Laughter erupts from behind the door I stand before. As I step through the doorway, the pungent aroma of beer and pizza surrounds me and I feel the bass pumping through every bone and vein in my body. This is what I need, I think as I cross the room. Dodging people and pushing towards the kitchen I bump into a brown-haired girl who’s being chased by a couple of drunken guys. “I’m sor-“ I start to say, and my eyes widen. It can’t be… “Sa-Sarah?” I stammer. I shake the thought from my mind and grab a Newcastle from the fridge.
“Heyyyyy bro!” Tom slurs as he slaps my back. “You’re herreee!” I try what I hope is a convincing smile as I gulp down the bottle of ale in my hand. Maybe this party will do me some good.
A few drinks later, I find myself seated in a Jacuzzi out back of the apartment complex with Tom and a handful of hot girls. I snag the hand of one of the girls, a blonde chick I think, and drag her in the direction of one of the apartment buildings. An intoxicated giggle escapes her lips, and I glance over my shoulder with a playful grin. Suddenly, I freeze. I drop the girl’s hand and run in the opposite direction. In my drunken stupor, I manage to stumble and trip on the pavement. Anxiously I look back. No! She can’t be here! But she is, and she just smiles at me while crooning softly in that sweet voice of hers. My eyes dart madly about for some way to erase her image from my mind and sight and I spot a car. My throat thickens and my breathing labors as I remember that day. The last time I drove…
Sarah sits in the passenger seat, flipping to the rock station. She knows I can’t stand it; she’s teasing me. I laugh and tell her “Turn that crap off!” She grins and flips me the bird. Suddenly, her moonlit palm slams against the radio dial and the sound dies. Her fearful voice calls out at me to pay attention. “John!” she screams in absolute terror. I turn my eyes forward just in time to see that we’re heading at ninety five right into the side of an eighteen wheeler. I jerk the wheel left, but it’s too late. In horror I watch as my small SUV t-bones the big truck. The crash is agonizingly long and loud, drawn out by eerie slow motion that resonates painfully through my momentarily paralyzed body. Sarah’s shriek of pain is the last thing I hear as my airbag slams into my face and I black out. When I regain consciousness, Sarah is gone.
When the memory hits, I collapse onto the cold cement. As I hit the ground, I realize that I still wear my sopping wet swim trunks and am shaking violently with cold and emotion. “You okay buddy?” Tom’s voice rings out from above. I turn my head towards him and realize that yes, I finally am okay. He holds out a hand to help me onto my feet and I walk to my own apartment. I take a hot shower and lie down, sinking into my bed. For the first time since the accident, I drift to sleep peacefully.