Route 262

~12~

The cop catches me, and I come to in a couple moments. He's holding a water bottle to my lips, and he says "Drink this." I take a few sips, and somehow I feel like it's a little bit easier to breathe.

The thought of James' car washes over me in waves, and it makes me feel nauseous. My first thought is nothing; my mind in complete fragments, torn from shock.

My second thought is Sydney, and how is she going to react.

"His car was found totaled?" I say weakly.

The cop nods. "It was smashed up in the grove of trees. We haven't been able to find any traces of him inside the car yet... but it seems like he must be in there somewhere."

He takes a deep breath. "We're fairly certain that he's dead."

And even though I pretty much expected this from the moment he talked about the car, when he says this, when he makes this final, it starts a whole set of spasms down my body, and I can't stop shaking from the adrenaline rushing through me.

"Do you want to come down to the station? Or I can get your parents..." he says, trying his best to speak sympathetically. A glimpse of empathy runs through me for a moment; it must suck to have to do his job and tell people that their loved ones have died.

I almost say yes, but the thought of Sydney comes to me, and somehow I need to be the one to tell her, she can't hear it from a police officer - it'll break her.

So I tell the cop thank you, but if it's okay I just want to go lie down for awhile. He nods, and he looks a little bit relieved honestly. Within a minute, he's back in his car, and he's pulling out of my driveway.

Three minutes later, I'm on the road.