Little Pebble [ON HOLD]

1

Little Pebble
Chapter One: Daisy
Dedicated to my sister, Wei
____________________

Blood, in my sight.

A bus, overturned.

Lia, motionless lying a few metres away from me on the road.

People, taking pictures.

Acute pain could be felt in and out of my skin. Sweat sliding down my forehead, drip by drip as it hit the ground. I realized it may not be sweat but blood. Blurry view covering my eyes, I couldn't register any clear image. Besides, my eyes could barely open.

"Support her head, quickly move her into the ambulance!"

"Sir, report back to me."

"The other victim might not make it, the impact was too great."

"The passengers in the bus?"

"Only the infant survived."

My mind wondered countless questions as the reports flowed in my ears. Thoughts about what exactly happened, where I am or why am I even here in the ambulance. How did I end up on the road with these red stains covering my clothes?

It took a while for me to recall everything.

Thoughts never distracted me from feeling the numbness of my limbs. The sore was sharp and deep to the level that my tears aren't willing to escape my eyes. I couldn't cry out my suffering right now no matter how much I wanted to. Pain itself had worn me out.

"Sir," the walkie talkie sounded. "The other victim, we couldn't save her."

That means she's dead, isn't it?

Salty liquids started rolling down my cheeks when the news came in. That girl's death ached my heart so much. Sadness conquered me completely. Every part of this was foreign to me like the fire meeting the candle for the first time. These events happened too fast, too horrifying and too sudden.

I regret it so much.

♧

"...investigation. It was a hit-and-run case and this is one of the major cases recorded in Stone. This road accident had killed nineteen citizens and injured two..."

Hearing such news never sent me chills before.

"Eighteen passengers in the bus and a teenager from Crystal High School died. Another Crystal High School student survived after being hit by the car and a four months old infant in the bus was found alive in his parents' arms..."

Blink. My eyes were getting teary as I woke up with a bandage on my head. I must've travelled to the clouds now, everything is white. My vision slowly adjusted to a clearer sight and my pupil wondered from east to west. "Du-Du-Du-" The electrocardiogram analyzing.

"...continue the investigation. A witness was about to give his testimony but was found dead in the lake. There are many lakes in town and the witness chose to drown in the lake near his village..."

Unbelievable.

"...witness was suffering from depression. His family stated that he had mentioned suicide several times before he went out to the water..."

I needed to sit up.

"...suicide case may be settled. The police are still tracking down the driver who is believed to be drunk..."

I made a movement. "Du........" At once the electrocardiogram goes on a long and sharp beep. The beam on the screen before went up and down, now it's going flat and straight. I died because I moved. Did it make sense? All I wanted to do was to sit up and death was my punishment for that.