A/N - Nothing in this story is written from personal experience, it was an
essay for my Imaginative writing course, and for some strange reason I felt
like putting it up on the site. It doesn't have a definite plot, it's just
the narration of an event, and I think it does its job. (Now if only I knew
what that was.. ~_^)
The accident seemed to happen in slow motion. In my mind it went on forever, although in fact it only happened in a few minutes. My fiancé Steve and I had decided to stay at my mother's log cabin for a week away. Away from work, away from parents.
I'd seen the weather forecast that morning. It had looked promising. There would be cloud, but no rain. What I hadn't heard was that about half an hour later a blizzard had been discovered and was on its way to our destination, coating the ground with a thick blanket of menacing snow, blacking out the starry night with billions of delicate snow flakes. A sharp turn was all it would take to send a car out of control.
My twenty-first birthday had been the week before. Steve had promised to meet me at a fancy restaurant where my parents had taken us for a meal. Mum had been delighted, my father apprehensive. Now, as the sickening motions of the coasting Chevy made my stomach turn, there seemed little hope of a wedding or even a holiday.
Steve fought to his best abilities to regain control of the car, but the slide simply turned into a spin, and the spin into a topple. I gripped the sides of my chair until my knuckles ached. We slid through the road barrier, the car cutting through the metal like a knife through butter. We began to plunge down a steep hill towards an icy river.
I looked at Steve with horror. He moved limply and helplessly, restricted by the tightened seatbelt around his chest. I was mortified to see a trickle of dark blood cut a path from his ear to his neck.
The journey to the river lasted a lifetime in my mind, until finally, the suspense lifted. We pitched into the icy torrent of the tossing river. The foul polluted water filled my mouth, and as I spat it out I struggled to open my window. Even now I don't know what madness had taken hold of me, but I felt at the time that if the pressure wasn't even inside and outside of the car, then things would be worse. Nothing I did seemed to work. But still I struggled, and with much effort, I cut myself loose from the leathery harness that was restricting me so.
I reached over to Steve and cut him free too, I may not have had the time to do it later. I opened his window too, even as the car crashed continually against the riverbed, sending shudders through my already numb body. I looked at the windscreen, froth pushed up against the pane, and more water gushed in through the side of the car, and the windows. As the stripe of froth moved up the glass, I was dismayed to see a hairline crack appear in the windowpane. The crack widened, spreading across the windscreen in an intimidating web. I reached feebly behind me and clawed at my coat on the back seat. I may not have had top grades at school, but I had the sense to see a disaster on its way. I finally caught it and covered Steve's face, covering my own with my hands.
I waited for what seemed years. I felt almost relieved to hear the crash of the imploding pane. A shard of glass pierced my cheek; I pulled it out impatiently, wiping the drop of blood from my mouth. I didn't have the time to feel or notice the pain. I checked to see if Steve was alright, and shivered as the water level raised constantly inside the car.
It was up to our waists now, and more was continuing to flow through the windscreen in a glistening waterfall. I opened my door, it moved slowly with a rusty moan and I was free. I looked back at Steve, and saw him bent over at the waist, his head under the water.
The car was sinking more and more rapidly, skimming the riverbed, filling to the roof with sullied water, choking him. I climbed hastily over the car to reach him. My throat was tight, my stomach churned as I opened the door on his side. I pulled him out, his limp body being slowly drawn away from me by the intense current. I looked down the river, and was appalled to see a violent froth beating against a row of jagged rocks.
There was another tremendous groan as the Chevy was dragged further towards those ominous rocks. The current pulled Steve away from me once more. I fought with it and gained control yet again, but still we followed the Chevy, which was now pinned against the rock face by the rushing river.
I kept fighting against my looming destiny, and pulled Steve closer to me, but it was all in vain, and we hit the car with such a force it nearly knocked me senseless. I regained my sense of purpose after a few moments, and dragged Steve over to a rock past the car. The current pressed us hard against it, and soon all my willpower failed me. I saw through the darkness a large gap on either side that was impossible to cross without being swept in between them.
I tried to scream in the ultimate attempt to find help, still clinging on to Steve. Only a low croak escaped my lips. I saw at the top of the hill we had fallen from a set of blue flashing lights, and tried to get attention once more, but the unremitting flow of water filled my mouth. I gave up, and pulled Steve to the other side of me, so that he too was pushed up against the rock. I waited as the black shroud flooded over me, succumbing to the feelings of remorse and regret.
~*~*~*~
I opened my eyes. The blue lights blinded me. I winced as the paramedic wrapped a silver foil blanket around my shivering body.
"How's the girl, Mack?"
The man's voice went through me like a siren, loud and uncalled for.
"Lady? Hi," The paramedic spoke softer than his partner, and I felt safe in his gaze. "It's okay now, what's your name?"
I tried to speak, but only a whisper escaped me.
"What? Try again sweetheart, what's your name?"
"Lisa."
"Okay Lisa, everything's going to be fine. Your boyfriend's doing great."
I looked across at Steve, who was cradling a cup of water in his hands. Our eyes met and he smiled at me. I forced a smile back, though I didn't feel happy. Maybe relieved, but I felt angry.
It swept through me like a wave of filth, but I fought it, and let the medic lift me into the ambulance, along with Steve, and close the doors. I shivered under the blanket, as Steve held me tightly in his arms, and the ambulance pulled off.
When you've had an experience like that, it stays with you for life, and I know I'll never forget how I felt that day.
The accident seemed to happen in slow motion. In my mind it went on forever, although in fact it only happened in a few minutes. My fiancé Steve and I had decided to stay at my mother's log cabin for a week away. Away from work, away from parents.
I'd seen the weather forecast that morning. It had looked promising. There would be cloud, but no rain. What I hadn't heard was that about half an hour later a blizzard had been discovered and was on its way to our destination, coating the ground with a thick blanket of menacing snow, blacking out the starry night with billions of delicate snow flakes. A sharp turn was all it would take to send a car out of control.
My twenty-first birthday had been the week before. Steve had promised to meet me at a fancy restaurant where my parents had taken us for a meal. Mum had been delighted, my father apprehensive. Now, as the sickening motions of the coasting Chevy made my stomach turn, there seemed little hope of a wedding or even a holiday.
Steve fought to his best abilities to regain control of the car, but the slide simply turned into a spin, and the spin into a topple. I gripped the sides of my chair until my knuckles ached. We slid through the road barrier, the car cutting through the metal like a knife through butter. We began to plunge down a steep hill towards an icy river.
I looked at Steve with horror. He moved limply and helplessly, restricted by the tightened seatbelt around his chest. I was mortified to see a trickle of dark blood cut a path from his ear to his neck.
The journey to the river lasted a lifetime in my mind, until finally, the suspense lifted. We pitched into the icy torrent of the tossing river. The foul polluted water filled my mouth, and as I spat it out I struggled to open my window. Even now I don't know what madness had taken hold of me, but I felt at the time that if the pressure wasn't even inside and outside of the car, then things would be worse. Nothing I did seemed to work. But still I struggled, and with much effort, I cut myself loose from the leathery harness that was restricting me so.
I reached over to Steve and cut him free too, I may not have had the time to do it later. I opened his window too, even as the car crashed continually against the riverbed, sending shudders through my already numb body. I looked at the windscreen, froth pushed up against the pane, and more water gushed in through the side of the car, and the windows. As the stripe of froth moved up the glass, I was dismayed to see a hairline crack appear in the windowpane. The crack widened, spreading across the windscreen in an intimidating web. I reached feebly behind me and clawed at my coat on the back seat. I may not have had top grades at school, but I had the sense to see a disaster on its way. I finally caught it and covered Steve's face, covering my own with my hands.
I waited for what seemed years. I felt almost relieved to hear the crash of the imploding pane. A shard of glass pierced my cheek; I pulled it out impatiently, wiping the drop of blood from my mouth. I didn't have the time to feel or notice the pain. I checked to see if Steve was alright, and shivered as the water level raised constantly inside the car.
It was up to our waists now, and more was continuing to flow through the windscreen in a glistening waterfall. I opened my door, it moved slowly with a rusty moan and I was free. I looked back at Steve, and saw him bent over at the waist, his head under the water.
The car was sinking more and more rapidly, skimming the riverbed, filling to the roof with sullied water, choking him. I climbed hastily over the car to reach him. My throat was tight, my stomach churned as I opened the door on his side. I pulled him out, his limp body being slowly drawn away from me by the intense current. I looked down the river, and was appalled to see a violent froth beating against a row of jagged rocks.
There was another tremendous groan as the Chevy was dragged further towards those ominous rocks. The current pulled Steve away from me once more. I fought with it and gained control yet again, but still we followed the Chevy, which was now pinned against the rock face by the rushing river.
I kept fighting against my looming destiny, and pulled Steve closer to me, but it was all in vain, and we hit the car with such a force it nearly knocked me senseless. I regained my sense of purpose after a few moments, and dragged Steve over to a rock past the car. The current pressed us hard against it, and soon all my willpower failed me. I saw through the darkness a large gap on either side that was impossible to cross without being swept in between them.
I tried to scream in the ultimate attempt to find help, still clinging on to Steve. Only a low croak escaped my lips. I saw at the top of the hill we had fallen from a set of blue flashing lights, and tried to get attention once more, but the unremitting flow of water filled my mouth. I gave up, and pulled Steve to the other side of me, so that he too was pushed up against the rock. I waited as the black shroud flooded over me, succumbing to the feelings of remorse and regret.
~*~*~*~
I opened my eyes. The blue lights blinded me. I winced as the paramedic wrapped a silver foil blanket around my shivering body.
"How's the girl, Mack?"
The man's voice went through me like a siren, loud and uncalled for.
"Lady? Hi," The paramedic spoke softer than his partner, and I felt safe in his gaze. "It's okay now, what's your name?"
I tried to speak, but only a whisper escaped me.
"What? Try again sweetheart, what's your name?"
"Lisa."
"Okay Lisa, everything's going to be fine. Your boyfriend's doing great."
I looked across at Steve, who was cradling a cup of water in his hands. Our eyes met and he smiled at me. I forced a smile back, though I didn't feel happy. Maybe relieved, but I felt angry.
It swept through me like a wave of filth, but I fought it, and let the medic lift me into the ambulance, along with Steve, and close the doors. I shivered under the blanket, as Steve held me tightly in his arms, and the ambulance pulled off.
When you've had an experience like that, it stays with you for life, and I know I'll never forget how I felt that day.