Somnolent Strike

🚑

I was curled upside down under the dashboard panel. Desperately reaching for a breath, but all I breathed in was filthy smoke. Bright glitter of sunlight on water reflected in the glass buildings and my car windows. Pure radiance; diamond clean shine, headache causing glister. I tried to edge myself backwards, away from the glare of the sun, but the intensity of my pain made me stop. I could barely see, but I could feel the steady rhythm of my own blood dripping from the ends of my hair, trickling onto the car rug. My knees were scraped and I had cuts and scrapes on my arms and legs, but otherwise I didn't see what could be causing the stabbing feeling.

Then I touched my head and my thumb accidentally tugged at the skin near the wound, then in it, blood dripping off of my fingers, into my palms, down my wrists to my elbows and onto the floor in small droplets. The hole in my head seems small compared to the other's injuries. Issa was slumped over onto my seat, the metal handbrake lodged inside her chest almost to the hilt. I looked in the backseat for Winnie. Her face was a crimson mess, one of her arms was twisted in an awkward angle, all askew. 

Somehow I managed to wedge myself forward and the right way around to sit in my seat again. I took a deep breath even though it hurt and opened the car door. 

Slowly I crawled out of the car, limped to the driver's side, cursing as I plucked at Issa's useless body. She was stuck. I knew I had to pull her out so I stepped back, the soles of my best shoes sinking in the mud, and squeezed her shoulders hard.

"Here we go!"

"1...

2...

3!"

I jumped as high as I could, landing on my aching legs. The body barely moved. So I knew I had to stop being gentle. I gathered the hair in a ponytail, kept hold of the shoulder and yanked hard. Progress! Halfway up already. I kept doing that until I heard the squelching noises stop and craned my neck to see I'd freed her body. I quickly dragged her out the car, down the road, wondering whether to get Winnie or not. Maybe not. She didn't deserve what I was about to do to her. 

But Issa did... she was flighty. She hadn't been ready to be with me. She hadn't been ready to live in a proper home either. And it's not like she knew anyone. Even the landlord didn't know what she looked like. She had no family, or close friends, or a boyfriend or a job. No one would miss her except me now. 

And I barely did.  

"What an inconvenience you are, Issa... were." I groaned, my arms hurting from the heaviness of her body. I knew I had to steer clear of people on the street in case they thought the worst. My house wasn't very far away. Only about ten minutes left and we'd be safe.