The Throw-Aways

“Sweetie, I’m just happy to be able to spend some time with you.” My dad laughed lightly. The car purred along the road as we drove to see Lucy. The trees I grew up around were shedding the cloaks of summer warmth to trade for a fall set of shades.

Of course, being in the mountains, September brought some early cold breezes. There might be a few flakes here and there, but it was nothing much. Deer and elk would come out and feast on the final flowers in the meadows nearby, but otherwise everything else was bunkering down for the winter.

“I hope you can make it to the Denver concert in December, Dad. I can get you some tickets for it and they’ll be backstage so you don’t have to deal with the crowds.” I promised. He nodded and kept his eyes on the road, always a cautious driver.

“You’ll be home for another few days?” He asked. I nodded, checking my phone once again. The last person I texted was Austin. My hands fiddled at the seatbelt fabric, anxious for the movie. It was a treat to be with my dad and see my friends again. I had gotten to hang with them earlier today, but it was time for a special dad and daughter date.

“I’ll stay here for a little and then go back out to California. The next time we get a longer break is next May for a couple of weeks. I think I can make it out for a few days before we have to practice and get ready for Warped Tour.” I smiled at the thoughts. It was awesome that I had finally gained my confidence and gotten to relax on stage.

Oh the first time had been rough! I felt like the weak link of the group and like a thousand eyes were on me-which they were. Now I had gained a greater sense of being a musician and I had proved to Jay I could do it. Oh the look on her face!

“Oh Dad, I wish Mom could be with us.” I wished quietly. My Dad cracked a smile. Up ahead, a car was coming towards us.

“She always is. Mom is with us and love you lots, just like I do. We’re both proud of you.” He nodded and gleamed. The car approached. It was a big white van, probably an electrical company.

And it was swerving all over the black road.

“Dad, watch out!” I yelped as the car came towards us, flying through slick nothingness. My dad tried to hit the brakes and slow down and turn out of the way. The van just kept coming.

And then we were hit.

We flew through the air. We tumbled like an acrobat in a metal cage. We were head over heels, falling over and…

Over.

And over.

And over.

I screamed in pain. Oh, the agony that tore like a monster ripping each part of my body limb from limb. I wasn’t one to curse, but that moment, I tainted my mouth with everything I could think of until my tongue went numb.

I was going into shock.

I saw the blood. All of it and more. I saw the bones. I saw the limbs and I shut my eyes. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t see.

But I felt the cool breeze on my chest, all torn open. I had to open my eyes, and I realized I had been tossed outside of the car. My head was going light as a balloon. I saw black spots. There had been times where I slipped and hit my head, but this was ten times worse.

The misery was enough to make me want to die, but I had more things to do in life.

My phone was still in my pocket. I yanked the cell out with blood covered fingers and screams of agony. I had no clue who I was calling. All I saw was the screen of the last person I texted. I pressed the phone button and it instantly called. Dial tones seemed to take an eternity before someone picked up.

“What’s up, R-Girl?” A familiar voice asked. I screamed my lungs out as the breeze pierced my flesh. Oh, how gruesome the scene, how morbid the pain.

“AUSTIN, HELP ME!” I screamed, tears pouring out of my eyes. Liquid, either metallic and red or salty and clear, was pouring out over every opening.

“RAVEN, WHAT’S WRONG?!” He screamed back. They were close by in Gold Ridge. The band hadn’t gone far, but just enough to let me have time with my dad alone.

“Austin, I’m going to die! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to go!” I howled Bloody Mary. I heard a car door slam and people start yelling commands. Everything was there and clear before fading out. Like an unfocused camera lens, my world was blurry.

“Raven, calm down. What’s wrong?” His voice tried to soothe me but all I heard was panic. I heard chaos and people trying to find me. I was tossed so far from the metal and hidden in the crushed grass. My head hurt and I was sobbing.

“Car crash. Dad, where are you? Austin, help me! I’m in so much pain! Austin, please! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” I howled. The amount of blood I was sitting in scared me. I was really going into shock. I thought I might perish.

Some people heard my cries and rushed over the hill to where I lay. Multiple cars had stopped. Ambulances were piling along the street sides, cutting open the hunk of metal that used to be our car.

“Raven, we’re coming to get you! Guys, she’s in trouble!” Austin’s voice started breaking. The screams of the rest of the band were on the other side. There was chaos on every side of me and I just wanted it to go away.

“Raven, we’ll be right there!” Alan’s voice went over the speaker. Somewhere overhead, a Flight for Life helicopter came over. I saw people coming towards me. My phone went dead and I started sobbing again.

“DAD!” I screamed. There was no answer. All I saw was the trees.

I saw the trees….

I saw the bones….

I saw the blood….

I saw a hunk of metal that used to be our car….

I saw my arm ripped away from my body…

I saw it away from my body and not attached like normal…

I saw that little boy on the side, screaming for his mother…..

I saw a girl telling me how we saved her life through the music….

I saw the funeral for my mom…..

I saw it with my dad in the casket…..

I saw him trapped in the car…..

I saw Austin, holding me against him….

I saw everyone, but they started to fade….

And then I saw nothing.

Notes

O.O

I TOLD YOU THERE WAS A LIFE CHANGING EVENT HAPPENING!!!!

PLEASE, HERE IS A TISSUE, BUT SAVE YOUR TEARS. YOU'LL NEED THEM FOR THE NEXT CHAPTERS!