“Ugh… I’m so happy I am leaving this place,” I thought to myself as I hurried down the narrow pathway from the restaurant to the employee’s parking lot. This specific path is quicker, although there are currently more negative attributes than positive. It isn’t well lighted. The only omission to the obscurity was the reflection from the shards of glass and debris that covered the ground near the old, rusted dumpsters. One could very easily commit any variety of crimes here, if they were so inclined.
“I probably shouldn’t be walking out here alone at this time of night”, is another thought that crosses my mind as I race past the large, lavender butterfly bush that marks one quarter of the way from the building to the lot. As a physical demonstration of that notion, I now have my largest, sharpest key protruding from my fist as if I were a bird of prey and my one dangerous talon was my first line of defense. After working a double shift on one of the busiest Saturday nights since New Year’s Day, I was so ready to meet up with my girls and let loose. Hence, the fact that this path was quicker outweighed all of the cons of the decision.
Work had been especially atrocious that day. Partly because it was a Saturday, and Saturdays are always unbearably overcrowded, but mostly because that day was the Saturday before Valentine’s Day. It was a brutal combination. To make matters worse, the two underachieving, binge drinkers’ that I had the pleasure of calling my co-workers, decided not to come to work. Partying was more important. So, needless to say, alongside the feeding frenzy that was our restaurant, we were also severely understaffed. Finally, to complete the evening, I was the last hostess to be cut. My best friend had been allowed go home about an hour and a half before me. By the time that I finally was released to go home, Jamie had already taken a shower, put on the outfit we had bought the previous day, applied her make-up and fixed her hair. I was way behind and still had no idea what I would do with my hair.
I had finally reached my car after what seemed like a thirty year walk. I put my seat belt on, adjusted my heater to the hottest maximum setting, and hastily whipped out of the parking lot. It was about a fifteen minute ride home and I was trying to concentrate this as much as humanly possible. Even the most distinguished author would not have been able to adequately express the anticipation of this eighteen year old girl.
When I was about five minutes away, I decided to text Jamie and find out how the party was and let her know I would just be a little longer. After I finished the text and pressed the send button, I returned my eyes back to the road. Having been a resident of this area for about seven years, I knew that there was dramatic curve about forty feet ahead of me. I text a lot when I drive, but I always make sure to look up every few seconds to ensure my safety and that of others. Jaime wrote back and said that I would be fine and that there were still plenty of people there.
I began to reply quickly because that curve was beginning to creep up. I looked up at one of my regularly scheduled intervals and I saw a headlights. Following the headlights was the rest of the car. The peculiar thing was that this particular car was traveling excessively fast and when I finally saw the whole car it was perfectly perpendicular to mine. Instead of curving with the road, the car maintained its 180 degree angle. I was headed straight towards an industrial building to the left of me. The car was going about forty miles an hour and showed no signs of slowing. A few seconds later, the car made an atrocious impact with a sound that was nothing short of traumatizing.
The front end of the car looked like something similar to a coke can that had previously met a fraternity members’ head. I was the only one around at this time. I got out of the car and tried to run to the accident but I was stopped something short of five feet away. I couldn’t move. I was freaked out. I was scared. I was in shock. After what seemed like an hour, but must have only been a minute, I gained the clarity to call the police. They asked me to explain the scene and what had happened.
“There are two people in the car, both aren’t responding to me, but the driver is visible and unconscious. I see blood. I don’t know why they wrecked. I don’t see any drugs or alcohol.” I rambled on. My voice was shaky and struggled to force every word out. They instructed me to stay on the phone line until the paramedics had made it to the accident.
The fire truck was the first to arrive at the scene. The police cars followed, and then finally the Ambulance showed up. I stood back as the EMT assessed the people. The lights were a brilliant contrast to the darkness that surrounded them. To break the reverie of the lights, I glanced away towards the ground. Another light caught my attention, only it was much smaller and located in a patch