One and Only ( Scomiche ) - #Wattys2016

6.47pm

A/: I hate to do notes at the beginning of a story but it seems needed. So, yep, I'm starting a new book. I've been working on this idea for a few months now - it seems like forever, to be honest - and I was very eager to get it going. I finally have the time now, since NEUY is almost done, so here it is.

I don't know what to really say since this is just the prologue, I hope you will like how this will go, even if you'll probably be very confused.

See you #soon. - Lia

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6.31pm.

A song was playing on the radio, the continual beat somehow enough to fill the car and give her comfort, although the pouring rain was making it hard to understand anything more than a couple of words now and then. Shannon kept her hands firmly on the steering wheel, her dark eyes focused on the wet road where lights were reflecting. She was tired, yet a smile was drawn on her thin lips, a peaceful look on her face. She risked taking her eyes off the road for just a second, enough to look at the sleeping baby in the rearview mirror, cuddled up in the baby seat with a blanket thrown over him.

She shivered, the air creeping through the car making her hate the cold that had suddenly enveloped the city. It wasn't often that it would rain and the temperature would drop, so when she had seen the grey clouds that morning she hadn't thought to wear something warmer than a simple shirt - she was smart when it came to her son, but never enough for herself. Never had been. She couldn't wait to be home and lie on her bed, finally having some time for herself - without worrying about work to do, bills to pay, and a son to take care of. That was, of course, if the baby would keep on sleeping like he was doing at the moment.

She was so focused on her daydream that her brain barely registered the lightning that brightened up the turning dark sky, almost blinding her - and a couple of seconds later, a thunder roared, shaking the car and making her jump in her seat. It seemed like everything was still for a moment - no sounds, no movements - and then the rain filled her ears once again. She released the breath that she hadn't noticed she was holding, her heart beating fast in her chest, so fast that she could hear it.

And then she heard her son cry, awoken by the unexpected loud sound. He was thrashing on the baby seat, kicking the blanket with his little feet, shaking so hard that he had knocked over the plushie that was on his lap. His sobs were scared and heartbreaking, and she wished there was enough room on the street so she could pull over and calm him down - but there wasn't, and she couldn't risk it, not when it was so dark and with such a bad weather.

"Sssh, sssh, come on, mama's here, it's okay baby, shhh." She said in the most soothing voice she could manage, her eyes darting from the road to the rearview mirror. He didn't seem to hear her, his crying too loud to let him listen to anything else.

She lowered the volume of the radio, and raised her voice slightly - not too much to scare him even further, but enough to maybe calm him down. "I'm here baby, it's alright, just a boom. Just a bad, bad boom." She focused her gaze back on the road, her eyes scanning it carefully, making sure that it was clear of any cars before turning slightly on her seat so that the baby could see her face. "See, mama's here. Come on Ja-"

Shannon saw the flashing lights in the corner of her eyes before she heard the honks. She turned quickly, tightening the grip on the wheel before steering, but it was pointless, and her scream of fear was louder than the deafening sound of metal against metal.

----

11.53pm

Mitch grabbed the remote and turned on the tv, mindlessly looking at the screen while he switched from channel to channel, trying to find something even remotely interesting. He raised his eyebrows in interest as he found a show that he knew, and decided that he could settle for it. He threw the remote on the couch before lying on it, uncaring of the expensive shirt and pants that he was still wearing.