First some information about the project. We had to write about drinking and driving. I wanted to try my hand at making a very emotional piece of fiction that would allow the reader to feel strongly towards the story. We also had to keep it between 3-5 pages. I scored an A+ on the project but I would love to hear my fellow writers' thoughts about the work. Now without further delay...
The Stolen Life
"I cannot believe we are finally pregnant," John expressed to his wife Ann. "We have tried so many times and now we are going to have the family we have always dreamed of," He continued. John looked at Ann and noticed the worried expression on his wife's face. Concerned John asked her, "Honey, what's wrong?"
"It's just that after our previous attempts at having children, and not succeeding, I am worried that there will be problems." Ann said this as she glanced over at her husband sitting in the red chair next to her hospital bed.
John moved closer to Ann, grabbed her hand, and looked deep into her eyes as he started to reassure her. "Everything is going to be OK. We are going to have this beautiful baby girl and raise her with every ounce of love possible. I am extremely excited to become a father. I will do everything in my power to make sure you and our daughter have the happiest life possible." Ann relaxed at his words. The doctor walked in shortly thereafter and said, "It should be any minute now. Your child will be born". The excitement and glow about John and Ann made them seem like the happiest parents in the world.
Ann went into labor a half hour later. John and Ann where rushed to the maternity ward. John held Ann's hand firmly, allowing her to squeeze when she was in pain. Happy thoughts just kept racing through Johns mind. 'We are going to be a family. After all this time of planning and trying, we are going to have a baby girl and I am going to be a father.'
After two long hours and no complications, John and Ann's baby girl, Kate, was born. The doctor brought Kate in so her parents could hold her. The exhausted doctor told his nurse, “That John and Ann’s smiles could light up a large city.” John looked at Ann and told her, "See I promised you that we would make it through this." He smiled again at Ann, "I love you", he whispered into her ear. Then he leaned over to Kate saying, "I love you too," as he kissed his daughter’s forehead.
Since Kate was born healthy and there were no complications, John and his family were able to leave the hospital the next day. Driving home, John looked back at his daughter in her car seat and smiled. More thoughts began running through John’s head, 'this is the happiest most precious day of my life.'
The roads were clear most of the way home. They only encountered an oncoming car a couple of times. John noticed that the car driving in the oncoming lane was acting odd. Another driver headed their direction was swerving all over the road. Ann had not noticed because she was looking back at Kate. 'That driver must be intoxicated', John thought to himself. The oncoming car moved into John’s lane heading straight for them like a bullet streaking towards a target.
It only took a second to turn John’s perfect day into utter chaos. John reacted out of instinct, the instinct of a husband, the instinct of a protector, the instinct of a father. He sharply turned the steering wheel to the right, putting his wife and daughter away from the impact point, placing his side of the vehicle between the drunk driver's vehicle and his family. Time seemed to slow down as the vehicles collided fusing together in an entanglement of twisted metal and rubber. Sickening sounds of grinding metal and shattering glass resounded throughout the empty streets. Black smoke bellowed skywards from the wreckage. Debris fell upon the accident echoing sounds like a tribe banging war drums.
Ann's ears were ringing; all the sounds around her were dull and muffled. Ann looked up slowly and blinked her eyes a couple of times to clear up her vision. Worried for her child Ann looked down to make sure that Kate was not hurt. Kate was crying from all the chaos. Ann glanced over and noticed John was not in the car. Ann began to panic and looked all around for him. Finally locating him, her eyes locked onto the horrific scene. His body lay twisted and disfigured in the middle of the road among the debris. Ann started to scramble to get to her husband. Pain shot through her as she reached back to grab Kate from her car seat. Ann checked Kate to make sure she was alright as she climbed from the wreckage holding her daughter close. Ann tried to stand up and get to John as fast as she could, but she collapsed, her legs failing her. She caught herself and rolled to the side to avoid hurting the baby sending another searing pain throughout her body.
With one arm holding the baby securely, clenching her teeth, Ann reached out with her free arm, gripped the ground, and pulled hard dragging herself and the baby a little closer to John. The pain soon became unbearable and exhaustion took over. She choked back a sob as she looked up at John, her throat tightening up from the tears she held back. Ann rolled onto her back and looked down at Kate hugging her gently as thoughts charged through her mind; 'I have to get to John. I have to make sure he is OK.' Kate began to cry again sensing her mother's despair. "Don't cry sweetheart we will reach your daddy. Everything is going to be fine. We WILL make it," Ann told Kate. With that promise, a new found strength filled Ann's body, adrenaline and will power numbed the pain, allowing her to reach forward once again. The tears began to flow freely down her cheeks dripping onto the ground as she pulled herself the remaining distance to John.
Ann sat up next to John, placed her free hand on his shoulder, and shook him gently as she said in a tearful tone, "John. John come on. You have to get up. John we have to go home. You have to be OK. Kate needs her father." She looked around quickly and screamed as loud as she could her voice cracking, "HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!" Her crying became uncontrollable as the realization that, John was dying and no one was around to help her.
Ann leaned close to her husband. John's breathing was becoming rapid and shallow. Ann brought Kate close to John and put her in his arms. Ann looked down at John's face and kissed his forehead. She leaned down to his ear and softly whispered, "I promise to make sure our daughter knows who her father is. Thank you for protecting us, we love you." Kate reached down with her tiny hand and grabbed John's thumb gently squeezing. Smiling ever so slightly a single tear rolled down John's cheek
John's family was still holding onto him when the paramedics arrived. They pronounced John dead on arrival. The drunk driver was unconscious and rushed to the hospital. With no severe injuries, the hospital released the driver into police custody. Ann remarried after years of overcoming her loss. Kate grew up always seeing her father as a hero knowing that he was in a better place smiling down, still watching over her.
How easy it is to forget how to care about others. How easy it is to forget how to be selfless. It is easy to forget our carelessness and selfishness, but it is hard to forget the pain that is causes. Driving under the influence will cause pain and suffering to someone somewhere. Don't be the cause of that pain, think of the people you could harm or kill.