When Lightning Strikes

When Lightning Strikes: Chapter 25

Even in death she still looked glorious. Her dark locks fanned out around her face and her skin was a translucent white. Unnaturally pale. Bright crimson blood seeped through her crisp white blouse, revealing how serious the injuries were. Tragically beautiful, yet lifeless. The sight chilled me to the bone.

Tears blurred my vision as I dropped to my knees and clung onto Aubrey, praying that she’d stay with me. She couldn’t leave me now. She just couldn’t. My mind rejected the possibility that she was dying.

Distantly, I could hear the urgent pleas of a person asking for the ambulance. Shocked screams of horrified people rang throughout the street and whispers of the gossiping onlookers echoed through the crowd.

“She’s dead … she’s dead ….”

I wanted to scream at them. She wasn’t dead! She had a whole life ahead of her! She was going to be married!

Shakily, my fingers found her neck. Her pulse was low, too low. A normal one was between sixty to one hundred per minute and Aubrey’s was about thirty. My heart was pounding hard.

“Gracie!” Through my muddled mind, I heard Ruby’s familiar shriek over the crowd. “Oh my god! Oh my god! Aubrey!”

My breathing became heavier and my chest heaved to accommodate the sobs coming. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t move.

Ruby’s small fingers yanked at my wrist. “Gracie … we have to move away. The ambulance is here.”

I shook my head frantically. They couldn’t separate me from my own sister. “No, I’m staying by her side! Don’t make me leave her,” I pleaded helplessly.

“Please ma’am, we need to have this woman moved into the ambulance straight away.” My face turned up to see a paramedic in navy blue looming over me. His face was void of any emotion, but his eyes held a small amount of pity. “If you could please move …”

I looked back at Aubrey, who was motionless and bleeding to death on the cold concrete. He was right. She needed to go to hospital straight away. “I want to come as well,” I whispered hoarsely.

“Of course.”

Ruby helped pull me up from the ground so the paramedic could get to work. I watched, horrified as they lifted her frail body onto a stretcher and wheeled her over to the ambulance. Meanwhile, the man who had been driving was sitting on the ground holding his head, which held a nasty gash. A few other cuts due to the smashed glass glowed on his arm. Other than that, he seemed perfectly fine.

My eyes burned. Why was my sister the one who was near death? Why hadn’t it been him? He had been the one handling the car. He had been speeding. He was the careless one. He should be the one in the ambulance.

“Gracie, listen: you’re going to be ok,” Ruby said firmly. She had both of her hands on my shoulders, trying to get me to look her in the eyes. Usually she was so delicate. Right now, she was being the tough one. Inside, I was grateful for that. “You’re going to get in that ambulance, sit with Aubrey and help her through this. You’re strong, G.”

I gulped as the paramedic called me over.

Before leaving, I told Ruby, “Call my parents.” At the last second, I added, “And Jason too.”

With that, I stumbled my way over to the ambulance and clambered in. When the door closed shut, my anxiety amplified. I was stuck in this small cramped space, watching as someone tried to save my sister’s life. Although I wanted to be with Aubrey, everything was making me become restless.