"Untitled" by Regine M

Black spots obscured my vision and my ears rang with an intensity I had never felt before as I
blinked my eyes back into focus. The smoke in the confined area was causing my eyes to tear
and sting. I reached up to rub them only to immediately regret my decision as a white hot pain
overwhelmed me, originating from my left arm. Wary of what I would find, I forced myself
assess the damage and retched at the sight of my mangled limb. I looked away, but the image of
bloody white bone tearing through soft flesh and tissue was permanently seared into my mind. I
could feel my pulse rising, shock and fear erasing rational thought and feeling from my mind as I
continued to sit there, unmoving and dumbfounded. Warm blood dripped from my temple into
my eye, and I reached up automatically to wipe away the sticky fluid before feeling for its
source. The sting of pain I was met with paled in comparison to the fire in my arm, but urged me
to move and seek medical attention. I reached down my body with my right arm to release the
belt cutting into my chest, when I became aware of the rapidly growing heat that met the back of
my neck. Panic washed over me and I ripped the belt from my body upon the realization of my
imminent death if I didn’t move fast enough. As if on cue, my lungs heaved and I coughed and
gagged, the smoke continuing to increase in intensity as I forced myself to move faster. My
trembling fingers felt for the handle of the door, ignoring the hot metal as my fear and heart rate
escalated. I heaved the door open, the warped metal protesting against my adrenaline fueled
strength. I avoided using my left arm and leaned out of my seat, until I finally became aware of
the lack of response in my lower half. My legs had been rendered immobile under the weight of
the crushed front of the car. The pressure was strong enough that I knew there wasn't any
escaping without professional help. Still though, I leaned further out and scrabbled for the
ground, looking for hand holds to pull myself out of the car, ignoring the gravel and shrapnel that
cut into my uninjured hand. I finally gave in to using my left hand, desperation creating a
hysteria in me that allowed me to ignore the agony the broken bone was causing me. I only just
became aware of the sobbing noises that were coming from me, my hands finally coming to a
still as I came to accept my fate, fingertips still bleeding and embedded with rock and glass. But
for all the noise of the crackling and the roaring of the near flames, the wailing sobs I tried little
to control, I could not, and knew I would not hear the blissful wail of nearing sirens.