Erica Clifford - Completed

Forty nine

I can't sleep.

Are you up? 
If not I'm just going to go to the studio and work on some of your album.  

I sighed. Still no response to my texts, it was 4am though. I'd really tried to sleep I swear. 

I had gone home with Levi Friday night after the party. But now it was Sunday morning and I was pacing my bedroom, eager to start the day so I could see him again. Yesterday was dad's actual birthday so I had to come home for that, Lee had brought me home when we woke up and he'd stayed for the day, going home at like 9pm. He got on with everyone so well. I knew he was the right decision. 

Text me when you're up and I'll come over. 

I grabbed my bag from the floor, pulling it over my shoulder and quietly creeping through the hallway and out the locked front door, getting into my car and taking off slowly. I was happy with the silence this morning. 

I didn't feel like I needed to drown out my thoughts because they were swamped with positivity, Levi's face as we sung together, The sweat dripping down my forehead as he kissed me in front of that many people. I don't know how I held it together in that moment. I could have cried with how beautiful it felt. 

I pulled out of the drive and started down the country roads. These turns felt a little sharper tonight. Maybe I should slow down. I pushed on the brake and got no response from the car. 

Shit. 

Fuck. 

What do I do. My brakes are failing. Fuck. I grabbed my phone, not taking my eyes off the wheel.  was driving pretty fast too, not over the speed limit. But down here that was 50.  

"999, what's your emergency?" 

"My- um- my brakes. I'm driving but my brakes aren't working I can't slow down."

"Okay sweetie. What's your name and where are you?" I told the lady my name, she was much too calm for this. "Okay Erica. I need you to stay calm okay? I know this is scary but we're going to try work it out together okay?" 

"Okay." I took a Shakey breathe, trying to ease my shaking. 

"What speed are you at right now?"

"49." 

"Okay good. I'm just pulling up on maps to see what we can do. Just breathe for me. You've done the right thing calling. How old are you Erica?"

"23." 

"And what were you doing out at this time, it's early for a sunday." The lady was trying to keep me calm with small talk. 

"Um- I couldn't sleep. I was going to drive to my boyfriends but he's asleep so I was going to go to work. I work with my dad. Clifford Industries, the big music company." I was rambling. 

"Oh, that sounds fun. I thought I recognised your name. Okay Erica looking at the maps there's a slow gradual right hand turn coming I need you to ease it okay? Don't put your foot on anything under you. Just focus on gently turning. Let me know when you're back on the straight. I'm just going to mute myself a second whilst I get you some extra help." I looked ahead and could see the turn she meant. I'd gone down there to get to Jason's hundreds of times. 

Jason.

Of fucking course. He promised to kill me. He wouldn't want it to be obvious. Break problems happen all the time. What better way to take me out. God If I die because of him, his arse is getting haunted for eternity.

"Okay Erica. I'm back. How you holding up?" 

"It was Jason. Jason Hearst." 

"What was Jason Erica?" 

"He promised to kill me. He told me if I couldn't be his I couldn't be anyone's and he promised to kill me. He was at my work thing on Friday and he saw I hadn't split with Levi. He'll have cut my breaks yesterday whilst we were all occupied in the house." 

"Erica-" 

"No. It was him okay. I need someone to know that, if I die today at his hands I want it on record that I told you. He abused me, beat me the full thing. The last time he hurt me was like 2 weeks ago in a club in town, he dragged me into the back and pinned me against the wall so hard I've still got bruises on my hips. My dad has pictures of them the day after it happened and they can all back it up. You'll see us on the CCTV. Back in the club when I walked away, that's when he told me he'd kill me." 

"You're going to be okay Erica. What speed are you at right now?" 

"63." Shit. How had I sped up? "I don't think I pressed the accelerator I swear." I was crying now. I was so scared. 

"Stay with me Erica. We've got a whole host of people not far away okay but right now I need you to do something really scary okay?" She paused. "Are you wearing your seatbelt?" 

"Yeah." 

"Good. Pull it tight for me." I did as she said. "And I need you to put your phone in your pocket or bra, just on your person. I need them to be able to get into your phone after this. What's your code?" 

"7693." Why was I telling her this. Why would she need to get into my phone. 

"Okay and is your dad saved in your phone under dad?" I swallowed god I wasn't going to be able to call him myself was I?

"Yeah. wh-" 

"I need you to flip the car Erica. There's a row of hedges coming up in a couple hundred feet. That's where you need to flip the car okay? It's either that or you crash into the houses coming up and there's 0 chances of you surviving that. With this there is." 

"What chance?" 

"Erica-" 

"What chance. High?" 

"About 40%." I breathed. Okay. I mean I didn't have another choice really did I?