Young Writers Society

Chapter Three

Night came faster than I expected, it seemed like one minute the sun was out and the next we could hear the crickets singing. But time always flew by when I was with Pheonix, and with myy two best friends here the tame was way too short.

Eventually playing Spin the Bottle got boring because I only kissed Pheonix and Britt only kissed Steve, we tried playing cards but that got old really fast. So we got pillows and blankets and made a nest in the middle of the living room floor, Britt sat down next to Steve and I curled up into Pheonix’ side, Steve grabbed the remote again and began flicking through the channels.

“Wait! Steve, there’s something.” Britt said, pointing at the screen, CSI Miami was on, her favorite show in the whole world.

Steve cursed under his breath but left the show on, Britt was so fixated on Ryan Wolfe’s “sexy eyes” that she didn’t even notice Steve getting up and going into the kitchen.

I heard something that sounded like clanking metal, then saw him appear in the door opening, spinning a ring of keys on his pointer finger.

“Who’s are these?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, those are the keys to my Mom’s Mercedes, why?”

“Where is it? There’s no car in the driveway.”

“Umm, garage” I said, suspicious of his grin. I knew what he was thinking before he even said it, my eyes narrowed.

“Let’s go for a spin!” he said “Come on, Lyric!” Britt’s eyes were finally peeled off of the television screen, she was always one to sense the start of a decent argument.

“Absolutely not!” I yelled with a disbelieving laugh.

“Please, Lyric!” I bet Pheonix wants to go, and we’ll only drive to McDonald’s and back, no big, right?”

“Yes, big! We don’t even have our licenses’ yet, and its dark outside” I got up off the ground and pulled down the blinds to give him an example on the lack of light outside “see?”

“It can be a lesson for the drivers’ test.” He pleaded “pleeeeease!”

“Okay, okay, Fine! But we can’t be long!”

Steve was out the front door before I finished saying the word ‘fine’.

Chapter Four

The garage door opened slowly and loudly and Steve reversed into the driveway, everyone piled into the car, Britt sat next to Steve in the passengers’ seat and Pheonix and I sat in the back. I could barely see out the tinted black windows as we backed into the street.

Was it always so dead at night? I began wondering, but Pheonix’ voice interrupted my thoughts “Turn the radio on, Steve!” he complained “This quiet is driving me insane!”

Steve’s massive finger pushed a button and spun the volume knob, the Mercury thudded with loud music and a hollow bass. Pheonix, Britt, and Steve recognized the song and began singing along, Steve drumming his fingers on the steering wheel with the beat.

We turned onto an empty road, one that ran along rim of a small bowl shaped cliff, defiantly not the way to McDonald’s, but the driver seemed to be doing fine, so I ignored the direction we were heading, the eerie darkness that seemed to be digesting the car, and the regretful, sickening warning that gurgled in the pit of my stomach.

Chapter Five

“This weekend’s gonna be a blast!” Britt chimed when the song ended and the radio’s weather report came on.

“Yea!” Steve said, looking back to wink at Pheonix without slowing the car.

I saw something brown jump in front of the headlights, Steve wasn’t looking.

“Oh my gosh! Steve, look out!” he turned quickly in his seat, facing the steering wheel again- with a panicked look, he spun the wheel, trying to avoid the frozen deer.

I felt the car hit the silver railing, we tilted sideways, then we flew, and then we plummeted.

Chapter Six

The red Mercedes jerked and shook as we tumbled down the hill, I could faintly hear the low muffled screams coming from the front seat as me and my friends slammed into each other and the objects around us.

The pain was all I could think about, lost inside me own I head I prayed that it would stop, then I got my wish, with a muted thud something smooth and sharp hit my head, the shapes around me turned into blurry shadows. Then I felt nothing as I floated numbly in an empty pool, full of darkness.

Chapter Seven

I awoke to the sound of a loud annoying beep, I tried to lift my arm, but a fierce pain shot into my whole body. What was wrong with me today? And why wouldn’t that stupid alarm clock shut off already!

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and saw that I was in an unfamiliar white room. And instead of bacon and eggs wafting about the air, the room reeked of rubbing alcohol and antiseptic. It didn’t take me long to realize where I was or how I got there. I was in the hospital, and my three careless friends were the reason why.

Suddenly a lady who I assumed was coming here short notice (because of her black suit and her long curly brown hair) hurried into the room, took my face between her hands, and kissed me on the forehead.

“Who are you?” I screamed, another bolt of pain ricocheting through me as I tried to push away from the over friendly nurse.

Her face twisted in a mask of horror and... heart ache? “I’m your mother!” she managed to say as she ran out of the room with her hand clasped over her mouth, I could hear her cry fade as she ran down the hospital hall.

Chapter Eight

She left me staring after her, absolutely floundered. What kind of sick joke was that? Can this be the crazy side of the hospital or something?

I slammed my fist down on the red button that called for assistance, a few moments later a woman who looked better dressed for the environment walked through the door with one of those I’ve-Been-Working-Ten-Hours-Straight-Get-Out-Of-My-Hair smiles on her face.

With a forced friendly voice she said “Hello, could I help you with anything?”

“I was just wondering, why did that lady that came to see me say she was my mom?”

The nurse’s face changed from a painted on smile to a sympathetic look “Let me, uh, get your doctor” she sputtered, then turned and scurried out of the room.

Chapter Nine

I heard some talking in the hall, then footsteps coming towards my room. A short, chubby man in white scrubs came in.

“I see you’re up” he said, smiling “I’m doctor Curt, how are you feeling?”

“Sore.” I replied “what happened to me? And who was that girl who said she was my mom?” it seemed like my hundredth time asking, I wish someone would answer me already.

“You were in a car accident” he said “apparently you and your friends were driving without seatbelts on… under aged” he added, he had that stereotypical tone in his voice, clumping all the teenagers under one category, but hearing him say the word friends made me remember Pheonix. My stomach contorted.

“Where’s Britt and Steve? And over all, where is Pheonix?” my mind played over and over the worst scenario but I prayed with my entire self they were all okay.

“They’re fine, don’t you worry about them.” Dr.Curt reassured. “I’ve been taking care of them too, they’re all under close watch.

“I need to see my boyfriend, where is he?”

Without a word, Dr.Curt walked over to the curtain and put his hand on it. He walked the thick sheet to the wall so I could see past it, in the next room was someone I recognized, but his perfect face was scabbed, his lips were swollen, and his muscular figure seemed limp and faded, like no one was living inside. My stomach turned and I blinked away, silent. He closed the curtain.

“He’s fine, you are the first one to wake up, and you’ve been here a while.” Said the doctor.

“How long exactly? And once again who was that woman?” I was getting impatient with all this waiting.

“To answer your first question,” he began “you have been here a eight days, this is the ICU, or Intensive Care Unit, you have suffered severe brain damage due to a tree stump you hit your head on when the car began to tumble down the cliff. With your kind of injury, you most likely don’t remember anyone or anything other than the night of the crash, the lady who was here is your mother.”