Moment in the Headlights

Raine kept a tight grasp on the picture; her fingers began to turn pale as the glass constricted dangerously against the frame. With every tear that trailed down her rosy cheeks, a sniffle would follow, and a sob would break through the silence that accompanied her. She squeezed her eyes shut as the painful memories threatened to resurface. It had been exactly a year since her life had felt like it had been taken away from her, and it still hadn't gotten any easier. With the picture still gripped in her hand, and a strangled scream that left her lips, she violently threw the frame against the wall near the front of her bed, where the other memories that no longer brought her joy, laid on the floor. The sound of the glass shattering into a million little pieces satisfied her.

Raine slid her knees tightly against her chest, a sound similar to a whimper left her lips. She flinched as light droplets of rain began to patter against her window; the wailing wind continued to rage throughout the somber night. There was a time where she loved the rain, giggling in glee as she would run out the back door and splash in the puddles, now it just reminded her of a moment in her life that she wished she could take back. Raine lifted her trembling fingers to the scar under her left brow-bone, a reminder of the shard of glass that had nearly left her blind-sighted. Suddenly, there were memories of the dreadful night flashing through her head, the night she wished she could forget, the last night spent with her best friend.

Gripping the steering wheel firmly, Raine begins backing out of the school parking lot. Driving at night always brought an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach-not being able to see anything ahead of her-but she has no choice. Christian never took the time to get his license, and no one else was able to pick them up after his game.

"Did you watch me get that game winning touchdown? I even juked him out and everything!"

"Yes Christian, I saw it all, I was there, remember?"

Raine can't help but chuckle at how passionate Christian is about football, on the other hand, she never understands a single thing about it. Lightly shoving her shoulder in a playful manner, Christian's deep, throaty chuckle joins Raine's. She grasps the wheel tighter, becoming uneasy as she turns onto an unlit street, creating the illusion of entering a black hole. Nothing but forest can be seen surrounding the road, and a dingy sign that warns drivers of deer in the area.

"Don't assault the driver, I can barely see anything ahead of me," Raine cries out in panic, causing Christian to shake his head in amusement.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise, just turn your high beams on."

Christian can't help but find Raine's wary behaviour adorable, he understands where she is coming from, but he also knows that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Raine had always been very skeptical about everything, until Christian came along and helped her to live life to the fullest, of course with a little caution for her sake.

Raine follows Christian's instructions, turning her high beams on and slowing down her speed. Her posture is stiff and there was a crease that formed between her eyebrows. Noticing this, Christian turns up the radio to an overplayed pop song and begins horribly screeching along to the lyrics. Raine glances over at him, laughing as she sees him pretending to sing into a mic. Her fingers start to drum against the steering wheel without permission and soon she finds herself singing at the top of her lungs with him. They are so engrossed in their karaoke session, they barely pay any mind to the light rain that begins pelting against the windshield. Suddenly, a large shadowy figure that resembles a deer could be seen in the near distance and the headlights of an oncoming car to the left of them. Raine stops singing abruptly, causing Christian to stare at her in confusion; her eyes widen in sheer panic and she grips the steering wheel tightly once again.