Inside the Darkness

I opened my eyes slowly. It was pitch black outside; I couldn’t see anything. Even after my eyes adjusted to the darkness, all I could see was black. My head pounded with enormous pain as I tried to piece things together.
I was obviously in my car. I felt the seat beneath me.
My neck hurt when I tried to turn my head to look around me so I didn’t yet.
If only I could remember what happened. I strained my thoughts.
We were in the car. I was driving; Millie was sitting beside me, holding my hand; and Oliver and Madison making out in the back. We were coming back from that party.
That’s all I remembered. Oh god. Did we have a wreck?
I know I didn’t have anything to drink at the party. I never drink when I’m with Millie and I barely drink when I’m not with her. Millie doesn’t drink ever. Though, Oliver and Madison were wasted.
I squeezed my hands together. I grabbed nothing but air and pain stretched up my entire arm.
My arms were limp at my side.
Where was Millie? I had to make sure she was OK. I turned my neck to the right despite the pain. The pain meant nothing. Millie was my priority. She was always my priority.
I heard my neck pop and it stung even more but then the pain started to disappear.
I couldn’t see Millie through the darkness.
My breathing became heavy and raspy and I started to groan.
“Millie?” I called into the darkness. It hurt to do or say anything but I had to.
I made my limp arms move to unbuckle my seat belt.
This first thing to do was to find light. I had to see. I tried the car lights, but not a one of them worked. Did I never think of keeping a flashlight in my car?
I felt around my car for anything I could use.
My cell phone wasn’t where I put it when we got in the car.
“Millie?” I tried again, reaching over to touch where she should be. I let go a breath of relief when I felt her shoulder. Then I shuddered as a chill went up my spine when I noticed what was on her arm.
Blood was everywhere.
I started shaking from fear. I had to do something and quick.
“Oliver? Madison?” I tried, hoping somebody would respond. It remained silent as night.
I needed help. I couldn’t do anything alone.
No. I had to. Millie, Madison and Oliver could possibly be dying. Or worse, they could already be.
That wouldn’t help any. I couldn’t think negatively right now.
But what else could I do?
I had to use leadership skills. Think.
First, I had to make sure everybody else was OK. No. That was wrong. Although it was the first thing I would want to do, I had to first check myself for major injuries. I would be of less use if I was hurt too and didn’t fix myself first.
I ran my stiff arms down my entire body. Though I did feel cuts that stung and my body was stiff, nothing seemed to be broken.
Now what should I do? Finding a source of light would seem like the obvious answer but it also seemed nearly impossible.
I couldn’t give up. I had to help.
My phone could be anywhere in the car. I moved my feet around the driver’s side floor, hoping to feel it.
When nothing was there, I decided to check the glove box.
I leaned over Millie, afraid to touch her.
If I touched her blood again, I might go into panic and that wouldn’t help anyone.
I flipped through everything in the compartment. There were papers, trash, and my pocket knife which I took out and put in my pocket.
I couldn’t resist not knowing how Millie was for much longer. It frightened me.
I was losing control. Millie was the only person who could make me lose control.
Knowing I shouldn’t, I reached my hand out to where Millie’s face should have been.
There was no blood. I sighed with relief. I could have cried, but I had to remain strong.
For some unknown reason, as I begged for some normality right now, I leaned over the seat and kissed her.
Her face was cold, but not too cold, and I could hear her heart slowly beating.
She was alive. I was happy yet alarmed.
I had to do something to help her before something really bad happened.
I let my hand linger on Millie’s thigh as I pulled away.
“I love you, Millie.” I told her.
I brought my arm back to me, hitting something that was between the seats in the process.
Whatever it was, it felt kind of soft and fuzzy.
I grabbed it and brought it to me, hoping it could be of some use.
I set whatever it was in my lap and started feeling it.
The biggest give away was the fact that it had straps.
It was Millie’s bag. She took it everywhere she went.
It wasn’t a purse. It was bigger than a purse but smaller than a shoulder book bag. The outlining on it and the straps were slightly covered in black, fuzzy cotton while the rest of the bag was made of some kind of soft, red material.
But it was on her side when she got in the car. It must have tossed around during the wreck.
Luckily it was zipped shut so none of the contents fell out.
I managed to find the zipper and opened the bag.
I tossed around all the contents with my hand, feeling them all, hoping to find something useful.
There were cosmetics and other girl stuff, her small notebook that she always carried around, and a bunch of random crap.
It was when I felt her key-chain I regained my hope. Along with 3 different keys Millie carried all the time, she also carried her small, key-chain flashlight.
“Thank you, Millie.” I told her with relief.
I took out the key-chain and dropped Millie’s bag at my feet.
I moved my hands around the small light, trying to see it.
After I twisted the light on, the car seemed to shine. It was too bright and made me squint for the first few moments but I gradually opened my eyes to make them adjust.
The first thing I looked at was the rear-view mirror. Oliver and Madison weren’t in it.
I turned around to look in the back quickly, deciding to do whatever I could before having to look at Millie and possibly lose my mind.
I shined the light all around the back. Oliver and Madison were sprawled in the back floor on top of each other, entirely limp.
“Oliver? Madison?” I tried calling their names. It was still silent.
I had to do something I really didn’t want to do.
“Oliver!? Madison!?” I called again, louder this time, hoping they would answer.
When they didn’t, I leaned over the seat to shake them.
They were cold and still.
I touched their throats with my forefingers. No pulse.
I turned back around as fast as I possibly could, ignoring the unbearable pain and stiffness.
I threw up all over the front floor, including my feet and Millie’s bag.
Millie was going to kill me for getting her bag muddled.
Millie.
How long had all this taken? Was she still alive?
Slowly, I put my fingers to her throat.
Her pulse thumped. It was sluggish, but it was better than nothing.
I listened carefully. It was still dreadfully silent, but I could hear her softly breathing.
Relief flooded my body yet again.
It gave me the ability to regain some of my sense. I would make sure she would stay alive.
What to do now was the issue.
My body was shaking from fear and joy.
I had to contact somebody. If nobody knew where we were, both Millie and I would be goners too.
I shined the small light around the car, looking for anyone’s cell phone.
Millie’s phone was on the dashboard right in front of me. I reached for it automatically and slid it open.
She had twelve new text messages and four missed calls. I clicked later and looked at the signal bar. There was absolutely no signal, not that I was expecting any.
I dialed 911 and felt relieved when they answered instantly.
“What is your emergency?” A woman asked from the other end. It was great to hear another voice.
“I-I think we had a wreck.” I answered her. “Oliver and Madison are dead. Millie’s in real trouble.” My voice was weak and raspy.
“Do you know where you are sir?”
“No.” I said. “You have to help us.”
“Alright, sir, just stay on the line. You did very well.” I heard her say before I closed my eyes into exhaustion.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 05.03.2012

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