Blown Away (CURRENTLY EDITING)

Chapter 12: Trapped

ABI'S POV

I've been stuck in this basement for about week. I don't know where my dad went or what he's doing, but I know he might not be back for a while. And I've tried just about everything to get out of here, too. Unbolting the windows didn't work. Karate kicking the door down failed miserably. There were no "secret passageways" anywhere, and I searched every nook and cranny of this place. So, eventually, I just gave up.

And I know why my dad let me have cable and movies. The only shows that are on are the ones where at least one family member is gone because of the main character, and the same thing goes with the movies he left down here. He must really want me to feel guilty about this whole thing, huh? Well, it's working. That whole day keeps playing over and over in my head...

~~~

3 1/2 YEARS AGO

I work hard. I play harder

I'm a good timin' American daughter

Redneck, blue collar

And I party down to my last dollar

I work hard, I work hard, I work hard

I play harder

The song on the playlist ended and mama and I started laughing. My mama and I are closer than your bare feet will ever be to the ground. She's pretty much my rock, as well, and I love her for it. The next song that came on was If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickelback, and this was when mama started talking.

"So, when are you and Travis gonna start dating?" she asked.

"EWW, GROSS, NO WAY!"

"And why not? You two are closer than we are."

"Mama, he... We aren't friends anymore..." At this news, she was shocked to say the least.

"And when was this?"

"Two months ago..."

"I see..." After a few seconds of silence, she places her hand on my knee and tenderly rubs it, still looking at the road. "It'll get better, honey. He's just-"

The next thing I knew, something had rammed into the tailgate of mama's Ram 1500 so hard that she lost all control of the truck and we flipped frontside first into a concrete ditch, landing upside down. Mama was banged up bad. There was blood caking her hair, clothes, and face, so I couldn't tell what had happen to her. All I got was a few scratches, bruises, a broken arm and leg, and possibly a fractured ankle.

The EMTs didn't arrive until about 10 minutes later. There were several people on both sides of the truck trying to rescue both of us, but she stopped the ones trying to save her.

"Save my daughter!" she cried with a raspy voice, "Don't worry about me, just save my daughter!" She then turned to me. "Save yourself, honey. I'll be alright. No matter what happens, don't you dare break, alright?" I nodded my head, not knowing exactly what she meant. After the speech mama made, the EMTs listened to her wish. Everyone got me out of the car faster and placed me on a stretcher. I jumped off a few feet away from the ambulance, however, trying to save mama.

But I was too late...

It seemed like a horrific nightmare.

The truck had blown up seconds after I jumped off the stretcher. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and bawling my eyes out. I tried to run to her, but the EMTs just held me back... Plus the fact that standing on my leg and ankle caused me to black out. The smell was extremely nauseating. The air was filled with the smell of smoke, burning gasoline, I believe burning tobacco (for an odd reason), and the one smell I'll never forget... burning flesh. The smell of my mother's burning flesh made me wanna throw up for the rest of my life.

When I woke up in the hospital room, the only ones that showed up were Chris, Hunter, Tucker, Stella, my aunt Mallerie and uncle Marc, Wen, Charlie, Lea, and Mr. and Mrs. Benson. No Travis. No daddy. Why weren't they here? Sure, I understood why Travis wasn't there, but why wasn't daddy here? When I woke up, everyone was watching the news. Apparently, what happened to mama and I is today's headline.

"It seems as if a drunk driver, unidentified since he had fled the scene instantly after the incident occurred, rammed into the back of a Ram 1500 with driver Emily White, and her daughter, Abigail, at 2 pm central time this afternoon. The car was rammed into the tailgate at over 100 miles per hour, causing the vehicle to front flip into a concrete ditch and landing upside down. The EMTs on the scene managed to save Abigail, but were too late to save Mrs. White. When they took Abigail to the ambulance, the vehicle suddenly exploded with Mrs. White still inside. Resources say that the cause of this explosion was from a gas leak from the open gas tank coming into contact with a cigarette butt that had not been fully put out out yet..." The dumb reporter kept on talking about the whole nightmare when I had finally had enough.

"Turn it off," I rasp. Everyone jumped out of their seats. I guess they didn't know I was awake. They all had tear stains on their faces. I'll never forget the physical looks and emotional feelings etched into all of their faces that day. All of their faces were tear-stained, red, and puffy. They had been crying for either mama or me, possibly both. The feelings I saw in their eyes are what terrified me the most, though. Horror, sadness, confusion, hatred, hope, happiness, and love was etched into every fiber of their faces. But why? They were all such polar opposite feelings. Why are they all so happy that mama is gone and I'm here? Or are they happy because I hadn't died like mama had?

I do have to face a horrific truth for the rest of my life, though. I'll never get to see mama again. I'll never be able to get to come home to her. I'll never be able to hold her... or cry with her... or laugh with her... or anything else involving her ever again. I feel that with the days ahead of me... people will be even more distant... and turn into complete strangers.

This was too much. Mama wasn't just my rock, she was everyone else's rock, too. She was the one that held us all together. I cried harder than I've ever cried that day. I never knew how special she was to the relationships of everyone in this very room. Without her, what would happen to our family? And, not only biologically, but unbiologically, as well. We were all one, big, happy family. But, what'll happen to us now with mama gone?

~~~

BACK TO PRESENT

It's made me guilty and sad the entire time I've been down here. It's my fault mama's dead. If I wasn't in the truck, the EMTs would've saved her before the car blew up. If I had told them to save mama first, or refused to let them save me for that matter, then either she'd still be here or I'd be with her in.

TRAVIS' POV

I'm getting scared. I haven't seen or heard from Abi in a week. She left me without saying goodbye after school for Heaven knows why.

What if her dad had really hurt her this time? What if she was in the hospital and no one has heard from her? What if-

"Travis," everyone shouts. Man, I need to quit doing that.

"What," I asked.

"You're really worried about her, aren't you?" Mason asked.

"Is it that obvious?"

"We all understand how you feel, Travis," Stacey said in reassurance, "But, don't forget, we're all worrying about a friend, too. And Tucker is worrying about his cousin, you know?"

"You're right," I reply. "I'll go check on her after school for everyone. If any of you wanna come, you can."

And so, the search for Abi had begun.

Okay, people! If this is late, I hope this makes up for it! Opening night part 1 for "Oklahoma!" is tonight, so wish me good luck! I'll get chapter 13 up as soon as I can! As always, comment, like, favorite, etc! :)