Short Stories

Caught in Between

The green light turned orange. On the driver seat, my father pushed on the accelerator once more. We were in the middle of the road when it happened. I saw a white intense light forcing its way towards us. In a moment, time seemed to have stopped and slowed down. The other car's driver turned the steering wheel and his car bumped onto ours. Both of the vehicles started rolling once, twice, three times... and again for what appeared to be hours when it actually took a few seconds to stop. 

I was breathing hard. My chest was hurting and blood soon reached my brain from the upside down position I was in. The roof of the car was on the ground. I turned my head as much as I could to see the driver's seat empty. Panic filled my body and my throat, making me want to throw up. 

I remembered. We were reaching the main door to get out of the building, when daddy pushed the button and missed the handle of the door.

- It's the wine, he said half-jokingly.

- I hope you drive better than you open a door then! I laughed hoping I was right.

We hopped in the car and started driving. 

I was breathing hard. My chest was hurting. There was something I had to do. I took my seatbelt off, or at least tried to. I put all my remaining energy on the seatbelt, pulled and pulled as much as I could. The button suddenly got loose and I fell on the roof. My ankle twisted when I reached the concrete and a cry escaped my lips, but I felt better. I pushed the door open and got out.

This feeling of throwing up just came up again. I held myself as hard as I could on my bruised wrists and emptied my stomach. 

It was terrifying how everything could be perfect and all of a sudden, just vanish.

- Hey! My cousin Julian exclaimed when he saw me. It's been a while!

He pulled me into a tight hug before letting me go. We sat on the rockers on the terrace as my sister brought us our drinks.

I remember that 

Julian took another glass of whisky and Jesse, my sister's husband, did the same. One whisky, then three and maybe a fifth at some point. We laughed and played but then they drank another one because it was a cool and cozy night. We ate, we laughed some more and they drank some more. And my sister said "stop!" but they told her that it was fun. And she stopped arguing, tired. 

I was breathing hard. My chest was still hurting. It wasn't oppressed anymore by the seatbelt, but I still felt something pinching at my heart. Panic left my core little by little. I started walking, calling my father's name, or maybe... was I whispering it? I couldn't hear myself, I couldn't talk anymore. My throat was sore and my vision was blurry because blood was falling from my brow. I stopped in front of the other car which seemed familiar. Slowly, I crawled towards it on my knees and hands. Glass ripping my skin open and making my fingers bleed. I turned my head when I heard a noise but all I saw was a bottle of Whisky. 

My sister and I were in the living room, talking. My father already had his coat on. Julian came in, took the bottle of Whisky and left saying goodbye, waving his hand at us. 

Later, we got in our car.

A few minutes had passed when my father pushed on the accelerator once more and we were in the middle of the road. I saw a white intense light forcing its way towards us. The time slowed, the driver of the other car turned his steering wheel. Our eyes locked on each other during a fraction of a second.

My eyes widened.

The other driver...

I turned my head and observed my surroundings. I had to see into the car. 

But suddenly, light attacked my eyes and men started surrounding me. One of them stopped in front of me. He started asking me questions.

- Were you driving? What's your name? How old are you? Where does it hurt?

- Dad... was all I said.

The firefighter called out loudly at his coworkers to find him. I started to crawl once more in the other car's direction but the man just told me I was ok, and that I had to stop moving so that they could help me. I surrendered, letting my forehead fall on the man's shoulder.

I knew in my heart: Karma had it us.