~*Disclaimer: I am not deaf, I've never been deaf. I don't believe that just because an author hasn't experienced something that they shouldn't write it although I do strongly believe that authors/writers should definitely do their research before writing anything they haven't experienced. A writer is telling a story, from a person's point of view whether it be fiction, non-fiction, romance, etc. That being said, don't comment anything hateful or start any fights. I do accept correction. I have done my research before even beginning to write this story. Thank you, enjoy the story!*~
~*Future author's note: this story needs quite a bit of editing on the plot and writing...I'm sorry for plot holes or cringey synonyms and sentences. I wrote this story super fast. I'll get around to editing it eventually...probably not anytime soon. Feel free to point out mistakes!*~
Future future author update (2024): I had pretty much abandoned this account until recently, but I've started up some of my older stories and edited a little bit here and there. This story, on the other hand, I feel is more work to edit than its worth. It was in an era of my writing where I struggled with description and used a horrible thesaurus platform. This story will remain up until I've finished my other story, and then its being taken down. I feel that this story is not an accurate representation of my current writing. Enjoy it while it's up!
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(Five Years Ago)
I had always thought of myself as an optimistic person in general. There wasn't anything to be unoptimistic about in my life, I had a loving mother who had an irritating tendency to coddle me, my best friend was well...the best a young girl could ask for and my big brother, although sometimes bothersome, was funny and outgoing. It made up for both of us since I'd never been that way. Even if I sometimes aspired to be.
Our little family was everything I needed in life.
Although our family had always been absent of our father, we still made do perfectly. No one ever knew him, we never had a desire too. Mom had always avoided the topic and stumbled around her words to change the subject the one time I'd asked in third grade after we'd made father's day crafts.
"Ellery Grace! Allie! You two have been up there entirely too long! Get down here and eat your lunch before it gets too cold! I'm not heating it up again," My mom, Diana, shouted. That was the third time she'd yelled for us to come down but we'd been occupied with makeup and girl gossip the better half of the day. Allie was always begging to put on my play make-up, only because her mom had something against it.
"We should go, my mom's beans and rice are the best," I mumbled. Allie and I attempted to wipe away the glittery eye shadows and opaque lipsticks, using wipes and some spit but even afterward we looked like we just stepped outside in the pouring rain and caused our makeup to dribble down our thirteen-year-old faces. I supposed my mother would be expecting such things from us. Even if we tried to hide it.
"Yeah, maybe we can go to the mall later," Allie suggested brightly. She stroked the ruffles on her auburn dress and slumped further into her chair, groaning softly.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I don't know, it's getting late. My mom doesn't like driving in the dark." Allie grumbled something and tossed the makeup wipe splashed in color into the silver trash bin beside my bed. She flashed me a silly smile, lipstick caked her teeth and smeared over her gums. I shattered into a fit of laughing and shoved Allie teasingly. "What?" she demanded. "Nothing, let's go to dinner."
"What is it? Seriously Els."
"You have lipstick all over your teeth."I laughed out. Allie drew her brows and rubbed her teeth with her fingers. She sucked in her bottom lip and grimaced at me "Well you have eyeshadow in your nose," Allie grumbled. I grabbed a tissue and rubbed at my nose but nothing came away. "Liar."
"Meanie."
"Girls! Ryan! Come down to lunch! This is the last time I'm calling you!" Mom called again, seemingly for the last time. I knew she would come stalking up here at any moment and discover us covered in color.
"Come on, hurry up!" I sang, helping Allie rub away the speared barbie pick lip-stick from her auburn shirt. "Okay. Okay," Allie complained as I pushed her from her seat and planted a hand on her back. I guided her down the long carpeted stairs and into our marble kitchen. I stroked a clump of messy black curls from my face.
"There you two are. I see you've been messing around with makeup again. You better wipe it off before your mom sees, Allie."
Our cheeks tinted red in embarrassment and our hands fiddled in our laps. Mom let out a soft chuckle and practically shoved us into the wooden chairs of our table. They creaked under our weight. Ryan was supposed to fix the wobbly legs on a few of them.
Two bowls of steaming hot beans laid on rice sat before us. I swirled my finger in the steam and Allie did the same. I tentatively took a scoop and shoveled it into my mouth. Allie followed along and gulped down spoonfuls of rice and beans. I hummed in satisfaction as flavors flourished in my mouth.
"Can we go to the mall, mom? It's still early. We can go home before it gets dark, I promise," I pleaded eagerly. Allie nodded and muttered something with a mouthful of beans that was incomprehensible. I laughed and shoved at her. She wiggled her nose at me.
"Ryan! Please take your sister and her friend to the mall for a few hours? You need to practice driving anyways since you just got your license!"
I peered over to find my big brother pressing his lips together and questioning our mother's words. He browsed his phone once more then studied us both. I opened my eyes wide to look cute with pleading eyes and a wobbling lower lip. Ryan scoffed at me, unamused.
"Not tonight, I'm going to see Ruth tonight."
"That's ruthless of you to pick her over us! Your own sister and her best friend!" Allie shouted sharply, purposefully making that corny joke, one we'd been using since they started dating. Ruth found it hilarious but Ryan had snapped at us for using it too often.
My mom burst into a fit of unexpected laughter and doubled over, clutching her palm on the counter. "Oh gosh, I'll take you both. Get out of your pj's and meet me in the car."
"Yes!" Allie pumped her fist and swiped the blonde hair from her beaming face.
"Go tame your curls, Ellery," my mom chided. I breathed sharply.
I always had trouble taming my long black curls, they were beautiful when I put the effort in although when I was much younger I resented them and even attempted to cut them off in a fit of rage because one of the kids said I looked ridiculous because my hair was so dark and my skin so pale and light.
I must've inherited my hair and eyes from my father since my mother and I had barely any similarities. She had light hazel hair and dark brown eyes. She was curvey and heavier set and I was a bit lanky and slim.
"Yes ma'am," I whispered in the end, trotting up the stairs with Allie and wrestling with my hair for a few minutes before getting frustrated and shoving it under a patterned cap. Allie tugged my hands and whined until we trotted down the stairs and raced towards the car, my mom yelling at us to slow down.
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Smoke curled around me, I coughed and wheezed uncontrollably. My airways were contracting and my ears buzzing and blank. My head palpitated and my heart hammered.
I could feel blood oozing down my body even though I couldn't see or hear anything. Pain gathered in my every movement. I couldn't muster my breath, couldn't gulp in the air my lungs yearned for. My lips formed the words 'mom' but I couldn't say anything even as my throat felt like it had released the words.
One moment we were driving back in the car from our day at the mall. The next, a black Sedan was speeding and veering uncontrollably towards us.
A pressure released on my chest, I took that opportunity to gulp in choked heaves of air even as my throated burned. A warm sensation flooded my body, I felt myself convulse and flinch, my eyes going black.
I must've blacked out for a moment because when I came to, I stirred up with a choke.
Hands were over my arms, frantic and delicate. My eyes fluttered and flapped until I could make out a few men with their hands protecting my body, towing slowly at my arms and legs.
I felt my body being moved leisurely, every movement was agony.
I released a cry. At least I believed I did because I couldn't actually hear it due to the dull buzzing in my ears. I couldn't hear anything still. Tears streamed down my face and trickled down my raw throat while the men managed to tow me over the car window and lift me tentatively over the broken glass. I must've been screaming because my throat was hoarse and scratchy.
I then realized In a moment of astonishment that, I was upside down and my mother and best friend were nowhere in sight. Only a few puddles of crimson blood remained in their seats. They must've pulled them out. They pulled them out, my mind convinced me. They were fine, everything was fine.
The minute my head hit clean grass, people hovered over my crumpled form and spoke things I couldn't catch. Their lips moved, they were speaking too fast for my foggy eyes to comprehend. Sobs wracked my body completely as people poked and prodded at me. Out of the corner of my vision, a car aflame sat on its side. The man who had hit us. I tried to raise my arms, I tried to move but my body wasn't in control any longer.
"Help!" I tried to say. "Where is my mom? Where is Allie? Get my brother!" I sought to scream. Panic flourished through every vane in my body and fear pulsated my already shattered bones.
The moment my brother's head popped into view, his cheeks streamed with tears and his eyes erratic and frantic, my body slumped in relief. I attempted to call to him but my throat wouldn't open. I managed to catch his lips forming words along the lines of, 'It's alright Els. It's just you and me now. Live." before a prick caused my left arm to flinch and my vision went black. I tumbled into oblivion.
When I wake up, I'd find that my life was no longer my own.
(I'm not really counting this as a chapter. Just a summary of that day.)