Five years have passed and I have finally graduated my college course in law and security. I have been offered a job in California and of course accepted it but the only problem is I had to be there in two days. I had no clue where to live and had to pack my bags right away. I went home where I called my parents to tell them the great news, but when I called they had a message for me.
"Someone by the name of Jennifer needed my help in California and needs to see me right away"
"hhmm I haven't heard from Jennifer in a long time. I wonder what could be wrong." I said in a worried voice
I got the phone number off my parents and called Jennifer.
"Hello? Is Jennifer there??"
"Speaking. Is this Stacey??"
"Yes it is. what is the matter??" I said anxious to know
"well I think you should sit down first", Jennifer's voice was trembling and naturally I knew something was not right so i sat down. Jennifer continued.
"you sitting down. Good!! Well it turns out that a bunch of our friends from IRC were all getting together to meet. They all set a point and took a bus that they had rented. They were going to visit you and Andrew in Canada. But on their way there the bus crashed and most of them were killed"
Jennifer's voice was trembling and by this point I could not stop crying.
"Who was on the bus????" I asked, realizing after that it was kinda a stupid question but it the only thing that popped into my head.
"White_Tiger, Kittie C, Rocky_, Salinger, Jovette, Zyuray, Timo, and , and...............I am
sorry I cant stop crying." She said.
Jennifer added, "They found Bachand in Rockys arms......."
Jennifer was now crying and I apologized for asking a stupid question
Jennifer responded, "Stacey,.........Brent was on the bus too. I didn't go only because I had my job to stay at and I couldn't get any time off."
Jennifer and Brent had just got engaged not so long ago.
"oh my god Jennifer I am so sorry. Listen I am coming down to California anyways for my job, I can be down to visit you right away. If that is okay with you?"
"oh please, I really need someone here to help me through this" Jennifer replied
I didn't bother asking who survived the crash or who died. It was not the appropriate thing to be asking at this time. I was sure I would find out everything when I got there. I did not even know if Brent had died but if he did Jennifer would really need me around to help her through it.
California Airport
I finally arrived to the airport and I headed to the nearest phone to let my parents that I made it safely and that I am sorry for having to leave so soon but due to the circumstances it could not be avoided.
Jennifer and I had kept in touch for so long. She even came to Canada to stay for awhile but left, and that is when she met up with Brent again. The other usual alt crowd and I kept in touch through phone calls and letters.
After I called my parents to turned around and went to the front of a café where I was to meet Jennifer. I saw her standing outside and I walked up to her and could still see tear marks on her face. Jennifer was holding a cup of coffee and her hands were shaking so much that I thought the coffee was going to spill out of her hands. She did not look like she got any sleep but neither had I.
"Hi Jennifer" I said
"Stacey!" Jennifer hugged me
We headed to her house where we talked about everything that happened. She started off by telling me who had died and who was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition.
"Well" She said, "Zyuray, Frogman6, Trent, BACHand, Rocky, Soncy, HulkSkyWalker, DesertThunder, ZeoHeather, Camron and some others but for the life of me I can remember any more names right now, have all died"
Jennifer was still pretty shaken up but we had decided to go to the hospital and visit those
who were still alive.
We took my car and drove down to San Diego, CA.
We arrived at the hospital and found the ward that they were all staying at, they being the ones who survived. I couldn't help but wonder if Andrew found out about what happened because in all the commotion I forgot to call him.
We went into one room to find FireStryker, Charles, AmandaB, Rewop, Rap, Rovang, Salinger, Becky ,Chris and White_tiger sitting in beds with tubes up their noes and arms and legs bandaged up and dry blood over them.
Suddenly tears filled my eyes and I collapsed to the floor crying.
Suddenly Andrew walked in and placed his hand on my back.
"Hey come on pull it together Stacey" He said
"WHAT??????? Some of our friends have just died and more are lying in bed severely injured and you want me to calm down. I am sorry Andrew but they were coming to see us so I feel some what responsible"
"Look I am sorry, I didn't know you felt that way. Here come sit down"
Andrew brought me to a seat. I sat their thinking of the bus crashing into another car and then hitting a wall. The images could not get out of my head. I looked up to the sound of a t.v. to see the broadcast of the accident. They showed the picture of the bus and our friends lying covered in blankets on the ground. Jennifer and I lost it totally and started screaming and crying louder. The nurses finally found out what was wrong and turned the television off.
Jennifer ran out of the hospital and I followed her. Fresh air would help, a little.
There Jennifer sat on the ground so I sat beside her.
"Stacey" she said crying, "Brent is not in there. He must be , be ......................" Tears ran down her face.
That's who had been missing. I could not believe that Brent was gone. All I could think of was that Brent was dead and it would Ultimately crush Jennifer. I had to pull myself together as I felt the tears run down my face again.
"Jen, I will go and ask if they know anything about Brent. We cannot jump to conclusions just yet" I told her in hopes that it would clam her down.
"FOR CHRIST SAKE STACEY, HE ISNT IN THERE. THAT MEANS ONLY ONE THING, HE IS DEAD.OH GOD WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT HIM?" . Jennifer paused and then said, "Oh God I am sorry Stacey. You come all this way to help me out and now I am yelling at you.
"Listen Jen, go ahead and yell as much as you like. I know your hurting. I understand."
I went to the desk and asked if they heard anything about Brent yet.
"Brent who???" The lady asked
"Brent, Brent Crane" I said
The lady picked up the phone and started talking to someone, maybe a doctor, maybe the police, I was not sure. The ladies voice echoed through my head ,
"Oh, OK. I see. I understand. I will tell her. Thanks very much."
The doctor put the phone down and looked up to me at her desk.
"It turns out that Mr.Crane was taken into the emergency operating room. It turns out the has a punctured lung and fractured ribs that they HAD to attend right away"
I turned away and my heart stopped for a mere second. Punctured echoed through my mind. I went to Jennifer and told her what the doctor had said. I thought there would be no point in lying to her, what good would that do.
We asked to nurse to tell us when he was out of surgery cause we knew they would not let us
see him at all.
We headed back to the ward where the others were laying in their beds and I had those
images of the new again in my head.
Andrew sat on the seats outside the room and you could see he was crying also.
I sat down bedside him and put my arm on his shoulder.
"Andrew" I said. not knowing what else to say.
"I am sorry Stacey and Jennifer. I tried to be strong but I cant any more. they are my friends too and heck they have always been her for me to and now I have lost them, most of them"
Andrew did have a soft spot and he did care for others. I may not have realized that before but I did now. Andrew may have been Anycool but he did hurt like the rest of us.
Visiting hours were over but we had still not heard a word. The nurses told us to go home for sleep and that they would call us if anything had changed and if they heard anything about Brent. Jennifer assured them that if they heard anything, even if it was that he got out of surgery , she wants to know.
California Apartment
The sun glared through the sky. I slowly opened my eyes as the bright light shined upon me. I got out of bed and went to the living room where Jennifer was sitting looking outside the window in a daze.
"Jennifer " I said, "Earth to Jenn"
"Oh sorry. The hospital called last night" She said
"They did" I was shocked I must have slept through the ringing. "What did they say??"
"Turns out that Brent got out of surgery and so far everything is okay" Jennifer said but you could still tell she was hurting.
I called Andrew to see if he needed a ride to the Hospital today but when I called he said,
"I am not going. Bye" and he hung up
I called him back and asked him why he wasn't going, and he just said that he didn't want to . I told him that the funeral was scheduled for two days from today.
"I am not going so leave me the F&*# alone will ya." He said
"Jesus Christ Andrew what is the matter with you?"
I was upset now. He gave us that speech on how they were his friends too and now he
wasn't going.
"Listen, There is no way I can stand to see them that way. I want to remember them the way they were" and he hung up the phone.
Two Days Later
"We are gathered her today to say goodbye to many friends whom we all loved and adored." The Priest said.
I Looked around for Andrew but could not find him. Then I saw his shadow from a distance. He did show.
After the Funeral I went around with Jennifer and we talked to all our friends parents, saying how sorry we were for their loss and they replied with the same.
We went to the hospital and as we walked to their rooms a doctor pulled us aside.
"I am afraid we have some bad news. We found a few more of your friends and I afraid they didn't make it" he paused then continued, "Also, Rovang and Rap have died and we are not to sure if Charles is going to make it. I am sorry there is not much more we can do.
Jenn and I just cried and I remembered the little fling Charles and I had, Which made me cry even more. I ran into the room and grabbed onto his hand.
"Dont die on me Charles. Please try to pull through this, Please you cant go , dont leave me" I said crying on him.
Jennifer was told that the others that she could not remember were all healthy and had been sent home to relax and rest. I placed flowers beside their beds , I thought it will help them get through it all. I used the phone to tell my new job of the situation that had occurred and they said I could come in whenever I was ready. That would probably be in a long time.
We attended five more funerals over the next two days and Charles continued to fight for his life.
White_Tiger , FireStryker, Rewop, Amanda, Salinger, Becky and Chris were going home in two days because they were progressing very well. They made sure that I did visit them sometime , after all that is how this all came to be.
Brent has been confined to his bed for 2 weeks or more, depending on his progression.
One and a Half Weeks Later
Most of the people were back to normal and Charles had pulled through.
"Stacey, I heard everything you said to me. Thanks, you never gave up hope" Charles said.
Andrew had visited the others and went to the other funerals but then left back for Canada after he knew Charles was OK. He learned that Timo was OK also so he said he had no need to stay any more.
"Stacey and Jennifer, I am sorry if I had seemed very uptight but you know how it is. I am sorry"
I think that is the first time he has ever apologized, well to me anyways. I said no problem and he headed for the airport. We promised to keep in touch.
Brent was going to be fine but then all of a sudden he took a turn for the worst. Brent remained in the hospital for a month until he was much better then got to go home again. Before he left he asked Jennifer something.
"Do you love me???"
"What type of question is that? Of course I do"
"Then marry me Jennifer. This accident has made me realize how precious life can be and I never want to lose you"
Jennifer started crying and said, "Yes I will".
One Year Later
Jennifer and Brent were married and had plans on having a family.
Other Alt crew kept in touch with me and I was informed that two more people died.
Andrew kept in touch and I learned he had bee sent to the hospital for drug abuse.
Charles and I kept in close touch with each other after the accident.
I still have those images of the accident play in my head and I swear I hear some of them
calling me in my sleep. I think they are trying to tell me something. Maybe it was about what
caused the accident but for now it remains as an accident.
All will be missed, and I still find myself waking up crying for them when I picture their bodies lying on the ground all bloody and covered in blankets beside the wall that will forever hold the memories of this accident. They will always be my friends, now and forever.
The End