Light through the keyhole

1. Death at the beach

THOUGHTS: BROOKE:

I remember. The skies were clear and warm and beautiful and sunny that day we were at the beach. All of us were together as a family, happy. Everyone in new cool swimsuits. Mine was polkadotted pink. My older sister and I liked to suntan most of the time, except for when the boys, Brandon, Blake, and Tyler occasionally begged for us to join them in their splashing, so we would. Mom, I remember wore a blue sundress, blue was her favorite color, my dad, considered dad for everyone, wore a baseball cap and swim trunks with these orange hawaiian flowers. The day was long and sunsoaked, and everyone was drowsy and happy when it was time to go.

THOUGHTS: TIFFANY

We climbed into the family minivan with its fading paint and rust spots, and began the three hour drive home from the beach. Before long, it was already dark out as we were on the highway...SCREEEECH, I hear and I can feel myself suddenly swerving in the van. What was happening? One moment I was asleep and now...? I remember a blurry flash of what I believed to be headlights of other cars, and a blurry form lying on the road just ahead of us before I blacked out.

THOUGHTS: TYLER:

CRASH. I was sitting right behind Mom when we crashed. My younger siblings in the further back and Tiff in the seat beside me behind Dad. Looking into the front, I can see awful cuts and scrapes all over our parents. Bad. Looking at them, I know they're gone already, we have to run, I have to protect the little ones now. I will. My heart pounds as I grab the keys to the van, move my parents aside and elsewhere in the van, and put it into drive. I can feel the tears burning in my eyes as I start to drive.