Logan

100. Roses, Part 2

I took a drive, the long way home. I wanted to clear my head. What was really right for me? Did I have it in me to let this pass, to forget the past?

I looked down at my phone, Logan was calling. I only had 20% battery left, and after that it might as well be dead.

When I looked up, I saw a deer, but it was too late. I pushed on the breaks, trying to groove with the ice, but I couldn't. I felt the car teeter, but I didn't know how badly until everything went black.

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When I woke up, everything was dark. I felt like I was in pieces, the pain was searing, it ripped through my body.

Every breath I took felt short, I tried to move, but I could see white spots just from trying. I could barely see, my phone was in my sweater pocket, I think.

I looked around, I could see the light glow of the screen. It was a few feet away, so I tried to move that way. Every movement had me screaming, but I managed to grab it. The snow bit at my neck and the cold drifted through, but I couldn't think about that. I looked down to see a huge piece of glass in my leg, I wanted to pull it out. But I didn't know where I was, I couldn't just yank it out. I could bleed out.

I managed to call Wren, but service was patchy.

"Nat- everything okay?"

"Wren, I got into an accident."

"Did you call 911?"

I swallowed, wincing from the pain, "No, I-I don't know where I am," tears fell down my face, my eyes burned. "I took a drive, I think, I think I'm on highway 14, but I don't know where I landed. There was a deer, I was distracted." I looked at my battery, 15%. "I gotta go, my phone is dying."

"Natalie, wai-" the phone disconnected and I tried to think. I did a self-examination, my neck seemed to be okay, I could move so I don't think my back had any fractures, I moved my left leg, it was fine. My right leg was the one with the glass in it. I didn't dare move it too much. I touched my sternum and then felt my left side. I winced and pulled my hand away, taking another painful breath. My best guess was a couple of broken ribs...

I heard a twitch of the electricity on my car, and smelled gas. I was too close to the car, if it exploded I would be in the line of impact. I saw a tree to my right and slowly made my way over to it. Every movement was painful, and I could see the dark trail of blood that followed every time I moved my leg.

"That's a lot of blood," I murmured to myself. I looked up, thank god for the moon. If it were cloudy I would be so much more afraid. I steadied myself when I reached the tree, and just as I got behind it, the car exploded in flames. Blaring orange and yellow clouded the sky, the smoke making its way up and smelling like a campfire gone wrong.

I called 911, explaining my emergency. I didn't know where I was, but the responder on the other line asked me what felt like fifty questions, and told me she'd stay on the line. I shook my head, "My phone is going to die. I have other calls to make." I tried to call Alex, no answer.

"Hey, Alex. I just wanted to say, I love you. And I-" I heard the beep of my battery dying, and I sighed at the black screen. I heard the crackle of flames against my car windows, little pieces of glass and melting plastic collapsing onto the snow.

I felt tired, but I knew I couldn't close my eyes. It was cold, but I needed to focus on something else. I looked up at the moon. I saw headlights too, I think. Everything was getting a little blurry, and the cut on my leg was still heavily bleeding as Wren appeared at my side...