Before the deafening shriek even reached my ears, my eyes had deciphered the scene unfolding in front of me.

        Through the waterfall cascading down the window on the right side of the car, I had already seen the unnatural shape barreling towards us. Shocked, I sat there paralyzed, my eyes refusing to look away. 

        "April? Are you okay? You didn't answer my question. Don't worry if you're answer is a 'no'. I-I'll learn to live with it," Mason said, a tinge of disappointment evident in his tone. 

        Although, his voice was drowned out by the warnings dominating my head, alarms going off in every corner. 

        HONK!!

        I felt Ivana jump at the sound, her fingers scrambling to grasp my arm. "What was that?" she asked. 

        I knew all too well what it was, but my throat felt too dry to talk, my tongue parched. Bits and pieces of that horrid night replayed themselves in my mind like a movie etched permanently into my brain. A horror movie. A film that was capable of raising the hairs on the back of your neck.  

        The chatter among my family. Laughs of happiness. 

        The sudden flash of a blinding light. 

        The deafening 'honk'. 

        My parents' screams. 

        Their hands searching for my own. 

        "NO!" I screamed, my breath shallow. My hands groping at the door beside me, nails digging into the plastic.  

        At that, everyone turned to look at me. I was too startled to care, too petrified. My eyes stayed glued to the monstrous figure, which inched closer and closer with every passing second. Tears and rain mingled together to blur the splashes of grey and red, though I still knew it was there. I was still aware of the fact that it was creeping up to us ever so slowly, almost mockingly. 

        "April? April, is everything alright?" Ivana's voice drifted in through my ear, though traveled out through the other.   

        It was a matter of seconds before the heavy metal would collide with the car. "April? What's wrong?" I heard Mason ask. I just shook my head in return, my hair sticking to my forehead and cheeks from the humidity. I shifted in my seat, my heavy skirts sticking to my legs from perspiration. 

        I opened my mouth to speak, but my tongue wouldn't allow me to utter a single sound, let alone a whole word. Clenching my jaw in frustration, I snuck a fleeting glance at the approaching vehicle before shutting my eyes. 

        Deep breath in, deep breath out. Inhale, exhale.  

        "Mr. Buntley, a t-truck is coming our way from the right... It-it's going to collide with us..." I managed to voice before panic seized me yet again. I held out a trembling hand, pointing to the dangerous vehicle, which could barely be seen through the relentless drops pouring over the car.  

        "What?" I heard Mason mutter, his voice barely audible. 

        Mr. Buntley swore under his breath, trying to keep his eyes both on the road and the deadly truck, though failing to do so as the car swerved a bit too much to the left. 

        Ivana gave a yelp as her eyes followed the vehicle, as if daring it to come closer with her fearful yet hard eyes. Despite my fight against it, panic finally managed to conquer my limbs, making them shake with fear and uncertainty.    

        Then, without warning, a vigorous impact shook the car, sending all of us flying against the car's walls. A honk sounded from outside, the rain doing little if anything to drown the ear-splitting noise.

        I screamed, my hands pressed over my ears, attempting to stifle the horrific sound, trying to meld pleasant thoughts with reality. Huddling over into the left corner of the car, I tried my best to fold in on myself, though the seat belts allowed me to do little.  

        I felt Ivana nudge against my side, moving as far from the truck as she could. "April, I'm scared," she whispered, her breath ragged. 

        I couldn't reply, bile rising in my throat. "Everyone, stay calm. Mr. Buntley is trying his best to drive away," Mason yelled, trying to be heard over the rhythmic patter of the rain against the hood of the car.  

        Just then, another collision sent shudders racking through my body, this one much more powerful than the previous impact. Even though my eyes were shut, preventing me from viewing what was taking place, I had to be completely ignorant to not feel the sudden dizzying motion. 

        My hands grasped the seat belt, holding on for life as the sharp edges dug into my palms. I let out a pained cry as my head came in contact with something rigid. I couldn't hear anything. It was as if I was underwater, the water muffling any sound. Gritting my teeth, I tried to keep quiet as my stomach plummeted in response to the sickening loops the car was doing. Tears escaped my eyes as I squeezed them shut. My neck was sore from lolling to the side. 

        After what felt like ages, the roller-coaster ride finally halted, leaving my head spinning. For a few unsure moments, I sat there, my eyes closed, not daring to sneak a glance at the others for the fear of catching sight of something dreadful. Finally gathering some courage, I hesitantly fluttered my eyes open, blinking continuously to get used to my new surroundings. 

        After the haze in my mind had vanished, I barely stifled a gasp as I realized the position of the car. We were upside down, the seat belts barely holding us in place. As the fact that I was upside down dawned on me, blood rushed to my head all at once. Patting the seat beside me, I brushed my fingers over the warm leather, searching for the seat belt's buckle. As my fingers grazed against the plastic, I fumbled to unbuckle the belt. My breaths were suddenly too shallow, claustrophobia catching up with me. As soon as I was free from the uncomfortable grip of the belt, I pressed my hands to open the door to my left. The door didn't budge even an inch. I tried again, this time applying more force, though to no prevail. I furrowed my eyebrows, not being able to breathe properly in the compact space. After long minutes of pushing and rolling my shoulders back, the door finally wrenched open. 

        Exhaling a sigh of relief, I got to my knees and crawled out of the car. Just as I exited the compact vehicle, a fresh scent welcomed me, a well-needed breeze teasing the hair on my face and neck. The rain had seized now, leaving the ground muddied. A hint of sunlight could be seen through the clearing clouds, which had spat out all possible drops of rain. Wiping my dirty hands on my dress, I got to my feet, my muscles screaming at me from the soreness. 

        I took a step forward, though had to put a hand on the wall of the upturned car to brace myself. My limbs were still shaking from the impact, my veins thrumming. Gaining my composure as best as I could, I slowly made my way over to Mason's side of the car. He had been sitting on the side where the truck collided with the car. 

        At that thought, dread seeped deep into my gut, horror and anxiety swelling within me. Fueled by the sudden urge to reach Mason, I quickened my pace, my legs getting used to the motion. Right foot forward, left foot forward. Right, left. Right, left. 

        Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Mason's door. Pushing my hair off my forehead, I ran a trembling hand over my face. My mouth hung open as I processed the condition of this side of the car. The metal had been completely distorted, massive dents inscribed into the door, making the steel cave inwards. Trying to ignore the fear clawing at me, I inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. I eased myself into a squat position, my limbs aching with the motion. 

        Reaching my hands over to the barely visible door handle, I pulled with all my might, though it didn't shift, just like the other door. A frustrated groan escaped my lips as I pulled harder, using every ounce of strength in my body. If the door was a stubborn piece of metal, than so was I. I kept on pulling until the door finally gave way. 

        Not wasting another moment, I wrenched the door open. My eyes searched for Mason in the encroaching darkness of the car. My heart was hammering against my rib cage, threatening to burst. My brain was muddled with horrid thoughts and possibilities. Please God, keep everyone safe. Please be alright, Mason. 

        Finally adjusting to the change in lighting, I sought out Mason's figure. I squinted my eyes for a closer look. The sight in front of my eyes cleared my doubts. 

        My eyes widened, fear seizing my heart. For a moment, it seemed as if my heart had stopped, time frozen in this moment. Then, I screamed. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------  

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Here is chapter 19. 

A horrific event that reminded April of that one fateful night occurred again... How will April recover? Will she be able to cope with her past as it haunts her future? Also, what was so dreadful that April screamed? 

Well, all questions can only be answered in the future updates. 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, then please let me know by voting or leaving a comment. 

I hope you have an amazing day! :)

- Anika