Young Writers Society

I will never forget that moment that I watched those two cars collide almost becoming one, they could have been one if it weren’t for the fact that they where two contradicting colours. I could hear the screams and smell the fear and burnt rubber. I still can today etched in my senses and my memories like it was yesterday. However, what I remember most was the lifeless bodies that where barely recognisable amongst the crumpled metal. They where all so young it was such a waist they had years ahead of them which was wiped out in a split second. All because a stupid teen decided to drive home from a party intoxicated. His victims where innocent they where heading off to the beach for a holiday they never got there, they didn’t deserve to die. I watched as the cars where pulled apart to free the bodies. And then one by one the five bodies where zipped away in black body bags like in the detective shows I once watched and out of site. I can’t imagine how bad it would be had I known the victims. I can’t understand and won’t even try to understand the pain and suffering that the families and friends must have felt and must still feel. For those victims probably lit up their world like a candle and the day they found out their loved ones had died it most probably was snuffed out as quickly as they had died. Their families and friends won’t forget them. They will think of them everyday and night for the rest of their lives. Their loved ones faces will be etched in their memories leaving that and the photos of the deceased all they have left along with the memories that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. They will never see them in the flesh and that would hurt like hell.

I wished id never seen that crash as it constantly reared its ugly head at the worst of moments. I prayed everyday that that accident is the closest I come to knowing the dead for as long as possible. I couldn’t bare to lose someone so close to me like the loved ones of those five victims did. I didn’t know how id cope if I where to lose a group of my friends in the one incident. I thought it would probably kill me. I found my friends being substituted for the victims of that hideous day. And I found tears welling in my hazel eyes. I desperately wanted to erase such a horrific memory from my head and had since that day a whole year ago. I turned over and squeezed my eyes shut willing my mind to cave in and let me sleep.

I had woken to the usual screaming match between my parents well what had been usual the last few months or so. Prior to that things where fine it all began when dad got laid off. What they fought about I didn’t know. I was good at blocking some stuff out and they where hard to understand when they screeched at one another. But my bet was it was probably to do with money mum hadn’t cut back on her spending which had secretly been concerning me. It was all down to the job crisis or rather the lack of job that I would put money on. I was getting more concerned day by day as it seemed to be getting worse. It seemed that what was happening between my parents matched what Cathy had said happened in the lead up to her parents divorce. I was fearful that that was where my parents where headed. I didn’t know what I would do if my parents split I think it would ruin me. I longed for those happy times to resurface. For things to be how they used to be. But I think deep down I new that things would never be the same. Even if things did smooth over as the past could not be erased.

Dad looked so down I’d never seen him that down. Now and then I could hear him crying through the paper thin walls every time I longed to go and hug him but I new that he would rather people not know how upset he was.

“Hopfully they won’t get a divorce but if they do you’ll just have to do your best to cope” stated Cathy as we headed up the front steps and into our school. “Its hard but eventually you’ll get through but as I said it may and hopefully won’t come to that. There are worse things like loosing a parent to death for instance at least if they are apart they are still alive.”

“Good point” I said “ I don’t know what id do if I lost one of them it think a huge part of me would die with them. I don’t think id ever be whole again.”

“Yeah me neither. I don’t know how people cope”

When I entered the lounge room it was silent which made a wave of relief wash over me that was until I glanced at my parents faces and I new something big and something bad was up.

“Your mother and I have decided to divorce we think it is for the best the fighting isn’t doing anyone any favours especially you.” Stated my father.

“But you can work it out” I yelled tears streaming down my face.

“No dear sometimes things are beyond fixing and this is one of those times.” Retorted my mother as she made her way over to put an arm around my shoulder. I moved out of her reach and ran to my room berrying my head into my pillow I cried for what seemed like hours.

Cathy hugged me tightly as I wept into her school dress.

“As I said the other day it would be worse one could be dead.”

“True” I mumbled between sobs.

Dad seemed even more down if that was possible when I got home and he and mum where blatantly not talking. It was quiet and quiet didn’t seem normal. Something big was up I was about to ask when dad came over and embraced me so tight that I lacked air in my lungs. Dad hugging me was abnormal that’s not meant to say that he didn’t love me cause I new he did. But this outburst of emotion wasn’t normal for him and then he did two other things that where out of character. He cried like he never had in front of me before he wept something along the lines of “I love you and I’m proud of you and always will be” before letting me go and disappearing into the spare room where he had been sleeping since the trouble began.

I couldn’t concentrate in school. I had an awful feeling something was terribly wrong apart from the obvious. Like something was missing. I hadn’t felt that way earlier in the day but know it was eating at me. I felt an overwhelming sense eof panic. And something pulling me towards home. I found myself for the first time wagging school to go home instead of staying for the rest of school And the musical rehersal that was to take place after school. Why I wasn’t exactly sure just that it was something I had to do.

I turned the handle, the door creaked open, entering I found a note on the kitchen bench. My name was scribbled in my father hand writing on the front ‘that’s odd’ I though the panic intensifying. Opening it I screamed at what I read

Dear Susie

I love you as you well know you mother is planning on taking you to America to live as she has been offered at transfer. I couldn’t bare to lose you, you where all I had left without you I had nothing which is why I have done what I have done. I pray you can forgive me but I can’t cope living like this without you. You’re my last chance of happiness.

Love your loving father

“DAD” I screamed “DAD, DAD, DAD” I ran frantically around the house until I found him in the bath room. I pulled as much of him out of the bath as possible in order to check his pulse. But their wasn’t so much as the faintest sign of life. I must have cried there for hours until mum came it and screamed at what she saw.

The anger towards my mother was intensifying as the days since my fathers death passed by. I resented her and something told me that the resentment would last a life time.

It was a few days after my fathers death that mum finally broke the silence she had been upholding and asked me “why you blaming me?”

“Because you killed him with your stupid transfer something you could have bought up with me.” I yelled at her.

“I’m sorry but”

I cut her off “ well sorry doesn’t bring him back I hope your proud of what you’ve done mum you’ve killed a decent man.”

Mum just glared at me from the drivers seat stuck for words. I was about to tell her to keep her eyes on the road when we hurtled towards a tree and all went black.