Flame (A Niall Horan FanFiction)

Chapter One

It didn't take a month, nor a week, nor even an hour of the day to make my world go crashing down. The time it took? Less than a minute. A phone call consisting of exactly 46 seconds was all it took for me to crumble into bits and pieces. Bits that could not be able to be glued back. Pieces that weren't made to fit the puzzle anymore. What did the phone call say precisely?

"Erin Halder, we are dearly sorry to inform you about your family. They died as a result of the car crash heading upwards highway 66. For more information, please head to the nearest emergency hospital."

No emotion, no sympathy was given through the voice on the phone. I broke down in tears, sobs being heard from a mile away. And the worst thing? No one was there to comfort me anymore.

After half an hour of whimpering like a lost puppy, I washed my face and headed out the door. Driving through the roads were a struggle, considering the tears that kept forming in my eyes. When I made it to the airport there was nothing visible anymore. Everything was just a big blur.

I pushed myself out of the drivers seat and walked through the main doors of the hospital.

Inside was a rush. There were nurses and doctors dressed in robes running everywhere. I walked to the receptionist and regained my voice.

"Hello there! And who are you going to visit today?" She said with a fake smile.

"Shane and Denise Halder please," I replied. She nodded and looked at the screen in front of her. After typing in a few letters, her face turned sympathetic and she looked up.

"They are in room 218. Just take the elevator to floor 2 turn left and you'll be able to find them from then on. I'm very sorry for your loss," she said with pity.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry as well," I scoffed. I didn't want anyone's pity. I didn't anyone to think lowly of me because of my parents' loss. Maybe it was the sudden mood swing, but I felt angry. I felt mad at my parents for leaving me. How could they have done this to me? A week before my 18th birthday. Then I remembered why they were on that highway in the first place. They were driving to get my cake. The pang of guilt hit me, but I swatted it away.

Walking through the hall after getting out of the elevator, I finally found the room number 218. I stared at the three letters engraved on the metal and braced myself for what was to come.

After a few seconds of breathing, I turned the knob and walked in.

Inside were two beds, each had bodies covered with a blue plastic wrap. I bit my quivering lip and zipped down the wrap.

The emotion rushed back quicker than I thought. Within seconds, I was on my knees, my hands covering my face. I just saw my parents, to whom cared me for 17 years, now dead and lifeless on a hospital bed.

I let the tears betray me, angrily wiping away each and every tear. As I hugged my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth, the door opened. I turned my tear stained face to the man who was stood in front of me.

"I'm very sorry for your loss. Erin Halder, right?" I nodded, finding no urge to speak. "Your parents were involved in one of the most biggest car accidents in Calgary's history. They were on route highway 66, as well as the other patients who have passed. A train was making its way along highway 47, which was to the left of the road your parents were on. The headlights had a slight malfunction, and that lead to the disastrous crash. The train crashed into the car in front, and your parents got distracted. They crashed into a car overhead and... Well... The rest happens... Over 10 cars were impacted, and more than 40 people suffered. Most died. We took a look at your documents, and it looks like your 18th birthday will occur next Sunday, so that means you will be a legal adult. The papers will be given to you at your door tomorrow, but until now, sit tight, it's gonna be one hell of a ride," he informed me, he didn't seem to be overwhelmed by the number of deaths. He must've been used to numerous accidents.