UNFORGIVEN (FORSAKEN #1)

the past (i)

I'll never forget the day it happened. I was only 17 when my world turned upside down.

When I think back on it, I'm still not entirely sure why I was so adamant about going to the Sadame Carnival downtown. Maybe it was the thrill of the rides or the excitement of being surrounded by so many people having fun. But regardless of the reason, I knew that I had to be there. Everyone was going - classmates, teachers, even some of our neighbours - and I didn't want to be the only one left out.

It was a tough sell, but I was determined to get my parents to take me. I begged and pleaded with them, explaining how much it would mean to me to have just one night where we could all have fun together. It wasn't easy - my parents were both working long hours and didn't have a lot of free time - but I refused to give up. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of begging, they agreed.

And it was worth it. The moment we arrived at the carnival, I felt a rush of excitement and anticipation. The lights were bright, the music was loud, and there were people everywhere. We spent hours riding the roller coasters, playing games, and eating all kinds of junk food. Despite how many people I recognized from school, I didn't feel left out or jealous. I was glad that I was there with my parents instead. It was the best night of my life.

Everything fell apart on the drive back home. Dad answered a work call, which made Mom really angry. They started arguing and it felt like there was no way to stop them. Mom kept shouting that it was supposed to be "our night," but Dad didn't seem to get it. The once-happy atmosphere was gone, replaced by a heavy sense of tension. They bickered like they always did at home, with Mom complaining that Dad was letting work take over his life. She works just as hard, but she doesn't let it ruin everything else.

Suddenly, I felt something snap inside me. I'm not sure why, but I found myself joining in on their argument. I raised my voice, upset that they had started fighting. But it was like nobody was listening to anyone else. All of our voices were overlapping, and it was impossible to make sense of anything.

We were all so caught up in the argument about who was right and who was wrong that we didn't even see the car speeding towards us. I yelled out to Dad, and he swerved the car to the other side just in time. But it was too late. We all screamed as the car flipped over and crashed right in the middle of the road.

My vision was hazy, my hearing was muffled, and my body was wracked with pain. I felt something warm trickling down the side of my head and reached up to touch it. When I saw that it was blood, I couldn't tell if it was mine or not. Somehow, I managed to escape through the broken window on my side, but the glass cut into my skin as I did. I stumbled away from the wreckage, but my arms gave out and I collapsed onto the ground. The next thing I knew, I had passed out.

I woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded by doctors and nurses who were telling me how lucky I was to have survived the car accident. When I asked about my parents, they shared a look of sadness and told me that, unfortunately, they hadn't made it. The car exploded before anyone could save them. The news hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I was drowning in guilt. If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't have been there. They wouldn't have died. The weight of their loss was crushing, and I couldn't escape the thought that it should have been me instead.