Parallel

Prologue

~PROLOGUE~

~I slowly opened my eyes as my alarm clock beeped at me to wake up. Looking at the time, I realized my clock had gone of too early.

"Dammit. Dumb clock" I cursed as I leaned over to turn it off. I slowly drifted back to sleep, thinking that I would wake up using my internal alarm I always seemed to have. I rolled over onto my stomach and pulled the pillow over my head, drifting off into dreamland.

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Sunlight seeped through my window curtains, casting shadows on the wall. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, going over what I had to do that day.

I always went over my schedule in my head, being the organized and responsible person I was. First, I had to work as a tutor for three children. It was good pay, thirty dollars an hour. At twelve I would go on my lunch break to a decent restaurant with my boyfriend, Aidan. After that I would work until four in the afternoon, then I would drive to my parents place for the dinner I've been promising to have with them for months now.

I'd just been too busy to visit my family lately. I had recently gotten a new job, a new boyfriend, and I had to get settled into my new place. It was all so very unimaginable to me. My life was so perfect. So...simple. My life must have been planned out on a storyboard. Everything was so easy, rich parents, great boyfriend, and a new condo and car on the side.

I turned over and looked at the alarm clock, nearly jumping out of my skin. It was ten o'clock, and I had needed to be at work at nine.

"Crap!"

I tore open my drawers, digging around for some socks. Grabbing my walk in closet door handle, I sneezed.

"Just in time. Great. A cold."

Opening my closet, I walked over to the rack of black dresses. Sometimes I hated those black dresses I was required to wear at my work. I worked in a private school as a one-on-one tutor. I had three kids booked for today, and I had missed an hour already. I was surely going to get fired this time. The first time it happened, the boss let it slide. I didn't think he would let it go again though. My parents would be so disappointed.

I ran down my hallway, only stopping to grab my purse and work files. I didn't even grab an apple off the table in the foyer as I rushed out the door.

Grabbing my keys out of my purse, I practically sprinted down the walkway. I fumbled my key in the lock of the car until it finally opened it. Chucking my purse and work files onto the passenger seat, I jumped in.

To get to the private school, you needed to drive along the main highway for fifteen minutes then turn on exit 49 that goes out towards the rural areas. I decided to take the short cut that took a back road that was rarely used. It came out right beside the school, and was five minutes faster.

Stepping on the gas pedal, I sped towards the back road. When I got to the turn off, I clicked my left blinker on and made the turn. The road was unusually dark, like a great shadow suddenly covered the area. I shrugged it off, and sped along over all the bumps and potholes, ignoring the sinking feeling I had.

It was all going fine until I suddenly felt a presence in the car with me. I turned around to find nothing there, but just then, my steering wheel veered to the right. It was then I realized I had no control.

My car spun out of control quickly, leaving me breathless. I tried to scream, but I was too terrified to make a sound. My hair was flying around my face, getting in my eyes and mouth. My purse had flown off the passenger seat and was flying around in the back, the contents of it falling out and threatening to hit me with every spin. It all happened so fast, I didn't realize what was happening.

I opened my eyes to look out my front windshield, and found myself staring straight at a large tree, about six feet wide. It was then that I screamed.

The crash jolted me, whipping my head forward and smashing it on the steering wheel. For some reason the airbag had failed, and when I brought my hand up to my face, I felt a warm, sticky sensation. It was then I blacked out.~