“I’m gonna get some hot dogs. Our baby boy is really hungry,” she said and he nodded before leaning in for a kiss. I cringed at them.
“C’mon, Dad!” I said, and he pulled back, laughing and shrugging at Mom, who smiled at us in turn.
After the teacups, we went on a bunch more rides and played a lot of games. Surprisingly, on top of winning Mom a prize, he got me one too. She had gotten a gigantic silver moon while I had gotten a small yellow star. He had tried for the sun one for himself, but didn’t get it.
“It’s okay, Dad. You can get it next year!” He smiled at that and nodded before he mussed up my hair.
“Did you have fun, honey?” he asked, and I nodded excitedly, my mouth full of funnel cake. Content with my answer, he grabbed both Mom’s and my hands.
Nothing could be better than this.
We all jumped in the car after being at the carnival for three hours, and while I wanted to go on the teacups for a third time, Mom was all tuckered out. As we drove home, I played with my little star, pressing it against the window, showing it all the real stars in the night sky.
“You really like that toy, huh, kiddo?” Dad asked as he adjusted the rearview mirror to see me, and I nodded happily.
“It looks like the stars in the sky, Dad. And I’m matching with Mom because she got the moon. All we needed was the sun,” I said, pouting, and he laughed.Mom hissed slightly and he glanced over at her in worry. She smiled at him as he smiled back. As cars passed by in the opposite direction, their headlights illuminating the interior, I picked up Dad mouthing “I love you” to her.
I smiled at them. Even though they grossed me out sometimes, I loved them so much.
Suddenly, before Mom could say anything back, she yelled, “David, watch out!”
Scared, I looked up. A set of headlights were really close to the windshield. Shock took over my body and I hugged my star to my chest, feeling the car crash into something. We began to spin, and it felt like the ride at the carnival all over again, except this time, it wasn’t any fun.
Screeching tires and rough sounds came from every direction. The car flipped over, a small second of silence, before it was torn as the hood of the car scraped against the concrete. I screamed as Mom did too, and the glass shattered all over me.
Gravity pulled me down with each spin and I winced in pain. Dad yelled for me and Mom, and then the car hit something else. Ringing started in my ears as darkness consumed me, and I could no longer hear anything.
I groaned, my heart thumping in my ears, but I didn’t make a move to wake up. There were muffled sounds, and I shuddered as the wind blew over my exposed cuts. My mouth tasted of pennies and my eyelids felt so heavy.
“Bianca? Come on, honey. Wake up, please,” a muffled voice said, and I tried to open my eyes.The seat belt dug into my chest. Mom was still in the passenger seat, her wails loud even through the fuzz that was in my ears. My vision blurred once more, but through it, I was able to make out flashing red and blue lights.
A firefighter EMT wrenched open Mom’s crushed door and reached in, asking her something. I blinked slowly as I watched my door being taken off too. The firefighter tried to ask me something, and I knew I needed to be polite and answer back, but I couldn’t.
The lady put something spongy around my neck and I moaned in pain. She then cut off my seat belt, and my body slumped forward, but she caught me. I made out blobs, but couldn’t seem to focus over the throbbing in my head. I was placed on something before I saw what looked like Mom’s body being taken out, and I tried to move, but couldn’t.
I blinked, hoping to focus my vision, and I winced again, my neck hurt. My ears picked up the sirens as well as the chatter of people around me.Mom cried out and put her hand on her belly.
Worry coursed through me, but I couldn’t do anything. I felt paralyzed and I begged for them to put me next to Mom. Someone must have heard me because they did, and I reached out, grabbing Mom’s hand shakily.
She sobbed profusely as she tried to grip my hand. I glanced around, getting used to my surroundings. My head pounded. I glanced down to the pieces of glass in my arms.There was a flurry of whispers, murmurs, and Mom’s wails.
I kept holding her hand as they tended to our injuries; I realized that I didn’t see Dad anywhere.
“Mom, where’s Daddy?” I whispered, as that’s all my voice could do, and she looked at me sadly. I looked up at the paramedics, their expressions betraying nothing.
One paramedic took Mom and another took me, both muttering they needed to get us to the hospital. The glass they couldn’t remove dug deeper into my arm and the cuts on my face were burning as my tears’ saltiness seeped into them.
I gasped and winced at the car’s busted-up condition. I cried louder, but gasped once more when they took out a body, and my vision focused on a familiar arm with a special tattoo.
“Daddy.” I tried to shout, but it fell as a flat whisper. He stayed still as dread simmered in my belly.That’s not right, he always answers ... Always.
I tried again, my voice now hoarse, my throat raw.
“Dad, Dad. Wake up,” I said frantically, but the gash on his head kept oozing blood. I whimpered, and looked to the paramedic lady, begging for her to help him. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t respond.
As they carried him, the lights hit his wounds in a way that I really noticed all of the blood. I had no idea why, underneath the lights, the blood on him scared me so much.
It was like I finally realized what it was, and I hated it.
