“It is such a shocking sight, living in fear for the very thing that comes to reality.”
-Ethan
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Johnny’s mom dropped us at home later that night. I was supposed to stay at Johnny’s until the next morning, because my parents didn’t want me overnight at the hospital. Which was understandable, but the anxiety of not knowing what was going on was eating me away inside. I closed the door to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My shoulders shook as I attempted to take a deep breath. And the moment replayed in my head.
I was asleep in the very back seat of the van, comfortable in the lull of the moving car as the heat came over me from the vent. Suddenly, I got the sensation that I was falling. Falling, falling, falling. And I was instantly woken up with a jolt by a scream from the passenger seat. I shot out of my seat, gripping onto the seat handle and looking around. Next to me, Johnny had looked like he’d just woken up too. We both looked at each other in confusion.
And then I made the mistake of turning around.
The site made me want to scream. But I couldn’t find it in my throat to make a sound, which ended up coming out like a strangled gasp. My vision was blurred, and I the shock felt like it was closing in and suffocating me until I was no more. I wish I hadn’t seen it. I just desperately want to go back to that moment and make myself turn back around. Close my eyes and bring my knees to my stomach, just breathing deeply. Erase the memories from my mind.
Getting hurt myself, being kidnapped, it changed things about me. The pain soon becomes bearable, after weeks and weeks of trying to push it away. But the fear never leaves. There’s a constant fear, one that eats away at my skin moment by moment. However, none of that prepares one for seeing a person they love get hurt. It is such a shocking sight, living in fear for the very thing that comes to reality.
Johnny clenched my shoulder, squeezing it tighter. We were both turned around on our knees in the back of the van, glancing out the glass in the back. There was my dad’s car, turned over on its side. It was being crushed up against the side of a bridge by a different car, I couldn’t see what kind. But I was almost ninety-nine percent sure I knew whose car it was. There was shattered glass all over the road, and our car had slowed to a stop. I was so mesmerized by the scene that I jumped when the other car started up and sped away. Just like that, the moment that I had blinked, and the car was gone.
I lowered back in my seat, feeling tears overwhelm me, as the sounds blurred around me. I could vaguely here shouting, screaming, but there was a feeling of numbness that drowned it all out. Johnny convinced me to get out, although I wasn’t ready to walk over. I didn’t want to go to my dad’s car. I didn’t want to see what I feared. I didn’t want Mr. Grey to have succeeded on his mission. I didn’t want that day to come.
Slowly getting out of the car, I went over to where everybody else was across the highway. There were no other cars passing. My walk turned into a run, I couldn’t handle the fact of not knowing.
Only Julia was conscious. Amy and Matt were covered in shattered glass, and my mom was in the process of trying to pull them both out. Johnny’s mom was on the phone, yelling frantically.
I went over to help, my heart catching in my breath, trying to pull Matt out. “Please be alive,” I whispered to myself, whispering those words softly to myself over and over as if it would help. I tried to feel his pulse, but my hands were shaking too much to keep my fingers steady. I could see my breath in the cold air, and the tears running down my cheek were starting to freeze.
Dad.
He was also unconscious. But he looked worse, there was blood. I couldn’t… I couldn’t describe it… It was too much. People were talking; I know Johnny and his mom were saying things. There was a lot going on. But I couldn’t hear any of it.
There was the sound of a siren in the distance, and it was soon right in front of us, the blue and red lights flashing in the dark night sky. A man came over to me and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. “You’re in shock,” I could vaguely hear him say as he led me over to one of the two ambulances and sat me down. He shone a light in my face and asked me something. I don’t remember how I responded. Time passed as lots of commotion went on around us. I counted the stretchers. But I don’t remember the number. My vision was too blurred.
Julia came over and sat down next to me. “You okay?”
I nodded.
“It’s going to be alright,” she whispered. There were tears streaming down her face. “We won’t let him get to us. It’s all going to be okay.”
The only thing I could muster up the strength to do was nod again.
“Mr. Grey… He told me I had to pick a fight or he’d kill my whole family in a heartbeat.” Julia took a breath, a sob escaping her throat. “Matt. I’ve barely spoken a few words to him. He was just so mad at all of us. Or himself. And there was nothing I could even do to help him.”
More tears came at the mention of my brother’s name. I didn’t know what his condition was. Nobody has told me anything. But one ambulance had already driven away. Somebody came over to Julia, telling her she had to come to the hospital to get assessed for damage. My mother came over and took my hand.
“Ethan, Mrs. Fisher is going to take you and Johnny home, okay?”
“But-”
“There’s no use in staying overnight at the hospital. I promise I will call if there’s any news.”
She gave me a hug.
“I love you sweetie. Everything’s going to be alright.”
She let me go. I started to make a numbing walk towards the car. There was something in my mom’s voice. She was scared, so scared. But my mom was trying to act brave for me, to show me it was alright. That everything would be alright.
That’s what everybody kept saying. But why do they say it when they know it’s not? Why is it such a sense of security when it has a whole wall of lies built around it? What’s the sense in that?
I walked back to the car with Johnny and got inside. None of us spoke a word.
The sound of knocking on the bathroom door made me jump out of my daydream. “Ethan…?” I could faintly hear Johnny’s voice through the cracks. “Are you okay?”
I opened the door, nodding to show him I was alright. “What about you?” I asked. I wasn’t the only one being affected by this. Amy was in the accident too.
“I’m hanging in there…” He sighed, and I could see he was about to cry too. “Look, my mom’s on the phone downstairs.”
“With who?”
“You’re mom. She has news from the hospital.” Johnny’s voice was flat, I couldn’t tell what kind of emotion he was hiding.
“Is it good news or bad news?”
“She won’t say.”
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Hey sorry this is a day late :P Surprised I found the time to write this up, I was having writers' block. Isn't that always fun?
So, I hope you liked this chapter! I know, don't hate me for not telling you what's happening to Matt, Amy, and Simeon. Hehe O.o Building the suspense, eh? What do you guys think happened? Just keep in mind I always kill of a somebody every part. I'm just saaaaying. Don't assume anything. Heh.
I was very emotional writing this. Like, I just feel so bad for Ethan :( That poor boy. Too much, it's just too much for him. </3
Okay, on to irrelevant stuff about my life that I like to rant on about. First off- ITS SO FREEZING UP HERE IN NEW ENGLAND. My school is on a campus where I have to walk from building to building, and I don't remember it being this cold! I literally feel like I'm getting hit in the face with a giant glacier everytime I walk over to dinner. Blaaah.
Also, there's this dance on Saturday in my science building. (Sounds geeky, right?) Well, the science building is three floors and each floor has different music, but I'm really nervous because I heard some pretty bad stuff goes down and its super intense. And everybody wears shorts and tanktops. I'M NOT WILLING TO MAKE THAT SIX MINUTE WALK LIKE THAT. ITS TOO COLD.
Okay enough of that.
I'll upload soon. Hopefully.
Love ya guys :D
Peace
xx
Ella
Comment, vote, fan<3
Oh, and the Watty Awards in EXACTLY ONE WEEK. Pwease vote<3333 Love you times a thousand.