• The Present: Part 1

    “She won’t make it through the night,” says Voice One.
    “She’s going to die tonight,” says a second voice.
    “She can’t die... I love her.” A third says. I recognize that voice; it belongs to my best friend, Ted. Did he just say that? He loves me?
    The darkness is plentiful, and I just notice it. Why can’t I see anything? Why can I not feel anything either? What happened?
    “Ted, go home.” Mom’s voice says. “You’re tired.”
    “I’ll never leave her side, Sue,” Ted says. “She protected me when the car came-” His voice cuts out. The car... I remember now... Mom and I went to the store together...

    The Past: Part 1

    “Coming Angie?” Mom called.
    “Yup!” I said as I put my jacket on. Just then, my cell phone rang. I saw that it was Ted. I smiled and answered.
    He asked if I wanted to go to lunch with him. I said yes as usual. Hell, I didn’t care if I was only seventeen and needed my mom’s permission. I just wanted to hangout with Ted.
    I asked my mom about it. When she said yes, I was excited for lunchtime. Yes! I thought.

    The Present: Part 2

    New voices flood into my head. “The car was going in an excess of eighty miles an hour when it struck her,” new voice one says.
    “The driver was drunk,” new voice two says, “when he was arrested, he was incoherent.” This voice is sweeter, like a woman’s voice.
    “Incoherent?” Ted asks.
    “Didn’t know what he was doing.” New voice one says.
    “She seems so peaceful now.” Ted says.
    I feel something. I can feel? It feels like someone is holding my hand.
    “Angie,” Ted softly says to me.

    The Past: Part 2

    Ted and I left the store together, laughing and joking away. Suddenly, I see a car heading straight for us. For a brief second, I see Ted laying on the ground, dead from the impact. Without hesitation, I pushed him out of the way as I saw the headlights approach.
    “ANGIE!” I heard him scream.


    The Present: Part 3

    So here I am. I must be in a coma. Basically, I’m dead.
    The car hit me when it should have been Ted. I gave my life for his. Is that the way to prove that I love him?
    The last thing I’ll ever see is the headlights of the car that hit me, but the last thing I will remember feeling is Ted holding my hand.
    Before the car hit, I had to make a decision. One of us had to live, the other would die. It was either him or me that had to die... Why not me?

    The Ending: Life or Death?

    There’s a light above me, and it’s calling to me. “Come, Angie, come.”
    I don’t want to go! I don’t want to be dead! I want to live to love Ted!
    I feel myself being pulled out, and for the first time, I can see all the people grieving, Mom, Ted and even the police officers standing there. Maybe I should go...
    I rise to the ceiling, looking down. I see Ted, leaning in to kiss me.     “I’ll always love you, Angie,” he says.
    I change my mind. I look up to the light and shake my head. I’d rather be a ghost, then in Heaven, I tell myself.
    Slowly I descend into my body.... Slowly... Slowly...
    I open my eyes and now I see them all.
    “ANGIE!” Ted cries, hugging me.
    “You’re awake!” My mom cries.
    I nod my head. I’m not going anywhere, I say to myself, I’m never leaving again.