Classified ☑

[ chapter 01 ]

The sound of metal clanking against metal filled my ears as the world around me spun in circles. Glass shattered everywhere, slicing into my skin. Black smoke filled the air around us as my hair hung around my face, making it even harder to see anything.

A ringing sensation filled my ears as I lifted my hand to my face, feeling a warm liquid run down my forehead and into my hair. Sure enough it was blood on my face.

I tried to speak, but nothing came out. My airway was cut off from the seat belt digging into my lungs. But the seat belt was also the only thing keeping me from falling face first onto the roof of the car.

The man next to me, my father, hung upside down in the driver's seat with blood dripping down from his ear. A giant gash covered his forehead. He was barely moving.

"Dad," I wheezed, feeling the hoarseness in my voice as it strained to be louder.

A pop sounded as metal broke free from the backend of the SUV, startling me. I bit my bottom lip, refusing to let myself cry at the situation my dad and I were in.

I tried to prod him but my limbs felt weak and heavy, preventing me from moving very much. My fingers fiddled with the buckle, trying to release the pressure that was still crushing into my abdomen and chest.

Coughing sounded beside me and my dad started to move, causing relief to wash through me. His hazel eyes looked over at me but quickly vanished as he started coughing again, this time blood started to come out, splattering onto the broken windshield.

"Dad," I whispered as tears threatened to roll down my face. I wanted to cry so badly, but he'd taught me to be strong.

He lifted his arm slowly, reaching over towards me. "Babygirl, are you alright?" Blood covered his teeth as he spoke. The color in his skin was fading quickly.

I nodded my head as I mashed my lips together, again trying my best not to cry. The sight of my dad scared me. "Are you okay?"

He glanced at me and then towards his open window. I could see him looking at the street we'd just rolled from.

Someone had been chasing us down the open road. Eventually they caught up to us  and jammed the side of their car into ours. My dad slammed on the breaks but he didn't foresee the pothole in front of us, causing us to flip.

I had no clue who it was or why they were doing it, but from my dad's response when he saw them, I had a feeling he knew who they were and why they were after him.

"What's going on?"

He looked over at me as his eyes started to dull. "When you make it out of this, you're going to go live with your Uncle Thomas. He's going to take care of you," he said quickly, ignoring my question.

"Dad," I pleaded, gripping the side of my seat.

For the first time ever I saw tears well up in his eyes. And suddenly he was crying, showing an emotion I've never seen from him before.

I couldn't hold it in anymore, releasing my own tears.

He reached his hand towards mine. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it as hard as I could, never wanting to let go.

"Baby, I'm not going to make it out of this." The grip he had on my hand started to loosen.

"Don't say that," I sobbed as tears blurred my vision of him.

"Nina, I love you."

"I love you too, dad."

Through my tears I could see he was smiling ever so slightly.