Five Years Ago.
As a nine year old, nothing could be more painful than losing both parents at once.
Well, I lost mine.
It was the night of my graduation from elementary school. We were driving home from school when a truck crashed into our car. It somersaulted several times before it finally stopped.
By the time the car stopped, I fell unconscious.
"Oh, she is awake", I heard a voice say. I could not exactly place it but I knew it was familiar.
"Crystabel", someone called my name. I blinked several times until I finally recognized who was there. He was family.
"Uncle Shawn", I whispered, my voice coming out croaky. I realized I could barely talk.
"Oh my dear, do not say anything", Uncle Shawn said as he sat beside me on the gigantic hospital bed.
"Here, have this", he said as he gave me water to soothe my burning throat.
"Thank you", I murmured, returning the cup to him.
I looked around the room and realized I was in the hospital and the people I wanted to see were not there.
Why was Uncle Shawn here and not my parents?
There was a knock on the door. It opened gently and a man in a white coat walked in. I recognized him as the doctor.
"How do you feel?" the doctor asked.
"Horrible. It feels like a metal gong is being played in my head. It keeps ringing and my body is paining me", I managed to say without breaking a sweat.
"Alright, I will prescribe some drugs to help relieve the pain. You will be fine soon. And I am sorry for your loss." The doctor said the last sentence quietly and then turned to leave.
My loss, I thought. What have I lost?
Before I could ask him to clarify, he was already gone.
I turned to Uncle Shawn, my father's friend.
"What loss, Uncle Shawn? Where are my parents?" I asked.
His head bowed immediately. His lips trembled as he tried to speak.
"Your parents, they..." He could not complete the sentence.
Fear gripped my heart. It wrapped itself around my chest until it was hard to breathe. It was as if I already knew what had happened without anyone telling me.
I did not want to believe the thought that entered my mind. So I asked again, my voice shaking.
"Where are my parents? Are they fine?"
Uncle Shawn did not answer. He just looked at me with pity in his eyes.
Suddenly, memories from the accident flashed through my mind. The loud crash, the scream, the spinning, the darkness. I blinked repeatedly, refusing to accept what I remembered.
"No. No. They survived. They could not have died", I said, shaking my head. "No way."
"Crystabel, in moments like this, you have to be strong", Uncle Shawn said gently and patted my shoulder.
"Noooooo", I cried out, the pain tearing through me. "My parents cannot die. They promised they would do so many things with me. They cannot just die."
"Uncle Shawn, you are pulling a joke on me, right? Please tell me my parents are fine. Please."
I screamed, begging for a different answer.
Uncle Shawn held me gently in his arms as I cried. The pain was too much for my small heart to carry.
"I am sorry about the death of your parents, Crystabel", he whispered. "Please do not cry too much. It is not good for your health. The earlier you get better, the sooner we can bury your parents."
The moment those words left his mouth, something in me shattered. My heart tightened and my vision blurred.
The darkness pulled me under again.