Broken glass had shattered among the white sheets of snow upon the black pavement, along with blood, and the broken bones of those of whom blankly laid unconscious in their seats.
Sirens shrieked, and those around the perimeter of the accident prayed, placing hands by their heart, closing their eyes, and praised that they were lucky it hadn’t been them.
As the ambulance approached, it took a great stop, allowing the paramedics to flourish out from the doors in a heartbeat. They asked men and women, who asked their children, to stay where they were and that everything would be handled by them.
Policemen began to arrive, flashing their red and blue lights among the eyes of the only survivor.
Lily raised her head from the shattered glass upon the window, squinting her eyes, unaware of all the nonsense.
Her body ached; filled with cuts and bruises, and broken bones. She closed her eyes and laid backward to rest her head. She attempted to speak to her brother, who was sitting beside her, but it felt as though knives were stabbing her by the throat. Although it agonized her, she opened her mouth and hoped for the words to come out.
“Jackson?” She called.
But, there was no answer.
Her paralyzed lips attempted to plead once more.
“Jackson,” she cleared her throat, “can you hear me?”
After a good moment had passed, and not a single sound came among her brother nor her parents, she gently turned her head, only to see them all motionless.
Her heart pounded, following an unsteady beat of thunder from her chest.
She leaned in forward and stared at her brother's body, half of which dangled from the outside of the car window.
Lily felt as though she couldn't breathe. It was as though each breath she need to grasp, skipped one another, lying just above her tongue, but incapable of being released.
“Mom?” Her voice quivered.
She turned over to her mother, whose skull had cracked open upon the dashboard, streaming with the vital fluid like a river.
Her father, though, rested his body on the very edge of the hood of the car, staring blankly at the paramedic who declared he was now lost among the other stars.
“Dad?” She whispered under her breath.
As she attempted to escape the injured vehicle, her heart stopped by the discovery that she couldn’t sense a single ounce of her flesh among her legs. But without a second for thought, she swung the door open, groping one leg along with the other, and stepped out from the combusted metal.
One of the policemen had walked towards one of the paramedics, consulting with what they were going to do with the bodies. Neither took notice of the swung door.
The young man’s mind traveled to the stars, and as he spoke to the policeman, his eyes filled themselves with sorrow.
“There isn’t a single heartbeat from any one of them, Officer.”
All became silent.
“So much blood has been lost tonight.”
He glanced over to his coworkers as they carried Lily’s father away, placing a white sheet upon his body.
“You knew them, didn’t you?” Questioned the policeman, but the young man didn’t respond.
“There’s nothing we can do for them,” he said, “Not even if there were a miracle.”
The policeman stared at the crashed vehicle, and saw as the snow fell upon it, covering each crack with a blanket.
“A miracle is what we need tonight,” he wistfully declared. “It’s a shame that such event has occurred on a day -”
With each inch of strength Lily had left in her body, she threw herself towards the side-view mirror of the vehicle, alarming all of those around her.
“On a day like this,” finished the policeman.
The young paramedic’s eyes were focused on Lily, and as he sprinted towards her, he yelled from the top of his lungs, “We have a survivor!”
As the young man kneeled down to check the dilation of her eyes, he recognized the face that presented itself in front of him.
“Lily?” He plead. “Lily, are you alright?”
Not a single sound came out from the mouth of his dear cousin, and as his team approached them, he gently kissed her forehead and whispered:
“Everything will be fine. You’re going to be alright.”
Tears began to stream down Lily’s bruised cheeks, and as she inhaled the frosted air, she saw as it levitated in front of her as she released it, vastly spreading until it disappeared. And with that, it felt as though the world had remained still, leaving her all alone, just how her family had left her.
She felt as though her throat swelled, making it difficult to breathe.
As the two other paramedics approached her, everything began to turn pitch black.
One of the paramedics spoke.
“Ben, she doesn’t look too well.”
Ben, the young paramedic, placed the back of his hand on Lily’s forehead down towards her cheek, and felt a cold sweat upon her flesh.
“Lily? Lily, look at me.”
He gently turned her head towards him.
“Lily...Lily, can you hear me? Please, tell me if you can hear me.”
Ben attempted to get a word from his cousin, but her lungs wouldn’t allow her.
Together, the paramedics placed her on a gurney and strode her towards the ambulance, placing her inside and closing the doors.
As the Sheriff ordered his men to close lanes, and paramedics for backup, Lily laid unconscious on a gurney, on her way towards the hospital.
****
"Try it out...to see if it works fine,” said the Doctor.
Lily placed each hand on a wheel, and glided them forward as she began to move. After a moment of strolling around, she took a great stop and stared at the floor.
"It works just fine,” she scowled.
The Doctor attempted to smile, and nodded his head towards his direction to Ben.
"Okay,” he began, “just make sure she takes her medication, alright? God knows what would happen if she didn’t.”
“Of course, Doctor,” Ben said grimly.
“God know what I would do.”
After the accident had occurred, Lily was taken to the ICU, in which doctors had discovered cancer among her lungs. She was put on a medical ventilator immediately, and was then ordered to begin chemotherapy.
Hours had become days, and days had become weeks, and when treatment was over, she was examined again.
Nothing had changed, but the spreading had halted. Lily was then kept in the hospital for another few days, until it was fine for her to gather her things and move in with her cousin.
As Ben waved goodbye, he strolled Lily out of the building towards his car. Not a single word was said along the way, but as Ben drove, he took a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, and noticed how she trembled. She was terrified of being in a car again; terrified that it would slip and lead them towards the opposite direction.
He reached out for her hand, and held it tightly.
She closed her eyes, and allowed a tear to escape.

****  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
It was four in the morning, Christmas Day, and Lily laid in the clumps and piles of blankets on the couch of her living room, crying out the names of her mother, father, and brother. Her entire body trembled as she awoke from what was once thought a dream, but in truth, was the undeniable reality from her past.
It had been two years since her family had died from the car accident, but each night when she slept, her dreams always led back to that night. Never was there a day she didn’t see them.
Lily opened her eyes in an instant, gasping for air in her lungs. Her chest felt heavy, and she could feel her throat swell. She attempted to reach for her inhaler, but her body continued to tremble, and prevented her from moving a single muscle. As her body shook by the edge of the couch, she fell to the floor, awakening her cousin who slept in a room nearby.
Ben ran out from his door and cried out her name.
“Lily!”
He kneeled down and reached for her inhaler, placing it between her lips, allowing her to inhale the medicine.
After a moment, she was able to breathe again, and so she lied there with her eyes closed, easing her breath count little by little.
By the time she was able to breathe normally, Ben placed her brittle body into his arms, and back onto the couch.
For months she had slept there. It was now her new bed, since her immobile legs prevented her from reaching her room upstairs.
Ben reached for a low stool and sat beside her.
“Are you alright?” He began.
Lily’s eyes remained closed for another moment, and took a deep breath. She opened them and looked down to her toes.
“I’m not quite sure anymore.” She reasoned. “You see, I sometimes tell myself to wake up, but...my body just won’t let me. I just want to lie here and rest, and sometimes I think that if I don’t wake up, I never will.”
“We all worry about the same thing,” Ben choked.
Lily took a glance at him, and then guided her eyes towards the ceiling.
“I know,” she whispered.
Her lashes began to flutter, wanting to close, but as her head began to fall to the side, the sound of Ben's voice allowed her to halt.
"Do you still feel the pain?" He asked.
  "What pain?" She chuckled. “Pain has now become numb to me."
Ben attempted to show a warming grin, though deep in his heart, it was nothing of the amusing to him.
"So numb that, that I can't feel my own legs,” she continued.
Ben's smile disappeared.
"You just have to learn again” he enthused.
Lily’s eyes now laid parallel to Ben’s.
“Ben, no matter how many times we attempt, no matter how many therapy sessions I have, I will never be able to walk again. You said the exact same thing last time, and even then I could barely get up! What makes you think that I'll be able to walk at all?"
She turned away from him, tears forming in her eyes.
Ben looked down to the floor and then back up to face Lily. Tears were forming in his eyes as well.
"For the same reason why you are alive!” He stated.
They stared at each other.
"Lily, you can't just give up!"
Lily looked at the ceiling again, allowing a tear began to stream down her temple.
Ben’s eyes remained focused on her, and continued to speak.
"Do you even care at all?"
She closed her eyes a let out another tear.
“Lily..."
Without another word, the room filled itself in silence, leaving Ben breathless. A tear streamed down his cheek as he looked up to the ceiling. He closed his eyes as his head fell into his hands.
Lily opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Ben..."
Ben stood up from his stool.
"I need a minute,” he whimpered.
He walked away from her, towards the front door, and placed both hands by the railing. He took a deep breath, and looked up to the stars.

As Lily lied there in silence, she couldn’t help but feel an aching in her heart. She took a deep breath and reached for her wheelchair.
Slowly, she lifted her spine and rubbed her hands upon her legs, ready to commence the fearful task.
She pulled in the chair in front of her, and with great force, threw herself into it. Lily gathered a few blankets and wrapped herself in them. With that, she strode across the living room towards the front door, and accompanied her cousin.

Ben heard as she came out, but didn’t say a word.
Together, the two looked up towards the sky, taking astonishment in the brightness of the stars.
“Do you really believe they’re up there?” Said Lily softly.
Ben attempted a smile, leaning on the railing, and gazed upon the stars near the moon.
“I do.”
Lily nodded, and wandered.
“Which star do you think they are?”
Ben adjusted his posture and began to think, His eyes traveled from left to right, and then slowly, he walked towards Lily. He stood behind her chair, and reached for something in his pocket.
Lily became curious and looked up.
“Stay still,” Ben whispered. And with that, he took out a silver-shining necklace, and latched it around her neck.
“I believe they are the star that is closest to your heart,” grinned Ben.
Lily looked down and smiled, placing both hands tightly around the star.
“Merry Christmas, Lily.”

The moonlight gleamed upon the tear streaming down her cheek. And as the two stood there amongst the cold, snow began to fall, each singular snowflake layering upon one another.
Lily smiled upon the blankets of snow and whispered:
“Merry Christmas, Ben.”