Little Pebble
Chapter One: Daisy
Dedicated to my sister, Wei
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Blood, in my sight.
A bus, overturned.
Lia, motionless lying a few metres away from me on the road.
People, taking pictures.
Acute pain could be felt in and out of my skin. Sweat sliding down my forehead, drip by drip as it hit the ground. I realized it may not be sweat but blood. Blurry view covering my eyes, I couldn't register any clear image. Besides, my eyes could barely open.
"Support her head, quickly move her into the ambulance!"
"Sir, report back to me."
"The other victim might not make it, the impact was too great."
"The passengers in the bus?"
"Only the infant survived."
My mind wondered countless questions as the reports flowed in my ears. Thoughts about what exactly happened, where I am or why am I even here in the ambulance. How did I end up on the road with these red stains covering my clothes?
It took a while for me to recall everything.
Thoughts never distracted me from feeling the numbness of my limbs. The sore was sharp and deep to the level that my tears aren't willing to escape my eyes. I couldn't cry out my suffering right now no matter how much I wanted to. Pain itself had worn me out.
"Sir," the walkie talkie sounded. "The other victim, we couldn't save her."
That means she's dead, isn't it?
Salty liquids started rolling down my cheeks when the news came in. That girl's death ached my heart so much. Sadness conquered me completely. Every part of this was foreign to me like the fire meeting the candle for the first time. These events happened too fast, too horrifying and too sudden.
I regret it so much.
♧
"...investigation. It was a hit-and-run case and this is one of the major cases recorded in Stone. This road accident had killed nineteen citizens and injured two..."
Hearing such news never sent me chills before.
"Eighteen passengers in the bus and a teenager from Crystal High School died. Another Crystal High School student survived after being hit by the car and a four months old infant in the bus was found alive in his parents' arms..."
Blink. My eyes were getting teary as I woke up with a bandage on my head. I must've travelled to the clouds now, everything is white. My vision slowly adjusted to a clearer sight and my pupil wondered from east to west. "Du-Du-Du-" The electrocardiogram analyzing.
"...continue the investigation. A witness was about to give his testimony but was found dead in the lake. There are many lakes in town and the witness chose to drown in the lake near his village..."
Unbelievable.
"...witness was suffering from depression. His family stated that he had mentioned suicide several times before he went out to the water..."
I needed to sit up.
"...suicide case may be settled. The police are still tracking down the driver who is believed to be drunk..."
I made a movement. "Du........" At once the electrocardiogram goes on a long and sharp beep. The beam on the screen before went up and down, now it's going flat and straight. I died because I moved. Did it make sense? All I wanted to do was to sit up and death was my punishment for that.
Zoomed in the curtains was a guy and a lady. Eyes widen to see a dead girl in a sitting position while the electrocardiogram still sounded, announcing my death. I felt the urge to scare Henry and my mother with "Hi, I'm dead." It'll traumatize their whole life.
Mother looked like she could collapse anytime, pale and frightened. Henry walked towards me and calmly plugged in the wire. "Du-Du-Du-Du-" The machine is back to its normal state. That explained why I was dead. Was.
"I'll get the doctor."
"Daisy, you alright?" I stayed silent. "Please answer me."
Words jailed in my tongue, I'm not fine at all. After learning that death welcomed Lia, 'alright' is not what it is. I'm alive but my soul is not, my heart is still pumping blood but my brain stopped. I should have ran faster to Lia, I should not have agreed, I should have known what she meant, I should have cared more.
"Daisy," mother voiced. "If you never had gone against me, you wouldn't be here right now. Look at you, terrible!"
If anyone asks who is mainly at fault for Lia's death, mother is to be blamed. Regrets and guilt are taking over my emotions, leaving just enough feelings to be mad at mother. She has no right to put the blame on me.
"Daisy! This is why I disagree your friendship with that dead girl. You're becoming more and more like her, you're not mute! You have a voice. Speak up."
"Mrs. Key, please control your volume. The patient just woke up."
"She's my daughter."
"Now for the patient, I'm glad you're awake. It had been a few days and we were all worried. In a few minutes, the nurses will guide you to the Neuropsychological test. Your head bled a lot before this, we thought it would be best if you had a check-up right away."
I watched as the nurses walked in the room and helped me up. My body still felt the pain but at least I could walk. Step by step, my feet brought me further and further away from my mother. I'm glad.
The dragging sound of my slippers was a dying melody but it can't be help. Going for a turn, I saw Henry's grandparents speaking with a doctor.
Then his gaze caught mine. Henry came into my view down the hallway. Our footsteps stopped as eye contacts were made.
"Going for your test?" He asked.
I nodded.
"Good luck I guess."
"I'm sorry," I paused. "She's the best anyone could wish to have."
"If you're sorry for her death, it was that drunk driver. If you're sorry for not coming to the funeral, you were injured."
"Are your grandparents okay?"
"They're not as fine as I thought they would be. I mean, a family member gone forever unexpectedly, it was hard for them."
"You?"
"Losing a twin is not fine at all."
"I'm sorry."
"I don't blame you. I'm just an emotional brother of Lia."
"Henry-"
"Daisy, you need to hurry for your test. I'll see you at school."
"Stay strong."
"You too. Bye, go for your test."
He proceed to walk and I head off for my test. It didn't stop me from glancing back at his shadow. He seem so lost in this cruel world.
Lia and Henry Ray, the auburn haired twins in school, best friends of mine. It took one car to steal Lia, he lost his sister in just a second the car made contact with her. She was innocent, the mute girl in school who did no harm to anyone. Her death was our nightmare that we could never wake up from it.
♧
After four hours, the doctor concluded that I have a concussion. The blow to my head caused an injury and now my brain has to be above the heart at all times. My thinking skills barely passed the test.
I'm just relieved that this test is over.
"Are you still ignoring your own mother? You should have listened to me."
I listened to her and that's exactly why I was too late to save Lia.
"What did the doctor say? What did you do in there?"
The doctor said that I wouldn't be here in the hospital if you allowed me to save Lia. He also mentioned that it's better for a patient with concussion to have a good nap in her hospital bed and that her mother should not disturb her. It would be best if the mother of the patient kept quiet and console her.
"Daisy, please! Why do you have to be like this? All of these wouldn't have happened if you never met that girl, she's mute, she's rude, she's cunning and she dragged you into this-"
"Stop! Lia may be mute but she is none of those! How could you say things like that after what happened?"
"Because I care."
"No, no you don't."
"Yes I do, Daisy. Why can't you only stick with Amy?"
"Lia and Amy are both perfect. But what did Lia do to anger you so much?"
"Daisy, why can't you understand?"
"Lia is different!"
"Look at you, just look at yourself. First you started to come home late, then skipping school became a habit. What did you do next, huh? Reading those nonsense notes that Lia gave you and the principal called to inform that you broke into the school late at night with Lia."
"We had reasons!"
"Now you're involved in a car crash. How do you expect me to stay calm?"
"Mother, please. You're just too much. How could you say things like that about her especially at this time?"
The door slammed shut after I shoved her out of my room. I leaned against the wall and fell to my knees, tears rushing out freely. Falling apart, drowned in anger and sadness. Cruel fate Lia was given.
Her messages from that day replayed in my mind. The car crash was not an accident, the driver wasn't drunk. Lia was murdered.
She knew that she would be targeted.
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Dead men tell no tales.