Chapter 2

It was about thirty minutes after midnight when we decided to leave the party. We all left together and I could not stop smiling. When we reached the car, Eli opened the doors and let my friends climb in. We all took the same seats as before, but this time before I got in the car, Eli leaned down and kissed me.

            As soon I got in, I buckled my seat belt and pulled out my phone. I sent a text to my dad that read:

 

Hey dad, I’m on way home. Love you.

 

            Everything was normal for the first five minutes or so. Again, music was blaring, we were talking and laughing, flashes were going off from taking pictures, and we didn’t have a care in the world.

            However, as soon as we turned onto an old narrow road, we were blinded by headlights from another vehicle. The car appeared to be heading straight for us and the seconds seemed to turn to minutes. Eli turned the wheel sharply and swerved to avoid the oncoming car. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion. That’s when a light flashed, screams rang out, the tires screeched, the music stopped, and then everything went silent.

            I’m not exactly sure how much time had passed, but when I woke up I was laying face down in a mound of dirt. There was a sharp pain in my side and I couldn’t move my legs or my right arm. My head was pounding as I racked by brain trying to make sense of what had just happened. It felt as if a warm and sticky substance was oozing down my face. The pain was excruciating but all I could think about was my friends. I tried to yell out but my voice was lost within me. Desperately, I tried to pull myself off of the ground, but tumbled over.

From where I was laying I could see directly into the mangled car. My vision was blurry and confusion ran through me like blood through a vein. I could just barely make out Carter’s outline. She was slumped over a seat, however, before I could get a closer look, I blacked out.

 

 

I awoke in a white room to the constant sounds of beeping. My head was pounding and the light that was streaming in through the windowsill blinded me. I managed to make out what seemed to be roses, balloons, cards, and gift baskets decorating the windowsill and I burrowed my eyes in confusion. Absolutely nothing was making sense. I couldn’t remember what had happened but I also wasn’t sure I wanted too. Before I had more time to think, someone yelled causing me to jump.

 

“She’s awake!” They yelled. I recognized that voice, it was Korrine.

 

Korrine then reached down and held my hand. She was sobbing. Looking up I saw a taller figure behind my sister and I wanted to scream out to him. It was my father. I tried to speak, but yet again my voice was lost within me. I watched as my dad brushed a tear from his eye and made his way over to my bedside.

 

“Sutton,” he began. “Sweetheart, are you alright? How do you feel? DOCTOR!!”

 

Again I tried to speak but no words came out. All I wanted was to feel my dad’s hug and to laugh again with my sister. It seemed as if both of them had lost weight and hadn’t seen the sun in days. Their skin was pale and my dad had begun to start growing a beard. Korrine looked tired, she had bags under her eyes and her face was red from crying.

 

“That’s okay, you just rest. We’re right here.” My dad said grabbing a hold of my other hand.

 

By now a squad of doctors and nurses had taken over and had begun to feed me something through an IV. I wondered how long I had been asleep. I had so many unanswered questions. As hard as I fighting to stay awake, I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. My body gave into the fatigue as I drifted farther and farther away from reality.

 

 

Sleeping was by no means peaceful. As soon as I entered into a dream, I remembered everything. I heard screaming, the radio abruptly stopping, the tree that our car was mangled around, and Carter in her blood soaked clothes.

 

Where were my friends?

What had happened to them?

Were they okay?

Was this a dream?

 

Can I see them?