Altered

alternates | chapter 10

"How was it? Satisfied with your work?" Penelope asked, her face resting on her hand. I smiled, nodding.

"It really wasn't my work, but it's nice to see how everything went," I admitted, scanning the room once more. For some reason, it seemed blurrier now. I rubbed my eyes, but it did nothing. Odd. I shook it off, looking back to Penelope. 

She was examining her nails again. An awkward silence settled between us, the air thick. I pulled at my shirt collar nervously. "I guess this means I have more tasks now?" I asked, breaking the silence. Penelope shrugged. She stood, looking to me, then back to her cottage.

She trailed her hands along the walls, eventually coming to a bookshelf at the other end of the house. She pulled a random book, causing the bookshelf to creak and turn. Of course, a secret bookshelf. Who even had those things anymore?

Then I remembered we were in the void. Everything existed here, but nothing existed here at the same time. Don't think about that too much. 

Instead of a pathway or dead body or whatever else would be behind a magical bookshelf, there was a white movie screen. Penelope sat on the floor beside it, tossing her hair over her shoulder. I wasn't sure what was going on right now, but I'm sure it was something important. Penelope wasn't the type to fool around. 

"Watch," she demanded, tapping the screen.

Was that my car?

The red SUV raced along the old highway, and all at once I realized I was watching a replay of my death. I wanted to say something, but the look on Penelope's face told me that wasn't a very good idea.

I was in the driver seat, of course. My friend Zara was in the passenger seat, and my other friend Coy was in the back, napping. I knew this scene like the back of my hand. I had played it over and over and over in my head a million times. It never made me feel better. Every time I imagined my SUV crumbling and lighting on fire, guilt rushed over me again.

"You're really drunk Eve, maybe I should drive? I only had a shot," Zara said, reaching out to me. I swatted her away drowsily. She flinched, crumpling in her seat. I turned up the radio. I had a habit of doing that when I didn't want to talk to someone. Coy didn't notice, since he was out like a light. 

One of my favorite songs came on, but I knew that I didn't hear it. I was too drunk to care, too immature to do anything, and too tired to know any of that. My ears had been buzzing, but now I knew what was playing over my SUV's radio. "Devil Town" by Cavetown.

"Life's alright in devil town. They're right, no one's gonna catch us now." I pushed on the gas, accelerating the SUV. The vehicle lurched into a pothole, jolting the car to the side. Zara gulped, holding onto the passenger safety handle. Coy just turned over, not paying us any mind.

I remembered slurring along to the music, though I didn't really know what was playing. "Dad has bought a new car now. We're fine, no one's gonna catch us now." The car went faster. I really wished that the cops had stopped me. Maybe Zara and Coy wouldn't have to live with the fact that I had put them in the hospital. No, maybe I wouldn't have to live with the fact that I put my friends in the hospital.

I wanted to take it all back. Penelope just watched, like none of this bothered her. Did it?

"You said something dumb again. She's mad, at least that's what they say." Zara looked back at Coy, hungover in my backseat. He mumbled something about being home before three, but the digital clock on the dash already read five in the morning. Zara patted his back, shushing his gibberish mumbles.

"We're dropping Coy off first, right?" Zara asked, shaking my shoulder.

"Sure," I mumbled. The car went faster.

"Mum and daddy aren't in love. That's fine, I'll settle for two birthdays." My parents had divorced when I was ten. Two Christmases, right? The car hurled along the highway faster. I was going ninety now. Wind whipped against my SUV. It made an odd sound, but if you drive you know what that sounds like.

I was beginning to doze off. My head hung on my shoulders. Zara hadn't noticed yet. She never had time to.

The speedometer climbed to ninety five. Then a hundred. My old tires skidded against the road, a soft skidding noise filling my head. Zara hugged herself, looking out her window. Penelope played with her hair, as if this wasn't just before the moment I died.

"Devil town is colder in the summertime."

"Eve!" Zara screamed. Headlights lit up my car. Zara covered her face, as if that would protect her. I didn't want to know what kind of car hit us, but I knew it was a semi-truck. I was lucky that the driver had slowed down enough that I was the only one to die.

Coy jumped from his seat.

"I'll lose my mind at least another thousand times."

My SUV turned into scrap metal in less than thirty seconds. The front lit into a bright orange blaze. Zara, the only smart one here, kicked her door open. She came tumbling out of the car, but stood only seconds later. Zara tried to get Coy's door open, but no amount of pulling would do the trick. He took the headrest, jamming the metal side into the bottom of the window. It shattered into a billion tiny pieces. Zara pulled Coy out, looking back to my seat.

I was on fire, but I didn't move. What the hell was wrong with me?

The semitruck driver tried to get me out. Sirens wailed from far off. This was it, this was the moment.

I was still breathing, but I knew that I only had moments left. My eyes were closed now, I was a goner.

But ten minutes later, an ambulance and firemen had pulled me out of my burning SUV. That damn radio still played that song. I couldn't even remember what it was called anymore, let alone the rest of the lyrics.

The ambulance sped away. I was brought with it. Okay, so I had died at the hospital.

But there I was, laying in the white hospital bed. It didn't add up. I was supposed to be dead. I had died from impact, or wounds, or something. That's why I was here, wasn't it? Penelope got up, tapping the screen again. She was quiet for a moment, letting me soak up the details. I'd gone into a coma. Of course, classic. 

"You can go back, if that suits you," she said. Akin to Penny's liking, she gave no explanation. I looked at my hands. The same hands that had decided I was okay to drive. I wasn't. I almost killed Zara and Coy. The same hands that handed all those pouches to all those people. I didn't deserve a choice anymore.

If I went back, I would have to live with the fact that I had chosen to drive that night. I had decided to take my two closest friends on a joy ride to their possible deaths. Was I ready to face that?

Yeah, I think so.

"Okay. But what about you?" I said, looking to Penelope.

"Oh, I'll still be here. You're not the first you know," she replied, winking. "You won't remember it when you wake up anyways."

She sat on the table now, swinging her legs back and forth. I wanted to remember this. But I also wanted to see my mom again. I wanted to see my cousins, and Zara, and Coy. That is, if they wanted to see me. But I wanted to go back. That was for sure.

"Close your eyes," Penny cooed. I did. I didn't deserve a second chance, but I was being given one anyways.

When I opened my eyes, I knew I had done the right thing.

"What happened?" I slurred. The only thing I remembered some tall blonde girl. Wait, was I in a hospital? I looked up, meeting my mom's eyes. Beside her, a pale girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes stood, a warm smile on her lips.

"I'm glad you're awake. I'm your nurse, Penelope."

She seemed nice.