n o i t n e v e r P r e v e n t i o n

Two, Six, Twelve, Fifteen, Sixteen, Twenty Two, Forty Nine.

Day (negative) One

I hear a phone ringing. I wake up, I'm in bed. Still don't remember anything, except for what I learned from my student card. My name is David, I am a high school student at Simon Haig High School. I am perfectly healthy, nothing broken; but I remember dying. It wasn't a long drawn out affair. There is no doubt in my mind that a car ran me over, and there was no way I survived.

This room is a mess. Clothes everywhere. I am wearing boxers. I can hear someone walking towards the room.　Someone knocks on my door.

A woman calls through the door

"Adam, it's Dave on the phone, be quick, we gotta go soon."

I look around the room for a phone. I follow a phone cord from the wall, and find a phone buried under clothes

"Hello?"

"Hey man, I'm sorry I can't be there this morning. You're moms taking you to the doctor for some brain scan results. You told me they wont find anything wrong with you. I'm sorry I can't tell you any more. I'll see you when you get to school. Don't tell anyone about being hit by a car. Oh everyone at school thinks you are Dave Thompson, but your name is actually Adam Renner. Bye!"

I hang up the phone and decide I better confront whatever confusion awaits me. Check the drawers for some clothes, there are few options. I get dressed it the dim room.

When I get downstairs I realize I'm wearing exactly the same clothes I wore when I was hit by the car, but they are the only clean clothes I could find. There is a woman pacing about the kitchen.

"Adam you wont believe it but someone vandalized your fathers car; slashed the tires, and did something to his engine. The police were here this morning. They wanted to wake you, and ask if you knew anything about it. I told them about the 'difficulties' you've been having lately. Do you remember where we are going today?"

"Um, yeah, the brain doctor to get my results."

"That's right. So eat up, we need to get there by 11:00."

I finish breakfast and we leave the house. It's a two story house, moderate size, in a suburban area. Narrow driveway, garage in the back. Small front yard.

As we walk, I realize that I am in the same neighbourhood where the accident happened. I must have been several blocks away from my home. The streets are wide and lined on either side with trees. As we walk I realize we are getting closer to a main street. There is much more traffic. She stops near a sign next to the road. My heart is racing; cars are streaking by and all I can think of is that car barreling towards me. My mum notices my tenseness but misjudges its cause.

"Don't worry honey, whatever we learn won't change anything."

"Yeah, it won't change anything." I echo.

A bus arrives. She gets on, drops some change into the collectors box. She looks at me.