Mary’s eyes were locked on Lucas’s lifeless body, her breath was shallow and erratic. The accident had just happened—mere seconds ago, yet those seconds felt like an eternity. Time itself seemed to mock her, stretching every moment into an unbearable expanse of sorrow. Just minutes ago, they had been so full of life, laughter echoing through the car as the rain began to fall. Now, the world had shifted into something unrecognizable, a place where joy was a distant memory.
The car’s twisted remains were a grotesque reminder of how fragile life truly was. The metal bent at unnatural angles, the windshield shattered into a thousand tiny shards that glittered like stars against the black asphalt. But it wasn’t the wreckage that held Mary’s attention. It was Lucas—her Lucas—whose life had been so violently ripped away.
She could still see his eyes, though they were no longer vibrant, no longer full of the warmth that had always comforted her. Now, they were empty, voids that seemed to stare back at her with a hollow, accusing gaze. A part of her wanted to believe that some trace of him lingered there, some essence of the man she loved. But all she saw was desolation and death, a death that was slowly consuming her with each passing second.
The rain intensified, pounding against the crumpled car and the slick road, as if nature itself was mourning Lucas’s loss. The water mixed with the blood on her hands, turning everything a sickly shade of crimson. Mary’s vision started to get blurry, not just from the tears that streamed down her face, but from the sheer weight of her grief. The world around her became hazy, a dreamlike state where nothing felt real, yet the pain was all too tangible.
She could feel herself vanishing, her strength waning as the shock began to give way to an overwhelming exhaustion. Everything around her seemed to move in slow motion, the sounds of distant sirens muffled as if coming from another world. She knew the time was coming, the moment when she too would surrender to the darkness that beckoned her. There was a twisted sense of peace in that thought, a release from the torment that threatened to consume her.
But as she began to let go, her mind flooded with memories of Lucas—memories that refused to let her slip away so easily.
Yet, amidst the flood of memories, a new sensation crept in—doubt. A nagging feeling that something wasn’t right, that there was more to this accident than she understood. The memory of the crash was hazy, obscured by the shock and pain, but certain details began to stand out, sharp and clear against the fog of her mind. The way the car had suddenly veered off the road, the inexplicable loss of control, the fleeting glimpse of a figure on the roadside just before everything went black.
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Had she really lost control, or had something—or someone—caused the crash?
The thought was enough to jolt her out of her stupor, if only slightly. She forced her eyes open, fighting against the pull of unconsciousness. She needed to know, needed to understand what had happened. Her gaze shifted away from Lucas, towards the road ahead, where the rain poured down in relentless sheets.
There, just at the edge of her vision, she saw it—a dark figure standing motionless by the roadside, barely visible through the downpour. It was too far away to make out any details, but the sight of it sent a chill down her spine. Who could be out there in this weather? And why were they just standing there, watching?
A sense of unease settled over her, replacing the numbness with something colder, more insidious. She wanted to cry out, to call for help, but her voice was lost, swallowed by the storm and the despair that gripped her. The figure didn’t move, didn’t react, just stood there as if waiting for something—or someone.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden burst of light—a flash of lightning that illuminated the scene in stark, harsh detail. For a split second, the figure on the roadside was bathed in light, and Mary saw it clearly. It was a man, tall and gaunt, with eyes that seemed to pierce through the rain and darkness. He was watching her, his expression unreadable, his presence unnerving.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the lightning faded, and the figure was gone. Mary blinked, unsure if she had really seen him or if her mind was playing tricks on her. But the unease remained, a gnawing fear that refused to be dismissed.
She turned her attention back to Lucas, desperate for some comfort, some reassurance. But his lifeless eyes offered none. She was alone, truly alone, with nothing but the storm and the encroaching darkness for company.
The sirens grew louder, closer now, but they brought no relief. Instead, they filled her with a sense of dread, as if they were heralding something far worse than the accident that had already torn her world apart. She felt herself vanishing again, her strength finally gave out as the cold seeped into her bones.