"Nine fucking months of looking and I still don’t have shit to show for it!"

He threw his arms in the air.

"I have dug through every job search site, newspaper posting, and unemployment office listing I can get my hands on, and I'm still just sitting here on my ass!"

He laid back in his chair.

("Fuck fuck fuuuuuuck......am I really that useless?")

He lifted his head up and stared at his computer monitor. The web browser was opened to "Jobs-A-Picking.com".

("So many jobs available, and I barely qualify for a quarter of them.")

He sat straight up in his seat again.

("And now I've gone through a third of those....shit...")

Grabbing his mouse he clicked open a new tab and went to his email.

("Maybe I got a reply from one of the other sites. Maybe even the unemployment office sent something.")

Looking through emails from the various websites he was registered with he found a email from a local shop called Mike’s Bikes. Reading the email title he got excited.

"YES!!! I knew I would make a better impression meeting with him personally!"

He pumped a fist in the air. Quickly he opened the email and read it.

Kumen, Ryan

In regards to your application for the position of "Crew Member", we regrettably must decline. We are sorry to have rejected your application to our shop and wish you the best of luck in whatever endeavors you choose to pursue.

Sincerely,

Mike Hambles

"......I wish I drank."

He stood from his desk and walked to his bed flopping face down into it. He remained motionless for a while, quiet grumbles audible through his pillow.

("I should walk up there and ask for Mike. As soon as he sees me I'll shove a steering handle down his throat.")

He stayed there going over ways he could exact revenge on the bike salesman. After a few moments of doing this he felt a discomfort in his loins.

("I need to piss.")

He got out of bed and walked across his room to the door. His room was at the end of the house next to one of two bathrooms making it an exceedingly short trip. He was closing the bathroom door when he heard his name.

"Hey Ryan~ when you're done in there take the trash out please, I gotta work on the laundry!" Ryan's mom, Catherine, called from down the hall.

" 'K mom!" He yelled back before closing the door and doing his business. He was washing his hands when he noticed himself in the mirror, his eyes to be exact.

("That’s probably the problem, with one look you can tell I never get enough sleep. I'll never get those shadows off.")

He brushed a hand through his short cropped brown hair. He sighed and left the bathroom. Walking the short way to the living room he saw his little brother on the couch watching television.

"Ey Andy."

"Hi Ryan"

"Where’s mum? She wanted me to take the trash out. Actually now that I think about it why aren't you doing it?"

"I was cleaning my room then, so she got you. I just finished up cleaning."

"How convenient."

"Not my problem, I just cleaned my room as fast I could."

"Whatever, mum?"

"Laundry room, duh. She told you that she was doing clothes."

"Yeah yeah, thanks pipsqueak."

"Course, mondo."

The laundry room was a small nook accessible by going through the kitchen. Walking to it he saw his mom washing a load of laundry with the door open. It got hot in there when the dryer was on otherwise.

"Hey mum, where’s the trash bag at?"

"Behind the door. Could you also take the bin down to the end of driveway while you're at it? They're picking up the trash tomorrow."

"Yeah, fine."

"Thank you Ryan."

"Mmmhm."

He grabbed the trash bag on his way back to the living room. Opening the front door and walking out, he made his way down the stairs. The trash bin was set next to the stairs for easy access. He put the bag in, took the bin by it's handle, and walked towards the end of the driveway. When he got there he set the bin next to the mailbox. He paused, observing his damp neighborhood.

("...A walk might help me feel better. I can stop by the park too, there shouldn't be anyone there with how much it's been raining. I'd get the whole place to myself.")

He turned back to the house, walked over quickly, went in, and shot straight for the laundry room again.

"Mum, I'm gonna head out for a walk and maybe mess around at the park for a bit, okay?"

"With as wet as it is? Why now all of the sudden?"

"First, because that means no other people, and second is to get some time to think."

"Job search getting you down hun?" She said as she shifted clothes from washer to dryer.

He considered just saying he felt cooped up, but figured his mom wouldn't buy it.

"...My application for Mikes Bikes got turned down."

Turning away from the laundry she directly address him.

"How come? Did they say why?"

"No, but I don't want to make something of it, I’ll just be making problems for myself if I went up there and started anything." ("Even with as much as I want to take one of those tire pumps of his and go Dig-Dug on his ass.")

"It might be easier to let it go, but they still should have told you their reasons. But that aside, it'll be fine Ryan, we can head to the unemployment office tomorrow alright? I'm sure we can find you something soon."

"Ugh, stuff like that's why I need to de-stress. I'm eighteen and going to the unemployment office."

"Well you're the one that wanted to hold off on going to college. You could have used that Georgia Hope Scholarship to make it into Lanier Tech."

"I KNOOOW. And YOU know that I passed high school by the skin of my teeth! I don't like it but I know that there isn't going to be any "Special Help" for me in college. I'm not ready for it yet."

"I'm sure that if you tried as hard as you did your last year at school, then you could make it through college fine, but I understand where you're coming from. It's too late to get the scholarship anyway."

"Yeah yeah...I'm sorry for putting more on you, I just don't want to mess up. College is a whole 'nother level and I want to be sure I won't fail by the end of first semester."

"Oh Ryan, you're always welcome home no matter what, and I know that you'll do great when you go. Just promise not to give up, hun."

"Of course, never have, never will."

Smiling broadly she moved in to hug him and he accepted. They let go after a moment and she went back to her work, Ryan just standing there for an awkward moment.

"....Soooo are we going to have an emotional talk each time I ask ya to go out?"

His mom laughed.

"That would make you a lot easier to understand." She said grinning ear to ear.

"Har Har, I'm out."

He spun around and started walking.

"Be back before 5:00."

"Right."

He walked past the living room and down the hall to his room, searching around the slightly messy room.

("Pocket knife, glasses, glass wipe, vita, wallet, and jacket. K, that's all that.")

He put his jacket and glasses on, shoved everything else in his pockets, and left his room making his way for the front door.

He was almost out the door when his brother yelled at him from the couch.

"You know you don't have to worry about a job right? When I make my lemonade stand it’s gonna go huge, and then I'll have more than enough to pay for you to go to college. If you ask nicely." Andy said smugly.

Ryan burst out laughing and held onto the TV as he bent over holding his stomach, causing Andy to go into a fit.

"What’s funny?! Andy's Lemon-licous Lemonade will be huge! I'll be president of the biggest lemonade company in the whole world! If you think it's dumb then I won't help you at all!"

Andy crossed his arms and pouted.

"He He-I'm sorry, really I-Ha Ha Ha-I am. It's just that I couldn't help but laugh ‘cus I know that no bros got as cool a bro as my bro."

Andy looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Really?"

"No."

"YOU'RE A JERK!"

Andy threw a pillow at him. It bounced harmlessly off his chest.

"Ah, calm down pipsqueak. I'm just messin' with ya. I really do appreciate that you would do that for me."

He picked up the pillow and dropped it next to Andy.

"And you really are a cool little bro."

He punched Andy's shoulder lightly. Andy was still pouting, but he had a small smile now.

"Just get out of here you big jerk. When you need your college money I'll have my secretary take care of it, you won't see me dealing with it. I'll be so rich that I won't even notice so little missing."

Ryan laughed again.

"I'm sure you won't, I'm gonna head out now."

"Good."

Ryan just shook his head and walked out the door. He quickly made his way down the driveway and turned left.

("Been awhile since I just walked. I should do it more, helps me think.")

He reached the entrance of the cul-de-sac and took a left again.

("Might help me lose weight if I do it enough. I'd have to plan out a time everyday to do it.....naaaah not worth it.")

He splashed through a puddle while he was thinking, getting his shoes soaked.

"Shit, wet socks. Stupid puddles. Need to look in front of me."

With a squelch to his steps, shaking his soggy shoes every few feet, he made his way to the park. The rest of the way was spent in relative silence.

("That fuck Mike better hope he doesn't see me around anytime soon, I'll make sure he never forgets my name.")

He imagined various scenarios ranging from verbally destroying publicly to doing things to him of a disturbing nature.

("-then I'll take his leg and twist it till I hear it crack and then...then...-Then what?-....I really am fucked up aren't I?-Yup.-I still want to do that Walker Texas Ranger thing to his heart. Makes me happy that mind readers aren't real, or if they are then at least theirs none near by.")

He slowed down considerably.

("Maybe I should save up for a therapist before college, last I checked wanting to use some guy's intestines to hang them meant you aren't all there.-You think?-But how am I supposed to tell anyone, even a therapist, this kinda shit? I'd be in a padded room before lunch.”)

He could feel the all-too-familiar uncomfortable tightness in his chest forming as he shuffled along.

(“Why is it that of all the psycho-killers-to-be I'm the one that knows that they’re screwed in the head?-You know why.-")

He sighed and took a deep breath.

("The world would probably be a little safer if I just disappeared now, before I become anything dangerous.-Probably would.-")

Pausing and staring up at the sky, light grey clouds were the only thing to greet him. He didn’t move for a few minutes. Suddenly he was walking again, faster than before, as if trying to escape his morbid thoughts.

("You haven't done anything yet, and you never will.-And what abou-SHUT UP! You're just pissed, I'm sure other people don't talk about some of the shit they want to do when they’re pissed. Just get to the park and don't think about it.")

The next few moments were filled with a mental battle that went unknown to anyone but himself. Later when he actually reached the park his more positive side had won the fight and he was thinking of more mundane things.

("The egg came first. Due to evolution whatever laid the first chickens wasn't a chicken. It's egg would have become the first ever chicken being the next in an evolutionary chain...I think. Would it be considered a chicken if it's parents weren’t considered one? When would two different levels of evolution be separated?")

He continued his ponderings as he strolled through the park entrance. Unsurprisingly the park was empty as he had predicted. He made his way to one of the round tables that still had it's umbrella, took a seat, and pulled out his PS Vita to play JetPack Joyride. The rest of the time, he milled about randomly. He played with his vita, contemplated more ideas, and just walked around aimlessly and burned off pent up energy. About a half hour in, he felt bored but wasn't ready to head home yet, so he found a park bench and laid down.

("Not much to do, but it's still nice to have it all for myself. I should get a bouncy ball, would be another thing to do when I'm here.")

Shifting to a more comfortable position, he yawned.

("It's been some time since I came out here. Last time I was here for the grad party mom threw for me. It was just my family, and of course Boa. He never seems to fail when it came to party crashing, even when he was invited that magnificent bastard of a friend. I still couldn't believe all the money I got from everyone! All together it was enough to buy a new Wii! I spent a lot of time afterwards just thanking them. Mom hung off me the entire time always on the verge of tears.")

His eyes started to lower as he reminisced.

("I remember as it was wrapping up Boa wanted me to come with him. It was near eleven o'clock I think. I got mom to let me stay at his place so we could have the rest of the night for whatever the hell he had planned. He took me under the bridge near his house and handed me a bottle of wine. Fucker knew that I hated beer, it all tastes like piss. He knew that too, but wine ain’t beer, and to hell and back if we cared that night! He got some glasses out, poured a good amount in each, and we toasted. “Here’s to me being able to give those school higher ups that said I needed Special Ed the middle finger by getting above average on most of my finale tests.” Then we got drunk off our asses and stumbled our way to his house. His mum was asleep, thankfully, and we passed out as soon as we got to his room.")

He was closing his eyes as some last thoughts went through his head.

("Glad I stayed at his place, my mum could have seen our hangover from a mile away that morning....")

He fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan awoke with a start, though his eyes remained closed. The surprisingly comfortable wood of the bench had been replaced with something smoother and flatter. He opened his eyes, and gazed into the empty darkness surrounding him. He was confused and dazed having suddenly shifted from the park to this dark eternity. No matter where he looked, all he could see was more black. The only perceivable thing was himself. He was as clear as if he were anywhere else with reasonable lighting. With no idea on what to do he tried calling out to the void as he stood up.

"HELLOOO, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE?!"

He was greeted with silence, his voice consumed by the darkness. He was truly scared now, unsure of how to proceed when a voice replied.

"Hel...can y…..ar me?"

He was surprised to have gotten a response and swiftly called back.

"I'M SORRY BUT COULD YOU REPEAT THAT?! YOU SOUNDED DISJOINTED!" He yelled into the void in whatever direction he was facing, not being able to spot the other speaker.

"Tha…..underst……..for how we ar…...unicating. We wou…..ke to speak wi…..o...ore...rectly, so we mu…...ve the for now as…...nd...way to come into….ter contact."

"WAIT!!!!! PLEASE, DO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM AND HOW I CAN GET BACK?! I’M COMPLETELY LOST!"

He did not get most of what the voice said but he heard enough to know that they were going to leave.

"Ah, ye…..had forgo…..at you wo…..ot know w…..you are. We sha…...d you back."

"THANK YOU!!"

He wasn't sure what was going on, hardly understanding his host but he understood enough that they were going to send him home. He didn't want to question it as long as he got back.

"Thi…..not the las….me t….we sh…..eet. Whe…...ave found a…...solid form o…...act we will find yo..again."

He was perplexed by what they meant when a light off in the distance caught his attention. He could hear some very faint sound.

"It wo…..eem that ano…..is waking you. Reme…...we will ta…...in."

The light was growing as well as the noise. It sounded like a horn.

Ryan wasn't able to give any reply as the the light blinded him and the horn drowned out all other sound, even his own surprised yelp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan fell off of the bench as the horn continued to blare.

"SWEET FUCKER ON RICE!!!!!"

He scrambled to stand back up and looked around. He saw his mom in her car, near the back entrance, glaring at him. Letting his heart slow down he started walking to the car.

"Damn, how long was I out?"

He took out his PS Vita and looked at the time. 5:27.

"Noooooo..."

He hesitantly made his way to the car. As he neared he saw Andy in the back. He was playing on their mom’s tablet. Andy gave him one of those smug "You’re in trouble" looks. As they pulled out onto the road his mother gave him a stern glare.

"Why were you sleeping on a park bench?"

"...I got bored and laid down. I was just thinking about stuff and then I fell asleep."

Silence.

"So instead of coming home you went to sleep on a park bench?"

"I wasn't ready to come home yet and I didn't think I'd knock out."

"Well think of that next time because I had to drag your brother out here and waste gas on getting you. I had no idea if something had happened and I had no way of contacting you! I forgot my own cellphone I was in such a rush!"

"I'm sorry that I'm not one those teens that goes brain dead on a smartphone."

"You're just one those teens that falls asleep on park benches."

More silence.

"I really am sorry. I didn't think I'd fall asleep. I just wanted to lay down for a minute."

~sigh~ "Just promise you won't do it again. It drives me nuts not knowing what’s going on with you."

"I won't, I promise."

"Thank you."

"Really?! That's all he gets?!" Andy said, game of Flappy Birds forgotten in the face of the grand injustice.

"He didn't mean to Andy, and he apologized. Plus nothing happened so yes, that's all he gets."

"Hmph. He always gets off easy."

"You'll learn how to do the same thing when you’re older pipsqueak."

"Don't give him any ideas smooth talker, I'm just letting you off the hook this time."

Ryan looked back and gave Andy a wink, who grinned madly.

The ride was relatively quiet from there on out, only broken by the various noises of angry birds and the car’s engine. There were no other cars on the road, they had taken the dirt road behind the park since it let out closer to home. The road was old and familiar, having been made at the same time their town was settled. It was near perfectly flat on most days thanks to its constant use, but the recent weather made it a little uneven. Still, many around the neighbourhood used this road as a way to try and pass the main roads, unless of course too many people were trying to use it at once. Thankfully this didn’t happen too often thanks to it being more of a local secret. Ryan felt like he was going to be eaten by the quiet as he settled into a comfy position in his seat. He was still a little drowsy from his nap in the park, and the soft rock of the car on the gravel was helping to lull him back to sleep.

The roar of an engine shattered the quiet. Ryan’s eyes snapped open back onto the road to find a red pickup truck skidding uncontrollably towards them.

The truck had made an upcoming turn too quickly, only its own luck allowing it to stay on the road. It was now heading directly for them, the driver’s face white with terror as he slammed on his brakes. His truck must have found traction, because it turned on a dime. This with the momentum of it’s own weight was such that its rear end kept going, spinning round to end with a shattering crash in the bonnet of their car. They almost instantly stopped as Catherine was already slamming their brakes. The pickup pivoted where it had impacted to smash into Ryan’s side of the car. The jolts shook them violently with glass flying as if in a storm. Ryan held on to whatever he could grab with all the strength he could muster. He could not think of anything else, only the primal need not to let go.

Their car tilted onto its left side near one of the roads ditches as the truck spun into the one on the opposite side. Ryan felt sick as the car landed on its side, dangerously close to flipping completely over into the ditch. After his mind was able to process what had happened, he realized he was still being held to his seat by the seat belt. His glasses had gone missing, flung away in the havoc. Ignoring the pain shooting through him from his pinned leg he twisted in his seat, his own plight forgotten.

Below him he saw that his mom was awake and hacking uncontrollably, having been hit in the stomach by the steering wheel. Fortunately her only other injuries were a collection of small gashes on her arms and face. Looking in the back seats he could see Andy had been knocked out. A large gash on his head and a blood covered tablet lying on the floor confirmed the cause. Thankfully, he was still breathing. He looked at the splintered windshield and his busted out window, fearing that the car would flip over entirely if any movement was made at all when he saw just how close to the ditch they were. Images of glass flying, the roof buckling under the weight of the flipped car, and other gruesome events passed through his mind. He left self examination for later as he thought on how to get them out without the car flipping.

"Mom, are you alright? Anything broken?"

*cough cough* ~inhale~ "No...I don't think so..."

"Take a sec to catch your breath and try to not move too much."

"Why...?"

"We're on our side, if we move to much we might tip the whole car over."

She realized that she was at an angle, partially laying on what was now the bottom of the car.

"Oh..."

There was no talking as they waited for her to recover. After she seemed to have gotten herself together a bit, Ryan began on what he hoped was a decent plan.

"Okay mom, do you think you’re good to move?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Then I need you to get up, you're gonna have to get Andy out first, he was hit in the head but he's still breathing."

She breathed a deep sigh of relief despite the pain in her chest, grateful that both her sons were alive. Nodding her understanding, she carefully undid her seat belt. She groaned as she unfolded from the seat, a multitude of injuries clamoring for her attention. Glass crunched under her feet as she held onto the steering wheel, letting her body get used to the slightly tilted world. She was bent over, not being able to fully stand straight in the sideways car.

"Okay, now get Andy before you help me, he’s already out cold from that head wound and being in a flipping car isn’t going to help, so he needs to get out first."

“Right.”

She got Andy out of his seat as gently as possible, pausing whenever she felt the car shake from her movement, and laid him on the floor of the car. She stood back up and was about to help Ryan but he stopped her.

"Not yet, all of us on the floor would be a bad idea. You and Andy need to get out first, then I can get out of my seat."

"But Ryan, I can't just-"

"You have to! I know you don't like it and neither do I, but if this thing falls over then none of us are making it out. I'm not asking to make myself look tough, it's the safest way since we can't just wait for help to come. Just please listen to me."

She glared at him while she searched her mind for something other than her own worry to argue him with. Without her cellphone or any more cars likely to come their way soon, his idea seemed to be best. She hated to do it, but she folded as no other ideas came to her.

"Fine, but for the love of god be careful."

"I will, I absolutely promise."

Quiet.

"...Okay, what’s your plan?"

He smiled as reassuringly as he could at her.

"Thank you. I have my knife on me, you can use it to break out the rest of the windshield and climb out like that. It's in my right pocket, you have to get it out. I'm useless up here."

"Alright, I guess that works."

She reached over and started digging in his pocket when she saw his right leg.

"OH MY GOD YOUR LEG!!!"

It was at a strange angle from where the car had bent inwards from the crash.

"I KNOW! There's nothing we can do about it right now, we need to get out the car first okay?"

She looked at his bent leg for the longest time before she quickly looked away.

"O..okay.."

Shakily she got his knife out and began to work on breaking what was left of the windshield. It took a good bit of effort, cutting her hands multiple times as she worked. At last, most of the glass was smashed out with the hilt of the knife.

"That should be big enough to get through...I'll go ahead and get Andy out."

"Right, I'll work my way out after. You can help me through the windshield on the other side."

"...." She stared at the ground in silence.

"I know you don't like it, but if it's even just us two in here it still could be enough."

Looking back to him they stared at each other for a moment, neither willing to budge. At last his mom looked away.

"I know, just please keep your promise."

"You know I will."

She awkwardly hugged him then worked on the task at hand. She picked up Andy, glass dust falling from his cloths, and cradled him in her arms. She inched her way out the jagged hole, not wanting to cut Andy or herself anymore. She was half way though when she paused and looked at Ryan one more time before exiting completely. Ryan couldn’t tell what she was doing until a small scream was uttered from outside the car. He feared the worst and just as he was about to call out she yelled to him.

“I’m fine, just slipped on the mud.”

The next few heartbeats were spent in more silence before she came back and looked at him through the broken windshield.

"I laid Andy on the side of the road, I should stay with him near the road in case a car comes by. Yell when you need my help"

"Okay, I'm gonna start."

He was terrified, his imagination working overtime with new possibilities, some wild and impossible, some simple and very likely, but all gruesome, of how the cars fall could bring him to his death.

("Alright, best idea would probably be to try and land on my side, shouldn't get too much more hurt like that...")

He looked at the ground for a moment before undoing his seat belt, landing on the ground with a thump. He hissed in pain, his leg doing nothing but reminding him that it was broken, not helped from the added stings of pain where new bits of glass had made their home in his skin. The car shook for a bit and he believed his time had come sooner, rather than later. He held still while the car balanced, the sound of wet dirt, glass and metal being the only noise. It soon settled, still on it’s side, after a bit of swaying. He visibly deflated of tension and saw his mom had run back after seeing the car move.

"Now imagine if we had both still been in here, I know what I'm doing sometimes."

"Shut it boy,no jokes until we can get you to a hospital."

The small moment of joy was broken by someone yelling at them.

"HEY! The..The FUCK ya think yas was doin bitch?!"

Ryan cringed at the sudden new voice and his mom made a sharp pivot to her right, seething in anger.

"Wha..WHAT?! WHAT WAS I DOING?!?! I was driving like a person who DOESN'T have more liquor than blood in them!"

Has much as Ryan wanted to get out there and kick this guys ass himself, there was no way he could even stand. He wasn't worried for his mom really though. She could handle herself, especially against some heavily drunk a-hole that was in the same, if not worse, condition as they were.

"So yooours say'n tha -hic- that it was mys fault?! You can't see fo shit!! Tha fuck ya think you are?! JESUS?!?!"

"I certainly think you need Jesus in your life, now if you could kindly go along your way I need to help my son out of the car."

("That mother fucker better be glad it's not me out there, I would have already fucked his ass up.")

"Ya tellin ME what ta do nows huh? You think I'ms one've yer kids likes that spoiled brat in there that can't even faucking walk on his own?!?!" The drunk walked closer to the side of the car pointing towards it.

"His leg was injured severely thanks to you, and now I am TELLING you for the last time to just move along before I have to do something regrettable."

She growled out the last few words, taking a step closer to the drunk.

"Now yer frettin me! You jus don know whens ya need stop ya dumb fuck...I'll fukin show you and yer lazy fuck-off son!"

Catherine was about to confront the drunk when he rammed a foot into the car’s underside, falling back on to his buttocks from loss of balance, and watched fixedly as the car flipped fully over into the ditch upside down with a crunch.

"FUCK!!!!" The scream could be heard from inside of the vehicle.

The drunk was grinning in triumph on the ground before a foot filled his vision and the world went black for him.

“Worthless piece of shit!”. She growled as she ran over to stricken vehicle, concern winning over her anger.

She had to crouch to see through the windshield.

"RYAN, oh my god can you hear me?! [Please you need to answer me, any~-~-]"

Everything around Ryan was quieting has he struggled to understand what was happening. Without anything holding him he had been tossed about wildly even in the short distance the car had covered. He was on his back, lying near the driver side window. The roof of the car had crumpled on impact, but it looked easy enough to scoot out of it.

("Why can't I feel my legs...it's starting to get hard to feel the rest of my body too...")

He raised his head to look at himself.

There was a shard of glass sticking out slightly from the top of his belly.

("Shiiiit...that must’ve went through my spine...I guess I'm in shock then. That explains why I can't feel anything...or I'm dying...")

There was a pool of red reaching outwards from his body.

It felt as though everything was covered with cotton, everything was muted and dull, color looking to seep away like a watercolor painting being washed away. It barely registered in him that his mother was yelling as she scrambled to grab him through the open wind shield. He more saw his body being pulled out then felt it. His mother laid him out of the grass a few feet away from the car. The only thing he could hear though the padding that seemed to obstruct his ability to sense the world around him was his mother sobbing as she held his head in her lap. Unable to move only his thoughts proved he was still alive.

("I'm sorry mom, I thought I was gonna make it. I hope you'll be okay without me.")

His mother was holding him to her chest, hugging tightly.

("Andy will pull though, he's always been a strong kid....")

Ryan began to feel a tugging in his chest, but odd as it was to be feeling anything, he was more focused on his last thoughts to pay it mind.

("I should try saying something to her. She needs to hear me one more time.") He looked her in the eyes, noticing everything was getting blurry.

"I love you mom, I'm glad I was your son. Please tell Andy he was an awesome brother and that he can have my stuff. Thank you for everything."

He wasn't sure if it came out as coherent as he wanted or if he even said anything at all, he couldn't hear himself talking or feel his mouth. By how his mother started to cry harder, he knew he said something intelligible. What remained of his strength left him along with his words. He could not move no matter how much he wished to. His mother put her hand to his cheek and her forehead to his, saying things he could not hear.

The tugging had now become full-on pulling. This invisible force was trying to pull him straight into the air. His mom might have seemed confused, but he was unable to tell before everything went gray. When he could see nothing but the endless gray void, the force that had been trying to pluck him from the earth finally succeeded. He felt himself speed upwards. He thought his body must be like a fish on a line, the hook lodged firmly in his chest. He still felt nothing else but the pulling sensation, not sure if he screamed and if so out of fear or pain. The gray slowly changed to pure black, so deep it felt like it was invading his mind. It reminded him of the peculiar dream he had.

He had unanswered questions, regrets, doubts, and personal demons. In this endlessness he let them slip away, content with the thought that his family would be safe.

("I'm dead. And now I'm probably going to judgement. I'm not sure how I'll do, but I kinda hope I can be reborn. Heaven always sounded boring, everything you want is just given to you. I want to know that I earned what I wanted...")

And then he was silent, thoughts drifting away into nothing, being hurled through darkness to a pinpoint of light.

Author's Note

Where it all began for dumb lil' me.

*Edit* Major thanks to CanisLoopis and WrittenWord333 for proofreading. Be sure to check them out on their pages.