Thunder rumbles far in the distance, and rain fell from the sky like a waterfall. I should go inside, but I don’t feel like it. The death of my best friend is too fresh and too vivid. We were on our way to the mall...

“Elaina. When did you say the sale begins?” Colleen yelled over the radio.
“1:30 pm.”
“Oh my gosh! We’re going to be late! The prom dress is going to be sold to another girl, and I won’t ever find the perfect dress!” Colleen cried worriedly.
“Now Colie don’t talk like that. I’ll just pick up the speed and then we’ll make it on time.”
I put the pedal to the metal, so to speak, and just barely passed 125 miles per hour. The drive was going smoothly. When we were going over a hill, I noticed a very slow pick-up ahead of us, and a semi in the other lane.
“Elaina. Slow down!” I could hear the panic in Colleen’s voice. I tried to press on the brakes to slow down the car, but the brakes were stuck.
“Um Colleen? The brakes are stuck!” I screamed as we rammed into the back of the pick-up. Our car flew backwards at the collision and spun into the semi. Everything went black.
I remember waking up in the hospital with nurses and doctors poking and prodding me everywhere with needles. I lifted my head to see my right leg in a cast.
“Where’s Colleen?” I asked the doctors.
One blonde doctor looked at me with sorrow in his blue eyes and said, “I’m Doctor Hans Brienbach. Is the little blonde Colleen?”
I nodded my head, “Her name is Colleen Fischer. Where is she?”
Again those sad eyes stared at me, “She is in the morgue.”
My head started to hurt and the tears ran down my cheeks. A nurse gave me a glass of water and Doctor Hans sent the other nurses and doctors away as my father, my lawyer, and the police came into the room. As soon as the tears stopped coming I told the police everything about the accident.

“If I tell the judge this, you’ll get your license removed for a year. I won’t though, because I lost my best friend last year. We’ll leave this as a bad weather accident.” The police officer had told me.
My father laid his hand on my shoulder and watched the police officer and lawyer leave the room. “Elaina.”
I looked at my father with my sad brown eyes and said “Dad; I know shouldn’t have. Can we leave it at that for now?”
Doctor Hans cleared his throat, reminding us that he was still there. “Mr. Hanson? Would you like to know your daughter’s condition?”
My dad nodded his head and the doctor continued “She has a broken leg, and two broken ribs. Her wounds should heal within a year, as long as she uses her medication. I am prescribing Vicadin and Tylenol for the pain, and a depression medication called Briecadye for the stress. Every time you feel even a bit stressed, take one pill of Briecadye. This pill will help tremendously with the sorrow of the accident. Sometimes those involved in the accident have flashbacks which sometimes lead to suicide. This is why I am prescribing this drug to you. As for Vicadin and Tylenol; take one Vicadin if the pain is too severe, and one Tylenol if the pain is moderate. Understood?”
Both my father and I nodded our heads and the doctor left to let me get dressed.

Now as I sit in the pouring rain I feel the tears slide down my face and I scream, “Why did this have to happen to me! First my little sister dies of cancer, then my mom dies of a heart attack, and now Colleen! Who up there is choosing to pick on me!” I stood up, and fell back down into the mud.
“Elaina! Elaina! Calm down! No one up there is picking on you. This could happen to anyone. Now take a deep breath and come inside. You’ll catch a cold if you’re not careful.” I looked up to see my father standing in the doorway offering his hand. Taking his hand; I followed him inside.