Vanishing Into The Elements

Power surged through my body as the 10 o’clock hour hit. Things grew fuzzy and I couldn’t think straight. Squinting my eyes shut, I heard things smashing and calls from Amanda and from Mom. I screamed, but I couldn’t even hear myself, so how were they going to hear me? I felt myself fall, but I couldn’t catch myself before I face planted on the floor.

Suddenly it stopped, and I felt everything. The pain in my legs and hands touching me. The hands felt familiar, but yet different. I couldn’t hear anything, so I slowly lifted my head and opened my eyes. The floor was still memerable. Shaking, I moved myself away from where I had landed.

“–ther?” I heard a voice, and it sounded familiar.

“What’s going on?” I asked, only half hearing myself.

I felt movement of feet along the floor, and soon I saw Amanda crouching in front of me. What was going on? What had happened? Did I have another attack? Question flowed through my head like a river, finding new cracks, crevices, and pockets to flow into. Amanda was looking at me, her smile fading.

“We need to get her to Sheriff Jack Johnson now. He’ll know what to do, since he saved me when this happened.” Amanda spoke to my mom, who nodded.

“What’s going on? Who’s Sheriff Johnson? What is all of this?” I asked, but of course they ignored me.

They rushed me outside and Mom went in the garage, which I thought was full. She came out driving a minivan colored gold. Amanda rushed me into it, and she then ran around to the other side and got in the front. I buckled myself in, for safe measure.

“Can you explain what’s going on? What was with me getting dizzy? Did I have an attack?” I pleaded, causing Amanda to turn around.

“Do you really want to know, or what?” She asked, looking at me straight in the eyes.

“Kinda, though I am kinda scared to hear it.” I admitted, and she grew less tense.

“Well, this dude that we are going to is going to help you g–” she stopped as we hit a tree, destroying the front end of the car.

“Amanda? Mom? Anyone?” I cried, unbuckling myself and reached towards the front.

I touched Amanda and felt for a pulse, like I had learned before becoming a lifeguard. She still had one, but I wasn’t certain as for my mom. Like I did to Amanda, I checked, but I felt nothing. Tears had begun to fall once I realized that she was gone.

“Amanda? Mom?” I called out again, and Amanda stirred.

Blood dripped from her mouth as she turned to me. Slowly, I put my hand to her face to wipe it off. She was breathing heavily, and was in some sort of shock. Her eyes wide open, she put her hand on my face and smiled, forgetting about the scars and wounds on her body.

“Come on, we need to go to this Sheriff dude!” I called out to her, trying to keep her conscious.

“He’s coming. Don’t worry. It’s my time to go.” She whispered, lowering her hand from my face.

“No. It’s not. I won’t let you go, not when there is still hope.”

Getting out of the car, I rushed to the other side, which was semi-covered in snow. I began to dig my way through the snow, and what felt like forever, I hit her door. Slowly opening it, I grabbed her. Why wasn’t she buckled, I hadn’t a clue.

I carried her to the road and walked down it. The colder she got, the more likely I would lose her. So I ran, well, jogged. We weren’t far out of town, so I easily was back in town in no time. What would’ve been a three-minute walk was a one and a half minute jog.

The hospital was near my house, or now my old home. No one was ever out at this time, and I wish I knew what time it was. Amanda gasped for air, so I ran across the street and into the hospital. People who were still working looked at me, and those who were walking stopped.

“Help. My friend was injured, and my mom is –” I gulped in the last word. It was too harsh.

Nurses nodded and brought out an emergency stretcher, and I laid her on it. They started to jog away with her. I fell to the ground and started to cry. It was all my fault that she is dying. What am I supposed to do now that she may very well be dead and nothing can save her.

I heard the doors near me open, but I didn’t bother to look. Someone’s hand touch me and I was shocked when it did. Pulling away my hands from my face, I saw someone in front of me. Was it the Sheriff? He did have the outfit to be one, or possibly my father?

“Hey, you ok kid?” asked the man, “I’m Sheriff Johnson, who was reporting to a crash. When I got there, there were several doors open, but not the drivers one. Do you know anything of this?”

“Y-Yeah. I-I was i-in it. M-My mother was k-killed on i-impact. Me and m-my friend w-were the only o-ones alive.” I stuttered, tears starting to flow again.

“Ok kid, who was your friend’s name?”

“Amanda Day.”

“And yours?”

“Heather Moon.”

I was beginning to shiver as memories from the crash appeared in my mind again, and I grabbed tightly to Sheriff Johnson. He was stiff at first, or so I felt him be like that, but grew less tense the longer I held onto him. As soon as he started to move, I let go. Opening my eyes, his hand was extended outwards.

I took his hand and pulled myself up. Nurses were running around, grabbing supplies, checking in patients, and getting food and drinks. The sheriff was looking at me and smiled, even though my hands weren’t even touching him anymore.

“Ma’am, we have news about your friend.” A nurse spoke, and I turned towards her.

“Yes, tell.” I replied, feeling tears beginning to fall.

“She will survive, but she was lucky. There were glass pieces in her cheeks, chest, and lower legs. Blood was everywhere, but luckily it wasn’t enough to kill her. She’ll be in shock, but isn’t incredibly injured. What happened?”

“Car c-crash.” I whispered, feeling the tears fall

“Anyone else with you? Family?”

“My mom. She died on impact.”

“Did you check for a pulse?”

“Of course, I did it out of instinct and training. Her chest wasn’t moving, and she didn’t have a seat belt on. Neither did my friend. I was the only one to, and now it hurts where it was.” I showed her the burn, and the nurse nodded.

“She’s in a hospital room, and do you know her parents?”

“She was abandoned, but she still tells me that her family is with her.”

“Ah, she will have to pay for the bandages.”

“I will, how much?” I spoke, taking out a small purse.

“21.40.”

I pulled out a twenty and some spare change, and gave it to the nurse. She took it and went to the desk, rang it up, and came back with the receipt. Taking it, the sheriff grabbed my arm and moved me to the side. He squatted down to my level and looked me in the eyes.

“I know Amanda Day, and your mom probably was rushing you to me because you had...” He didn’t finish, and I nodded.

“Yeah, about that...”

“Ask anything, since I am going to have to take you. Come on, we are getting in my car.”

I followed him out the doors and to the car, which wasn’t parked very far. Opening the front door on the passenger side, I sat down. Sheriff Johnson was soon in the car and started it. The engine let out a purr, and I put on a seatbelt. When he started to move, his eyes were focused on the road, and on me.