Social Short Story – The Girl in the White Dress
Image© Anand Vishnu Prakash, YourStoryClub.com
“I was running late, that’s why I was speeding. I had a meeting in five minutes that could make or break my career.” I sputter the words out, unable to soak in the horrific events that had just taken place. I thought about how I was arguing with the man when really, there was no excuse.
“So you had a meeting, huh? And that was worth the life that was lost?” The policeman was staring at me with cold, bright green eyes, and I shuddered as the dark memories repeated themselves over and over again in my mind. My brain was focused nowhere but at the scene.
“Well no, but….” I sank into my chair, head spinning. I must’ve hit my head hard.
I moved my eyes slightly to see the badge on the policeman’s chest. In little letters with numbers beside it was the name Barnes. I bet he woke up thinking today would be a good day, with the sun so bright and blinding. Mr. Barnes must be playing bad cop. The other cop that came in before him was a tall, built guy with sloppy blonde hair and he brought me cold water and other different things that would calm me down. I needed him so dearly, I was about to burst like a fragile soap bubble. I wanted to hide in a corner and cry until the memories faded away. I wanted to go back in time and change this whole thing. But it was already too late.
My thoughts traveled yet again to the morning, the tragic day even started out bad. My alarm clock didn’t go off as usual, with its annoying and droning beeping. I looked at the clock and jumped out of my bed. I threw on my pencil skirt and blouse and ran out of the door with my black high heels in hand. Then I turned my car on and the clock read 10:15. Immediately my heart started racing for the fear of losing my job.
“What? No! It can’t be that time already!” I screamed at my rearview mirror, like it would change anything. I was trying to sell a piece of expensive real estate with some of the big dogs who are very impatient. My boss’s words rang through my skull and burned my eyes, well I guess the burning sensation could’ve actually been my tears that now freely streamed down my thin, tan face.
“ This is huge for us, Belle. This could either make or break your career so don’t be late. These people are impatient and nasty. They are animals. If they don’t get their way they will move on to a different company for probably even more land than we can give. It’s as simple as that. I need you to sell this spot of land. It’s one hundred acres for crying out loud! I know you can make me proud, and if you don’t, well, you can start packing your office.”
“Yes, of course sir.” I stuttered through gritted teeth.
I slowly came back into reality from my thoughts and wiped my eyes. I glared at myself once more for acting like such a child. My office was seven minutes away, I could make it in three.
“I can do this,” I told myself. I sped out of my driveway and down the highway.
“ It’s a bright and sunny day, it just started out bad.” I said aloud as if it would make everything perfect again. I dashed down the highway. The trees started turning into a blur of greens. The road seemed very empty so I wasn’t worried about vehicles getting in my way. I knew that barely anyone was ever on this road. Even the cops don’t bother coming this way because it’s so empty. I got to a turn and sped up even more. All the way to eighty, I even checked.
Unfortunately checking was my mistake because I looked up a second too late. A flash of sunlight blinded me enough to go over the two yellow lines a bit. I saw a huge semi come tumbling towards me. My brain was still groggy from crying, so I wasn’t able to react to the vehicle as quickly as I should have.
My mind snapped back into action as I swerved out of the monstrous vehicle’s path. But in my path after the semi was a van. With a family inside. A girl in the back opened her mouth wide in shock as I crushed the side of their van with my vehicle. The girl shot back towards the trunk window.
The truck that veered around the corner was white. I remembered that clearly because when that white truck hit my vehicle I rolled on the little girl’s fragile body. Her bones cracking and crushing under my car. The shrieks from her mother who just woke up from passing out. Then she faints again of fright and the sight of her child dead before her eyes.
The whole accident happened in slow motion. I could see everyone’s reaction and the detail of horror on their faces. Even as I was rolling down into the ditch I saw the glimmer of an earring from the woman’s ear. Everybody was buckled in. Everybody except the innocent girl.
Before I passed out, I looked back over to the girl in a long white dress now stained red with a smashed figure inside of it. Her face was distorted and ripped up from glass shards shattered everywhere. Her leg was up to her chest making her look like a creepy rag doll that scared people on Halloween. I was scared. I closed my eyes and dreamt of holding the child in my arms, we were laughing and playing together in a meadow. Purple flowers dotted the field we romped in and we were both so happy….
I woke up too soon and I didn’t want the dream to end. I was expecting to be laying in a soft hospital bed. Instead I woke up in a room with a long school table and two hard chairs. One on both ends. I got up from the one I was sitting in and looked to my left. There was a mirror which looked like it should be a window. I sighed and sat back down. Looking down to my leg I saw a large green bruise and some little cuts which were the only injuries that tainted my body. Yet I couldn’t stop thinking of that little girl with a pale face, the slick dark hair, and the white dress. She was so easily injured. Then I thought about her family, and how they would never be the same again.
–END–
