never be » lrh book one

Introduction

F L A S H B A C K

Sam's POV

I really don't want to be here right now.

Currently I'm with my parents and sister on our way to our vacation home in the Appalachian Mountains. I've always hated the cold, so coming here is always very dreadful. The closer we get, the grumpier I get.

We turn the corner of the road that leads to our mountain cabin. The road is covered in a thin layer of ice. My dad grips the steering wheel, wanting to make it to our destination before it gets dark outside. The car shifts a little too far every time we turn, which causes my sister, Amelia, and I to exchange a look.

"Maybe we should slow down, Tom." My mom says softly. There's a bit of fear in her voice and I don't blame her; dad had been slightly out of control lately.

"We'll be fine, Kristen." He mumbles, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. My anxiety creeps up on me. I'm feeling very uncomfortable in the backseat with no control over the car.

"I agree with mom, dad, please slow down." I touch his shoulder from the backseat, hoping he will come to his senses and realize we are going way too fast.

"God damn it Sam!" He yells and turns around. He shoots me a look that tells me I'm going to be in trouble when we reach the cabin.

The ice takes over and the car as my dad turns back around in his seat and tries to turn a sharp corner. The car begins to spin out of control. Next thing I know, the vehicle falls off the side of the cliff. As the car rolls, I start feeling pure pain. All I can see is the world being bent and cut and the sound of things breaking. When we finally stop tumbling, I am almost unscathed besides a massive cut on my head and glass shards stuck in my arms and legs. I climb out of the car and examine the damage. It seems like my seat was the only one that didn't get it bad. When I realize my family could be dead or dying inside the car, I begin to sprint up the side of the cliff, which is more like a valley. All I can think is that I have to get to the cabin to call an ambulance or it will be my fault they die.

I struggle through the icey snow. It's not the soft kind you can just trudge through. It's the kind you walk on and fall through after a few steps. The air is freezing. My blood drips into the snow.

Hours later of running and climbing the mountain road I reach the cabin and use the landline to call 911. I tell them what happened and where, and they tell me they'll be here soon. I run to the shower and rinse off, cleaning the cut on my head and getting all the glass out from my skin and applying bandages where they're needed.

Another hour later the cops are knocking on the door and driving me to the crash site. They're extracting my family's bodies and hurrying them to the ambulances. Tears streak my face.

The cold air freezes my skin, making me realize that I might have just lost my whole family, and it's all my fault.