The Enemy of Trade

9

-Evren Black-

He stood behind me. We were in my bathroom and I was covering myself with my arms, despite the sports bra I was wearing.

My entire torso was covered in scars, a single tattoo on my hip, next to the biggest one.

"2/23/17." He traced his hand over the ink. "That's today."

I looked at him in the mirror, "We're you not paying attention to anything I was saying not even 20 minutes ago?"

He chuckled, "Well, I was. But I was trying to figure out ways to get you to stop crying first."

That shut me up.

His hand moved from my hip to my spine. I shivered at the feeling.

"How did it happen?" He asked, I looked at him with confusion, "The accident."

I took a shaky breath. I have to talk to someone.

"Um, she was uh- taking me to school. I woke up late so she said she would take me." I started. I turned around to face him. His hands just sat lightly on my hips, allowing me to continue. "9 in the morning. We were driving down Orange County Road, the entire road empty. Until there was this man who was swerving i-in and out of the lanes."

"You don't have to if you don't wan-"

"No, I want to tell you." I assured him. I continued, "I was on my phone so I wasn't really paying attention, but all of a sudden, I heard a crash and felt my moms arm go in front of my body. We flipped and the car slid about 15 feet from impact." I explain.

He squeezed my hip which actually made me comfortable to continue, "The other driver was drunk." I said through a cracked voice. I felt a tear fall so I quickly wiped it away. "I lost my phone during the crash and I had so much blood coating me."

"I ended up crawling out of the car. I went to check on mom and she wasn't responding. Thank god I payed attention in my human anatomy classes."

His features twisted so I shrugged and sniffled, "I was an AP student in middle school. Given high school courses for an extra class credit. I didn't take science my freshman year."

He just nodded and searched my eyes.

"I got her door open and found that there was a piece of metal lodged right in her stomach."

"Mom?" I called out. "Mom wake up." I shook her. Her eyes instantly opening.

She looked around frantically and tried to move which caused an ear piercing scream from her mouth.

"Mommy stop! Don't move!" I yelled.

She nodded and sat still.

"I'm alright baby. I'm gonna be alright." She said through thick tears.

"I knew she wasn't going to be alright. So did she."

"Baby I need you to help me out okay."

I nodded.

"My mom was a trauma surgeon. She did good in these types of situations."

"That's it baby, careful okay." I pulled her from the car. "There you go. Now I need you to do me a huge favor. Take your sweater off and wrap it around the big metal part okay!"

I listened to her directions, the cold morning air piercing my skin.

She shook, "Good girl." Her breathing was labored. She looked around at the sight, smoke coming from the car.