Prologue - Crash

As the car’s breaks screeched for the first time, I ran to my balcony. The usually calm breeze; picked up speed and swayed the trees unnaturally. A girl with her dog, walking on the other side of the street had her iPod in her ears; she didn’t hear the car the first time.

Watching it as if it were in slow motion, I heard the brakes squeal again as the car rounded the corner the street filled with the stench of beer and cigarettes. She saw the car a minute too late, it was all too late. The drunken driver tried the brakes another time as the car swerved from one side of the road to another. The panicked dog strained on its’ lead and the girl finally turned. Seeing the car, she stopped, fright froze her in place, and even though I knew I’d never reach her in time, I dashed down the outside stairs like hounds of hell were snapping at my heels.

On impact, her body flew off the ground and up the wind shield. Finally the drunkard’s brakes worked and he actually pulled the car to a halt. Her body rolled down the car and slapped the ground with an unearthly thud. Kneeling beside her body, I felt her pulse on her neck and wrist: there was nothing, no thud of the heart, no rise of that could fill her lungs. The white sports bra was smattered with blood and her legs were scratched and gory. The golden brown locks that fell to her waist were soaked with blood from a gash in her forehead. She was a looker, I thought.

The overweight man stumbled out of the car, slamming the door with a grief-stricken look on his face. He opened his mouth, but to his great dismay, vomited on the side of the road as opposed to saying something that wouldn’t make a difference anyway. He straightened up and wiped his hands across his mouth, then on his pants. I shuddered in disgust.

“I’m – so sorry,” he blurted out. Now, surprisingly, he was capable of speech, and good speech at that – no slurring or burping or any of the range of noises drunken people make. “Did you know her?”

Still shocked at her death, I hesitated before answering, “Yes – no. I’m not sure.”

I suddenly realised I was still on the ground, the dead girl’s hand still in my grasp. Looking around, I saw the dog standing over by a tree, barking loudly. The red Staffordshire was worried, and shocked, her black face panic-stricken.

Going over to her, I told her to hush. “Can you call an ambulance?” I asked the man, who was already fumbling for his phone.

I took the dog inside the house with me and lead her to the phone. Kneeling down again, I took her collar off and reached for the phone without looking. When her mother answered the phone, I hesitated, thinking. How could you call a complete stranger and tell her that her daughter’s dead? It was a moment before I realised that her mother was saying something. My ears became alive and I was shaken from my momentary meditation to find her saying something about prank calls. Sudden authority became of me and I assured her this was no hoax with a hasty, “No miss, this is no joke.”

The lady’s impatience became clearer with her response. “Oh really?” she asked, suspicion still dripping form every syllable.

I decide that I’d introduce myself before breaking the news and told her, “Umm… my name is Auberry Gray, I’m a teacher at Pittwater High.”

“Yes. And what is it that you want?”

Since manners and hasty introductions weren’t getting me anywhere, I blurted out, “Your daughter is dead!” so fas that I don’t think I knew I said it until she replied.

“B-what?” she spluttered.

“Umm… miss, I live in Bayview and your daughter was passing by with her dog when a car’s brakes screamed. She had her earphones in and didn’t hear the car until it was too late. There was nothing I or the drunken idiot driving could have done. I found your number on the dog’s collar. I’m sorry.”

It was a while before the woman replied, a while before she took a breath even. “Uh… Gary, could you get to the car, please. Something’s happened to Minuet. I’ll be with you in a minute,” called to her husband. To me, she said, “Thank you, for calling. Where is it that you live?”

The rest of the phone conversation passed quickly with me giving her my address and hastily adding that the driver was phoning for an ambulance. She thanked me again and hung up the phone. I sat there for an untold amount of time, when the dog nipped my toe in a friendly but still affective way of telling me that someone was calling.

Sounds flooded to my ears as I walked onto the street and discovered the ambulance people were taking her body away, with the parents present and talking to the driver, when a police car came roaring down the road. Suddenly exhausted, I sat down on the curb and watch as the scene transpired before me, occasionally answering questions for the policemen and parents about details that were of no matter to me.

Finished the first chapter... FINALLY!! Yeah, it's a bit sad, huhn? Well, reviews are always appreciated. Thank you!