Fading into Black

by Rebecca Branca

I watched as the curtains were drawn for the last time tonight.

“Finally” I muttered to myself. My parents had dragged me to yet another one of the Abbey theatre’s long and badly acted plays. I looked down at my phone checking the time for what seemed like the hundredth time this hour. The screen showed 8:30 pm, meaning I still had time to make it to my friend Chelsea’s surprise party. I looked over at my parents who were happily chatting away with another old couple. Beginning to grow more and more impatient I looked back down at my phone, where I had received a text from my friend Kate telling me to hurry up. I looked back up at my parents who were still conversing with the old couple. “Mum, dad, please! We need to go now or I’ll miss Chelsea’s surprise!” I whined desperately.

After saying goodbye, my parents and I made our way through the rain, to where our car was parked. ‘Ugh’ I groaned, looking down at my clothes that were now completely saturated from the rain. Typical Dublin weather I thought to myself. I glanced down at the time, 8:50 already?

“Crap” I cussed under my breath. “Dad can you drive any faster? You’re going so slow!” He turned around and glared at me:

“The road is slippery from the storm, unless you want us to have an accident I suggest…” but my dad was cut off by a horrific sound of crunching metal. Then it all faded into black.

Floating, that’s what it felt like. Like I was floating high above the clouds. But something was wrong. I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn’t. I suddenly became aware of a burning ache that took over my body. I kept fighting to open my eyes, and when I succeeded, I instantly regretted it. My eyes burned and my ears rang. I looked over to where my mum was previously sitting, to find her body laying limp, with blood covering her face. The windscreen in front of her unconscious body was completely shattered. I struggled, trying to lean over and grab her but when I tried an electrifying pain coursed through my body.

‘Ava, can you hear me? Ava please?’ I heard a distorted but audible cry from next to me. I turned to see a blurry face that looked a lot like my fathers and once again everything faded into black.