Complicated People, Complicated Love

Headlights

Maya

"Ava! Listen to me," I guide her quickly to the end of the bridge and sit her down on a rock off the road. "I'll be right back, whatever you do, stay here and if anyone comes by, ask them for help. Okay?" She nods. Her eyes are drooping but I can't stay with her to make sure she's completely okay, I have to help. "And stay awake!" I yell over my shoulder as I run to the broken car.

The telephone pole wire is still sending out bright sparks and the exposed wires are inches from the wet asphalt. Even I know this is extremely dangerous. I jump over the wire and just a few feet from it is the car. I see a blonde woman laying down at the wheel.

"Hey!" I shout kneeling down in front of her. The sunroof is completely smashed open, making it easy for me to reach her. I shake her but she doesn't seem to be waking. I check her pulse and she's alive, and luckily she doesn't seem to be hurt. "Hey!" I yell louder into her ear. Her eyes burst open and she inhales deeply.

"Maya!" I look into the back seat and see a boy, struggling with his seat belt. "Maya," I cries again.

"Auggie!?" He makes a crying noise and tugs at the seatbelt again.

"Ava!" The woman yells and tries to sit up.

"It's okay," I say gently. I unbuckle her easily but she can't fit through the window. "Ava's safe," she still looks panicked.

"She's my daughter," she says. I nod, now understanding her insistency.

"Okay, here's what's gonna happen, do you have a crowbar?" She nods and points to the trunk of the car.

"It'll be fine Auggie," I say before I run to the trunk and force it open. I grab a crowbar sitting next to empty soda bottles and run back. I place it under the cracked windshield's border.

"Cover yourself a best you can." I say. She cowers into a ball, covering her head. I pull the bar and the whole windshield falls down, still in one piece, providing an opening. I help the woman out, slowly. "Ava's right over there to the right, keep her awake and try to get help," I point to where Ava is and the woman immediately starts running.

I hear another whimper from Auggie and I run back to the trunk where there is a direct path to him, I walk through the space that would usually be above your head when you sit down.

"Hey buddy," I say, sitting down next to him. He's managed to maneuver himself enough so that he's not sitting totally sideways.

"I'm scared Maya," he says. I fiddle with the seatbelt latch but it's stuck. I push and push on it but it won't budge. My fingers ache as I try to rip the seatbelt with my bear hands. "Here," Auggie says, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a Swiss Army Knife. "There aren't scissors in this one but it has a knife. My mom won't let me use it unless I'm with my boy scout leader,"

I pull out the knife, it's small, only maybe three inches. I start to cut at the seatbelt. This is going to take a long time, I need to distract Auggie.

"So how is Boy Scouts going? Learned to build a fire yet?" I work the knife but hardly any of the seatbelt has given in.

"Yeah!" He says excitedly. "And I learned a how to do bird calls," My eyes drift over to the wire. The sparks seeming to get closer.

. . .

After ten minutes I'm almost half way through the seatbelt when I see lights. I jerk my head to the front of the car and peer through the open windshield space. They're headlights. I see the door of the car open and a figure gets out. "Maya!," it yells. A flashlight is aimed at me and I scoot to the drivers seat to get a better look. It's Lucas, of course it's Lucas, it's always Lucas. I rest my head on the seat, I can feel relief run through my whole body.

I try to look at his face the best I can but its hard to see through the heavy rain. He's standing there, he steps forward, coming to me, but suddenly he stops. Both his arms fly up in the air and he he waves them frantically.

"Stop! No! Stop!" He yells. I turn around and see another pair of headlights. I turn back to Lucas and brace myself for the impact of the car. "Lucas!" I scream.

I feel a jolt and hear a cracking and then the car is moving. It's moving fast, it's falling! Another jolt shakes through me and the car fills with water.

. . .

Lucas

"No!" I yell as the bridge barrier brakes and the car containing the woman I love falls. Still holding my flashlight I run. The railing is coming at me fast and right before it collides with my legs I jump. Water surrounds me, still warm from the earlier heat. My feet his the bottom and when I stand up I can still touch the bottom. I see the car easily, it's not on its side anymore, it's right side up.

I swim towards it, as fast as I possibly can while holding a flashlight. I easily see the brightness of Maya's hair as I come closer. I slide onto the barely visible hood of the car and jump straight through the windshield opening and land right beside Maya.

"Are you okay?" I immediately ask, pulling her to me.

"Lucas!" I hear from the backseat.

"Auggie?" He looks stuck, he keeps tugging on his seatbelt. "It'll be okay Buddy," I quickly say impulsively to ease him.

"I'm fine, but I think my leg's stuck," Maya says. She pulls her right leg but it's not budging from underneath the steering wheel.