The Long Way Back

Prologue

Sometimes in life unimaginable things happen. Whether they be for good or for bad we have no control over them.

We can't stop them or force them away, no matter how dearly we wish we could. Bad things happen and we just have to accept that.
But that's definitely easier said than done.

I have to hope that it's true that terrible things happen for a reason. That there's a bigger purpose. They simply happen to put us on a different, better path.

Light always comes out of the darkness, I have to hope that's true.

After all, I have to. For what's the point in living a life without the belief of a better tomorrow? Can you imagine how miserable it would be?

_______
Melanie's POV.

A hellish BANG sounded in my ear, a deathly 'boom' and then completely nothing.
Utter silence. Everywhere around me was in complete darkness, everywhere was in tatters, broken and battered andI could still barely make out most things around me.

I was conscious at least. That was a good thing? Right?

I peered slowly over my shoulder as best I could manage, but everything hurt, everywhere hurt.

The sight that awaited me shook me to the core.

Flames tore up the ground I lay on, raging wild like hellfire.

I was in my car, upside down hanging by my seatbelt as I somewhat lay on the forest floor.

"HELP!" "PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!" I howled.

Barely any noise could be heard. At this point nothing was helping, my voice was that broken it barely came out a cracked whisper.

My heart rate picked up rapidly as panic flooded my body in one monster wave.

It'd been a matter of seconds and sobs wracked my body, I felt useless, I couldn't do anything to help myself. but I had to try.

I willed myself with my entire being to try.

I pulled myself through the window of the wrecked car by my elbows with as much strength as I could muster.

Smoke engulfed me in every direction, I couldn't escape it fast enough.

I covered my face with my t-shirt and as best as I could I pulled my body as far from the car as I could.

My right arm throbbed, I couldn't even feel either of my legs.

To be honest I didn't know if they were even there. I didn't want to remotely consider the possibility.

I had to get out. I was sure the car was gonna blow or something any second. My mind was focused on one thing right now, survival.

My muscles burned as fiercely as the fire engulfing me, but I pushed through the pain, dragging my body further and further from the wreck. I'd given up screaming now, my voice was too broken to muster anything up.

A thousand thoughts ran wild in my brain, so fast it was impossible to pinpoint one.

I was so disoriented and my breathing was so fast I was sure I was hyperventilating.

I didn't notice when my worst nightmare came true.

"BANG!!" An explosion.

I was thrown backwards at an incomprehensible speed, I heard a big thud, I can only assume it was my body hitting something, but I could no longer feel anything.

The last thing I saw was the red of a fire wild enough to rival those of hell with what I could've sworn was a  faint echo of a voice calling my name.
_________
I woke up in my bed thrashing and screaming.

My brother ran in frantically through my door and wrapped my body up in his arms.

"Mellie! Wake up it was just a nightmare, I'm here now, I got you." My brother whispered soothingly in my ear. My body was now cradled in his arms as I clung to him like a panda would a tree.
A nightmare...that's all it was. Yet it still felt so real. Like it had somehow happened before.

Eventually I fell asleep a while later, still silent, rocking back and forth with my brother holding me tightly, like he was trying to piece me back together, like I was broken.
I wasn't. It was just a nightmare, that's all.
Just a nightmare.