It all happened too fast.
One moment, I was tightly gripping the steering wheel, mindlessly watching the solid white line.
The next... all hell broke lose.
Raindrops steadily tapped against the windshield as my eyes frantically searched the surroundings.
The air was tense.
My hands squeezed the steering cover and I knew something felt off.
As rain continued to pour, my windshield wipers flickered on. Their rhythmic back and forth whirring eased my anxiety.
As a new driver, I despised the rain.
On top of that, I had my fifteen year old sister beside me. Safety was my top priority.
My mother and father were in the backseat.
Mom was laughing uncontrollably as dad complained about the restaurant's prices and her excessive clinging. Both were more than slightly inebriated, probably from finishing a bottle of red wine at dinner.
"Cabernet Sauvignon" they called it.
Tenshi, my little sister, softly hummed to the radio in the passenger seat as she watched the fading sunset.
We rarely went out like this. With my chaotic gaming schedule and dad's obsession with work, the idea of a simple family dinner felt like a fantasy.
Yet, I was smiling. For once, we were together. Enjoying ourselves.
That should have been my first sign something was bound to happen…
A light flashed on my phone screen.
Just a notification. A text from an online friend.
I glanced at it momentarily. Only a couple seconds.
But, when driving, it takes only a second for disaster to strike.
"Hiro! We're sliding!" screamed Tenshi.
When I looked up, every driver's worst nightmare unfolded.
Hydroplaning…
I remembered from my test. A vehicle slides uncontrollably on the wet surface of a road. Tires subtly lose grip on water and the driver... loses control.
The steering wheel never shifted so I didn't notice.
"Hiro, straighten the wheels!" demanded my father, his words slurring.
My thoughts scrambled, Hands shaking. And my body froze.
A gentle tap hit my shoulder. I turned.
My eyes locked with Tenshi's and she nodded towards the road. As if telling me, "You've got this." She was on the verge of tears, her body trembling, yet she was the one comforting me.
The look in her eye was all I needed.
Come on… Protect them Hiro. You have your license for a reason.
I nodded back, softly smiling.
My panic quickly returned as I stared ahead.
We were backwards.
My heart pounded as my grip tightened on the wheel. The yells of my mother and father drowned out, blurring into a staticky haze.
I jerked the wheel, a foolish mistake; made out of fear.
Burning rubber filled the air as the tires spun wildly, their treads being ripped apart.
The tires screamed as the car smoked.
Suddenly... we were spinning.
The weight of my mother and father slammed into the doors. Tenshi's hands shot out, clawing my arm, clutching me, as if I could somehow stop this.
Then...
a blinding flash of light.
The low blaring of a horn.
Headlights… Close. Too close.
Tires screeched against the wet asphalt. I yanked the wheel, my foot slamming against the petal...
It was too late.
In a matter of seconds, the world became a moving blur.
Crunching sounds of metal and burning tires engulfed my senses. The collision's impact slammed my chest into the steering wheel, forcing the breath from my lungs.
At the same time, Glass exploded.
Shattered shards flew through the doors, forcing us to cover our faces.
The world flipped Then was upright.
Once, Twice, Again.
There was no time to think, no time to breathe.
Until...
Water.
Freezing rush of cold engulfed my body as we plummeted into darkness.
Instead of air, I inhaled liquid. The taste of blood filled my mouth, my face cut from shards of glass. Every nerve seized as my lungs burned, screaming to breath.
"Tenshi!" I choked.
Desperately reclaiming my breath as I thrashed my head above water.
Where was she?!
A hand brushed against mine. Her hand.
I dove for it, barely missing her fingers.
Her body was halfway out of the car, her seatbelt unclipped. Door torn from it's hinges.
I reached for her, my neck pressing against the seatbelt; stretching.
I almost had her.
Before... the current ripped her away.
My eyes widened at the realization. She was really...
Gone.
I screamed, but no words came out. The jerking forced my seat belt to tighten, digging itself into my chest as I slammed my fists against the dashboard.
My body went numb. My mother's voice was a muffled gurgle, father's groans stopped a while ago.
I did this…
I killed us.