for him to continue and I know he saw it because he started speaking immediately.

"What would you do without me?" He asked me, his straight face was more then enough to tell me this was a serious question to which I was implied to answer carefully.

"Well what do you mean? As if you never existed, or if I lost you?" An uneasy pit grew in my stomach, for no given reason really, I just was unsure how to answer the question. He seemed to be acting strange which also made me nervous.
His hand seemed to fidget with something in his pocket and he looked down briefly before looking back at the road, driving one handed.

"If you lost me Grey, what would you do?" He said with a more 'give me an answer now' tone.

I was utterly stumped on my answer to the question, various thoughts pulsing through my imagination. How could he expect me to answer this question? Was there something he wasn't telling me?

I looked at him, asking uncomfortably, "How would you...uhm...die?"

He took his eyes away from the road and looked at me with a blank expression, his eyes sunken in and remarkably darker. Before I knew what was happening the car veered off to the side of the road and into a deep, water filled ditch. Luke had suddenly lost control of his mind and body in an instant.

I got my answer.

I screamed, extremely terrified, not that screaming would help anyways.
We landed in the ditch at a sideways angle, but we were still moving. Still moving down, at least. It was pitch black in the car, and no streetlights around the ditch. I heard Luke who was fidgeting with the door handle, trying to get out before we drowned. Not that it was deep, but because I really couldn't swim- even if my life depended on it... Which it did. Luke broke the glass window and water poured in all at once.
He reached around blindly for me as I was focusing on holding my breath. He grabbed my upper arm and tugged at me repeatedly. I tried to help him, but really I was just dead weight.
Well, just dead everything.
On the way up, I mistakenly swallowed some water, also swallowing some glass shards. It slid down my throat painfully, but the pain went away when I realized I couldn't hold my breath any longer.
It's an awful feeling, you know. You're mind and body are still there, but when you gasp for air- there's nothing. You can't take a breathe, you can't even try. You are completely aware of what's going on around you, but also completely helpless.

***

I woke up coughing and very disoriented. I could barely breathe because all the water that filled my lungs. My thoughts were fuzzy, and I didn't quite remember what happened. I thought back to where Luke lost control. Everything happened so fast I didn't have time to say anything to him. Most people think they know how'll they'll react in a life or death situation- but you really don't. You panic. You can't breathe, can't speak, can't move. The adrenaline pumps through your veins replacing your blood.
But, what would I have said to Luke? I love you? I mean there wasn't much I could say. It just happened so damn fast. On the thought of Luke, I looked around as I was still soaking wet. I looked to my left and right and he wasn't around. I sat up quickly and coughed with an intense phlegm sound.
The car was still in the water.
Luke did pull me out right?

Right?

I began to get paranoid. What if Luke was still in the car?

Dead.

A pit grew in my stomach as I began to stand up and yell, but noting came out. I couldn't scream, my voice was totally mute besides my cracked whispers.

*Luke's Point of View*

I pulled Grey up out of the water in a panic as she was coughing. The coughing suddenly stopped when I placed her on the grass, and her eyes closed. Panic hit me quickly as I felt her pulse. She was still breathing, but I could hear her wheezing heavily. I stood up and there was no one around because of the storm which I had completely forgot about until the lighting struck brighter in the sky.

I began to weigh my options. Do I leave her here to get help or bring her? The more I tried to decide the more I gave myself a hard time. I let him control me again. He has to stop. He just has to.
I decided to go to the nearest pay phone and call Harry. I had to- no one else is around and he is the only one I could trust.

With fidgeting hands and a a racing mind I helplessly dialed Harry's number. Lightning struck the air which only made matters worse. "Fuck!" I yelled when he didn't answer.

Not giving up I punched in the numbers again and again until I heard an answer on the other end.
Reciting quickly everything that happened I ended the call and ran my fingers through my hair.

What a fucking mess.

I cant let it happen again. Stay positive. Everything's going to be alright.
I had to focus on what was happening and not what happened. Quite easier said then done.

You almost killed your sister.
Killing her, it would ruin my whole plan.

*Grey's point of view*

Wincing with every breath, cringing with every step.
My mind was clouded, eyes heavy.

Nothing I saw was really there.

Blood spurted from my mouth and dripped down my chin which I swiped off furiously. That can't be good. Claps of thunder buzzed in my head snapping me back to reality. I couldn't see the ditch anymore, couldn't see anything really. Tall grass surrounded me and the empty road I was acquaintanced with. I would scream if I could. Yell at the top of my lungs. But I can't.
The horrid taste of metallic was slowly filling my mouth and lungs which only made matters worse.

A sleek black truck approached slowly and I tried to wave it over despite the pain, but it kept driving.

Inconsiderate bitch.

As if the driver heard me the car stopped. I squinted to my eyes to see who came out.

"Grey?"

I stood still. My heart was beating a million times faster if that was even possible. He walked closer to me and as I saw his face clearer I ran to him and enveloped him into a hug. I didn't care about the pain my body was in when he hugged me back tightly or when I whispered his name.

"Kaleb" I exhaled into his cologne scented chest.