Maybe he shouldn't complain, but Joshua Davis thought he had the smallest bit of bad luck in life.
His early years were good enough. Not great, but good enough. Young Joshua had never been a social boy and hadn't really tried to either. He was fine by himself, staying at home with his family and watching TV, be it cartoons or documentaries. Later on, he found books through a relative and his life spiraled into whatever fictional story he could get his hands on. Eventually, he slowly made his way through other mediums until he ended up with fanfictions.
Later on, during high school, Joshua started to realize that maybe living like that hadn't been a good idea. Most of his friends had ended up going to a different school and he found himself having difficulties when attempting to socialize. He would look around and realize that he had no real friends. His own family felt distant to him and his… close acquaintances that went to the same school as him… there was little to say about those. It was disconcerting at first, and then, it slowly developed into sadness.
It was then that his hobbies became so much more. He didn't delve into the stories for entertainment anymore. Now, Joshua did it to escape a lonely existence. Maybe he should have made an effort to make friends, to connect with his family once more. But after so long, Joshua found himself struggling to socialize in any manner. Interacting felt awkward at first, and then his insides started to tie themselves into knots every time he had to talk to someone.
So, he stopped trying and simply continued on with his life. Letting the fictional worlds wrap around him and forgetting his reality.
However, he knew he couldn't keep up like that. And with a new year, he had decided to try harder. He was so tired of being alone that he would withstand any amount of awkwardness if he could grow closer to other people again.
And so, Joshua started easy, with his parents. At first, little comments here and there. Then he started spending time with his father, helping with certain projects. Or cooking with his mother or simply sitting with her to watch some TV series that she liked.
It was progress.
And this was supposed to be the next step. They were going to visit some relatives and he would try to get better there. After that, it would be going up to strangers at college. That would be a challenge, he had thought.
Joshua wouldn't get to face that situation though.
It was simply not to be.
'Why am I thinking about this now of all times?' The younger Davis wondered as he looked around bitterly while blood drops ran their way down his face from where a glass had cut above his eye.
His expression was surprisingly calm when one considered the absolute chaos that surrounded him. But his mind was numb, he realized as he looked dispassionately around.
His parents sat in the front seats. The crash had left them bruised and with little cuts here and there, but otherwise fine. His mother was screaming hysterically, although it reached the young man's ears barely as background noise. His father, meanwhile, was trying uselessly to push his door open, but the impact on his and Joshua's side of the car had rendered that route impossible, not to mention the effect it had on the Joshua's left side.
His eyes moved towards the broken window on his side. He could see several damaged cars outside, some more and some less than his family's. Screams came from some as the people tried to get survivors out of their now metallic prisons.
Joshua felt the strength leave his body along with his blood, idly wondering which of his wounds was bleeding more, his arm or his leg. Maybe he should have shouted for help, screamed his lungs out, asking for someone to help him.
But he didn't.
An even louder scream made him turn towards his mother and notice that she was looking at him or, more specifically, at his injured limbs. His father quickly turned his efforts into turning and lending him a hand, which was made quite difficult by his seat.
A piece of clothing that he couldn't identify was passed towards him and he tried to use it to put some pressure on his wounds with his right hand. It was all for naught though. It quickly turned red and the blood coming out hadn't diminished in the least.
'Doesn't feel like I have much time to be saved…' Joshua mused detachedly as his sight started blurring and the chaos of sounds muted slowly.
He turned his eyes towards his pale and concerned parents. A last look at their faces, through the mist of unconsciousness.
"No!" His father screamed, in a tone that Joshua had never heard from him. "You don't give up on me, son!" He demanded, the blurry sight of him shuffling around trying to reach his son was the only thing Joshua noticed. "You were trying so hard. It won't end like this!"
"No!" His mother screeched, it was painful to hear for the younger man. To listen to his mother scream with such a broken voice. "No, this can't be happening! You'll be alright, you'll be alright," She turned around in her seat as best she could. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
Joshua heard a voice outside the car, it sounded close even if he barely noticed.
His vision shook.
"I love you," He heard his mother repeat in between sobs.
Someone had moved him, apparently.
He hadn't felt it.
"I love you, son," His father breathed out. He seemed to be closer than before. "I'm proud of you."
He could only feel the cold.
His eyes closed.
And then there was only silence.
[}-o-{]
Joshua Davis sat up with a start. He was even more surprised by the fact that he was in a bathtub. Looking down, his eyes widened in horror as he saw the water in it filled with blood. Then, all at once, the memories of the cash came back to him.
Breathing faster than he had ever done in his life, he brought his arm up, out of the water, and stared at it. There was no sign of the piece of twisted metal that had pierced it when a car had hit the door next to him. Instead, there were only thin scars on his wrist.