Joel's voice cracked, raw with horror. He dropped to his knees, shaking violently, gasping for air.
"Oh fuck… oh fuck… this can't be real…" I whispered to myself, shaking, my hands trembling so badly I could barely steady them. My chest felt tight, as if someone had clenched a fist around it.
From behind, Vanz's voice cut through the chaos, Vanz rushed in to see the scene for himself, His gaze flickered between the wreckage and us, tension coiled in his broad shoulders. There was fear there too, sharp, unyielding, but he tried to keep it contained. "ohhhhh this is bad news this is really bad, they are dead both of them …. Now what do we do?"
I sank to the ground, my knees scraping against the dirt, my voice barely audible. "I… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry… sorry… sry… srrrrr…"
Joel was already on the floor, shock and grief twisting his face, in a state of denial.
A few minutes passed as we processed what just happened and how it happened, I was sobbing uncontrollably while Joel was sitting there on the ground dumbfounded, frustrated. Vanzz stood there trying to keep up his composure but he was visibly shaken as well.
Vanz then lits up a cigarette assessing the situation, his gaze shifted between the wreckage, me and Joel finally looking up at the sky as he took the last drag of the cigarette, he then knelt beside us, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "Let's relax, Ducce, Joel… what's done is done. We need to think. We need to figure out what to do before this spirals. Especially you, Ducce." His voice was steady, commanding calm I didn't feel.
Joel's sudden movement startled me. He grabbed my collar, shaking me so hard I could barely breathe. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, DUCCE! YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THE FALL FOR THIS, VANZZ AND I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"
I froze, my mind scrambling. "W-WHAT? SERIOUSLY? WASN'T IT YOU WHO CALLED ME ? IT WAS YOUR IDEA TO DRINK AND DRIVE, HOW IS IT MY FAULT? IT WAS THE OTHER DRIVERS FAULT, HIS HEADLIGHT BLINDED ME, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME IF YOU WERE DRIVING"
Vanz stepped in between us his massive frame a wall against the chaos. "Both of you, calm down. Stop this."
Joel took a step back and turned the other way, buried his face in his hands, gripping the back of his head in frustration. "No no no, why did this had to happen, everything was going fine, we can't escape from this, our life is over"
Vanz pressed a hand to the back of his neck, jaw tight, eyes darting between us. "Joel, calm down. We can still fix this. It is absolutely crucial that we stay calm right now," he said, voice steady, but every word carrying the weight of the panic he refused to show
Joel stepped closer, fury radiating off him before he even spoke. "Listen, Ducce. Here's what happened. You asked for my car because you were heartbroken over Thea. You wanted to drink, drive, clear your head… and boom. You crashed."
I felt a hot surge of anger mixed with fear. "Seriously??? It could've been any of us! We were all hammered! This isn't fair! Fuck you, Joel… you fucking snake!"
His laugh was sharp, cruel. "Yeah? And you? A little virgin, running from everything because you're a pussy. You thought Thea would ever date someone like you? Don't make me laugh."
Something snapped inside me. Rage, fear, guilt, all tangled into a sharp edge. I lunged, swinging at him, my fist connecting with his nose. The thud of impact made my stomach drop. Joel staggered, bleeding, eyes wide with fury, and shoved me hard. We collided with the dirt, rolling, fists flailing. Shouts ripped from both of us, voices cracking with adrenaline and panic.
Vanz's deep voice cut through the chaos again, louder this time. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! BOTH OF YOU! THIS ISN'T HELPING!" He grabbed my shoulder, and pulled me away, shifting me to the other side, forcing us apart. My chest heaved, every breath sharp. Joel scrambled back to the car, hands over his face, muttering in disbelief. I sank to the ground, trembling, staring blankly at the forest around us.
Vanz moved toward the wreck, scanning the twisted metal and gored bodies. I followed with my eyes but couldn't look too long; nausea coiled in my stomach. When he crouched near the debris, he noticed something odd: a container, strange and glowing faintly. His curiosity piqued, he tried to open it, but it refused to budge.
Heavy, yet light, perfectly sealed. He searched briefly for anything identifying the people in the car, finding nothing, before returning to our vehicle and placing the container carefully on the trunk.
He turned toward Joel. "You alright, Joel?"
Joel exhaled slowly, trying to compose himself. "No… but I'm calmer now. Can you… tell Ducce I'm sorry for what I said earlier? I… I just got overwhelmed."
Vanz nodded. "It's fine, man. I'll handle it. You rest for a bit. Soon, we'll figure out the next steps."
Joel slumped back, eyes closing, surrendering to exhaustion.
Vanz shifted toward me, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder, warmth and steadiness amidst the storm of my thoughts. "You okay, Ducce?" His tone was gentle "I'm sorry I should have step in sooner. You know Joel, he doesn't always mean what he says in the heat of anger. He says he is sorry, I hope you can forgive him. We'll get through this… together. But we need to focus."
I bowed my head, chest tight, relief and fear mingling in a nauseating swirl. "Yeah… yeah, you're right."
Vanz let out a slow breath, smiling faintly, a flicker of nostalgia softening his features. "Remember when we were kids? Stealing snacks down the street while James distracted the shop owner… and that one time Joel… well, you remember how he pulled down his pants to distract the shop owner, so we could escape." He chuckled. "Those were the days."
I smiled faintly, Memories surfaced like old photographs pulled from a drawer "Ahahaha… yeah. Those were really the days. Funny how fast time goes." Vanzz smiled and nodded in agreement, as we sat there looking at the sky remembering the old days and longing to escape from this nightmare.
Vanz glanced at the wreck again. "We need to do something about Joel's car or it will lead the investigation to us"
I shook my head, uncertainty gnawing at me. "Yeah… but what about that car and the people inside..... I hope their last moment was quick and painless, I hope their family recovers from this, maybe this is it for me, whatever is coming, I deserve it."