Crash

By Aaron Abilene

A woman loses her memory in a car accident except for the memory of a man who she swears was in the car with her, but no one else ever saw the man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Syphon Creative
• Release date: Jun 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215945056

Book preview

Crash

Aaron Abilene

Published by Syphon Creative, 2023.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

CRASH

First edition. June 12, 2023.

Copyright © 2023 Aaron Abilene.

ISBN: 979-8215945056

Written by Aaron Abilene.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Crash

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Crash

Written by Aaron Abilene

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The rain streamed down the windows of Lucy's sleek black Tesla as she sped through the empty streets. Her knuckles were white against the steering wheel, a tension headache forming at the base of her skull.

Another late night at the office. Another missed dinner with Alex. Lucy sighed, checking her phone at a stoplight. Three unread messages from her best friend, no doubt wondering where she was. Again.

Guilt twisted in Lucy's stomach as she typed out a quick apology. Work had been hell this week, her newest client demanding impossible deadlines and 24-hour access. To think, she had started this job five years ago, starry-eyed and eager to take on the world. Now she wondered if the golden handcuffs were worth it.

The light turned green and Lucy accelerated, rain pounding against the windshield. In the distance, the familiar spires of her luxury high-rise came into view. Home. If she could even call it that anymore.

Her phone buzzed with a reply from Alex. Don't worry about it, just wish I could see you more. Drinks this weekend?

Lucy hesitated, her finger hovering over the keyboard. Did she dare promise anything when work might derail her plans again? But she couldn't keep pushing Alex away. Not her oldest friend, the one person who had been there for her through it all.

She took a deep breath and replied, Definitely. I'm all yours on Saturday.

The knot in her chest loosened as she sent the message, turning into her building's underground garage. At least she had done one thing right today. Now, if only she could silence the voice in her head telling her it wouldn't last.

Lucy shook off the thought as she parked in her designated spot, heels clicking on the concrete floor. Time to put work out of her mind, at least for the night. She had a date with a glass of wine and her DVR, if nothing else.

As the doors of the elevator slid open onto her floor, Lucy plastered on a smile. Everything was fine. Perfect, even. She just had to keep telling herself that.

––––––––

Lucy walked into her apartment, tossing her keys into the bowl by the door with a clatter. The spacious living room was dark, illuminated only by the lights of the city outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

She flicked on a lamp and went to pour herself a glass of merlot, the unease from earlier creeping back in. The raindrops pattering on the glass seemed louder than usual, an unsettling rhythm.

Lucy took a large swallow of wine, willing her nerves to settle. It was just a storm. She was safe here in her apartment, high above the city streets.

A crack of thunder made her jump, sloshing wine over the rim of her glass. Cursing under her breath, she set it down and went to draw the curtains.

As she reached for the curtain cord, a flash of lightning briefly lit the sky. Lucy caught a glimpse of movement in the reflection, and froze. There, behind her, a dark figure stood silhouetted in the doorway.

She whipped around with a gasp. The doorway was empty. Heart pounding, Lucy peered into the dim corners of her living room. Nothing but shadows.

You're seeing things, she told herself sternly. Just jumpy from the storm.

Still, she left the curtains open as she retrieved her wine glass. Better to see any intruders coming.

Ridiculous. There was no one there.

Lucy sat on her sofa and picked up the TV remote, clicking through shows in search of a distraction. But as the thunder rumbled outside, she couldn't ignore the feeling that she was being watched. Waiting.

Something was coming for her. She just didn't know what.

––––––––

The road was slick beneath her tires as Lucy guided her car around the winding curves. Rain pounded on the windshield, obscuring her view, and the headlights barely cut through the gloom.

Her unease grew with every mile. She kept checking her rearview mirror, half expecting to see headlights behind her, following her into the night. But the road remained dark and empty.

A loud bang startled her, and for a moment she thought someone had struck her car. But then she realized it was just a branch, falling in the storm. Her heart pounded as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

Get a grip, she told herself. You're letting your imagination run away with you.

Just then, a deer bounded across the road ahead. Lucy slammed on the brakes, sending her car into a skid. The world spun as she struggled for control of the steering wheel. There was a sickening crunch of metal as her car clipped the deer and veered off the road.

Everything went dark.

When Lucy opened her eyes, she was disoriented and confused. Her neck and back screamed in protest as she shifted, and she blinked against a blinding headache.

The car was a twisted wreck, steam rising from under the crumpled hood. Her headlights were shattered, leaving her in near darkness.

A concussion, she thought dimly. Whiplash. She fumbled for her phone and managed to dial 911 with shaking fingers.

Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the wail of sirens approaching. But in that moment, she was alone. Helpless in the dark, at the mercy of whatever might come prowling out of the shadows.

––––––––

The ambulance arrived in a blaze of flashing lights that pierced the darkness. Paramedics swarmed around Lucy's car, shouting questions she could barely comprehend.

Ma'am, are you injured?

She blinked at them, dazed. I think...whiplash. Concussion.

Okay, stay still. We're going to get you out of there and transport you to the hospital.

They worked quickly and efficiently, immobilizing her neck with a brace and settling an oxygen mask over her face. As they loaded her onto a gurney, she caught a glimpse of the other vehicle involved in the accident - a police cruiser, its front end crumpled against a tree.

At the hospital, a flurry of activity ensued. Doctors and nurses buzzed around, bombarding Lucy with questions and tests. An IV was inserted into her arm, fluids and medications dripping through. X-rays and a CT scan followed, the doctors concerned about spinal injuries.

Through it all, a single thought kept looping through Lucy's mind. The deer - where was the deer? She struggled to form the words, to tell someone to go look for it, but the sedatives they'd given her were dragging her under into a sea of oblivion.

She surrendered to the darkness, her fate now in the hands of the medical staff. The deer would have to wait. Her body needed time to heal, even if her mind wouldn't rest. She drifted into a fitful sleep, haunted by the image of glassy eyes staring at nothing, a graceful creature broken and bleeding on the side of the road.

––––––––

Lucy awoke to dim lights and the steady beep of monitors. Her neck felt stiff, and a dull headache throbbed behind her eyes. She blinked groggily, taking in her surroundings. A private hospital room, sterile and cold.

Then she saw Alex slumped in a chair beside her bed, head propped on one hand. Her friend startled awake, eyes blinking open. Lucy! Relief flooded Alex's face as she surged forward to grasp Lucy's hand.

What happened? Lucy's voice came out hoarse and scratchy. She winced as a shard of memory surfaced - the deer appearing in her headlights, the spin of her vehicle on slick roads.

Alex's expression turned grim. You were in a car accident. A bad one. You have whiplash and a concussion, but the doctors think you'll recover fully. Her fingers tightened around Lucy's. I was so worried. Please don't scare me like that again.

Guilt twisted in Lucy's gut. She hated worrying Alex, who'd been by her side through every hardship. But she couldn't change who she was - someone who rushed headlong into danger to help others, even at the cost of her own well-being.

There's more. Alex hesitated. "The police car you hit? The officer didn't make