What terrifies you the most? As children, we were more prone to tales of monsters and ghost. We called for our parents at the realization that the mummy from the closest or villain hiding underneath our bed was set on stealing us from our beds. As we grew up, our fears began to change. We became more terrified at the thought of public speaking or driving for the first time. The thought of high altitudes can make some dizzy and breathless. There are others who can't stand a clown with a brightly painted face. Personally, the thought of an eight legged creature crawling anywhere nearby can send me into panic fits. While we are slowly introduced to the real world, we realize there is much more than unrational fears and things we dread.

One Monday night, I decided to venture out to pick up some job applications. I had experienced a particularly bad day, and I was looking for any excuse to avoid the pile of homework waiting to be done in my book bag. As I walked outside, the brisk November air blew through my thin jacket. I hunkered down and rushed to my car. I headed into town and began making my stops. As I drove toward a green light, I saw nothing coming towards me from the dark shadows of the intersection. As I began to turn my steering wheel left, it all happened at once.

As so often shown in the movies, it felt like everything was in slow motion. My entire view was obstructed by the view of a car’s front end coming straight towards me. My foot instinctually slammed onto the break. My horrified scream rang in the silence of the moment. Soon, the crashing of metal reached my ears. It was a sound that will forever be engrained in my memory. The contacting metal sounded like a mix of nails on a chalkboard and an out of tune orchestra at a very high decibal. As my body flew forward on impact, my air bag sprang forward keeping me against my seat. While this was happening, the back end of my car did a ninety degree turn.

As I finally took a breath, I heard a deafening roar as the car I hit continued to move. I watched through the hazy smoke of my air bag as the other car screeched across the intersection, not stopping until it bumped over the median. .My shocked reverie was broken when my radio suddenly sprang to life. The song “Cult Logic” began playing as though it’d never been interrupted. It seemed out of place, eerie in the moment. The sickingly plastic smell of the blown air bag forced me to step out of my car.

A witness asked if I was okay. Standing in the many headlights of the cars waiting at the intersection lights, I came back to reality. I looked to my little, blue vehicle. The front end was almost entirely smashed it. Bits and peices of plastic and metal littered the area around me. I began to shake. I shook from the fear of the moment, but I also shook with the fear of how different the outcome could have been. I looked down at myself. I was in perfect condition, except for the bruises that would form on my arms days later.The girl I had hit was fine as well. I walked away physically unharmed.

Months later, I continued to replay the accident in my head. Each time the ending would change. My favorite scenerio was me deciding to never leave my warm house that night. I still flinch when a car drives a bit too quickly towards me and have kept the vow to stay safer on the road. Regaurdless, my eyes were opened. Anyone's life could change drastically at any moment. So I ask you once again--what is your biggest fear?