Other Books by Rashaad Bell
Alphabetical Genocide
Forgotten Future Anthology
Fledgling ~Vampire Manifesto Book Two
Copyright © 2012 Rashaad Bell
“There is no such thing as a bad idea. Just poorly executed awesome ones.”
~Damon Salvatore~
Dedicated to my Mom
Gail Leonard.
Thanks for always standing in my corner and opening up my imagination at a young age.
Chapter 1
Death becomes her…
I attempted to open my eyes, fighting through the pain. All I wanted to do was sleep, to just lay here where it’s nice and warm, but someone keeps screaming at me. They sound so far away, it’s difficult for me to make out the words, but the voice, the voice is so familiar. They sound so desperate, so sad. I wonder what’s gotten them so upset? I hope everything is okay.
“MADISON!”
They sound so much closer now. Why is it so warm? It feels good; the way the heat feels against my body, but...
“It’s been over ten minutes.”
“Shut up!”
“I don’t think she’s coming back.”
I hear people talking; I think they’re talking about me.
“Wake up Madison, please, oh God, please wake up!”
Somebody is crying. They seem so sad. Please don’t be sad. Come and play with me, come where it’s warm…
“Did you see that?”
“Where the hell are the paramedics?”
“I think she just moved.”
I struggled with everything I have to open my eyes. I want to see why everyone is so sad. I want to tell them everything is gonna be okay. Just come with me where it’s warm and pretty.
“That’s it Madison! Focus on my voice. Just focus. You can do it.”
I tried to whisper, but it burned my throat to speak, everything hurt so badly and the warmth is going away. Please don’t go away Mr. Warm! I like you. You make me feel all toasty on the inside.
Pain flared across my body, so much pain, such terrible misery. My back arched upwards and I screamed. My vision was returning slowly, however I wasn’t able to make out details yet.
And everybody knows that
the Devil is in the details.
Everything was just a glob of bright and dark shadows. Someone was holding me, supporting my head in their arms. I could feel the ground underneath me.
It felt like concrete.
“Come on Madison, that’s it. That’s it. Thank you God! Thank you!”
Recognition came slowly. The voice was so familiar.
“Aiden?” I whispered.
“Yeah Madison, it’s me. Just hang on, help is coming.”
He was crying. I couldn’t tell if it was because he was happy or if he was sad. Everything was so hazy. It hurt to think, to move, to breath, it just hurt all over.
“She’s alive!” His head was turned when he spoke. Someone else is here, just behind him. I can’t see them, but I can hear them running over.
“Are you sure?”
They’re right next to me now; I can feel their hands on my neck. I recognize the voice. It’s…it’s…damn, why can’t I remember?
“Of course I’m sure!” Aiden cried out.
I was starting to make out faces now. I could see my brothers face. He was still crying. It was so bright behind him. I think something must be on fire.
Wow. The stars look so beautiful tonight. Strange, but beautiful.
“It’s been over fifteen minutes.” The other person said. “Doesn’t the brain shut down without oxygen after eight?”
“How the hell should I know?” Aiden replied.
“The only…the only person…brain dead…here…is…your mom.” It still hurt to talk, but the pain was subsiding. Not just in my throat, but everywhere. It didn’t hurt to breath anymore.
“Freaking Madison.” The person laughed. “Everything is gonna be okay, I can hear the ambulance now.
“Terry…is that…is that you?” I didn’t hurt anymore. The pain was totally gone. I was still having trouble thinking straight, the words seemed all jumbled up in my mind to the point that it was difficult to correlate them into working sentences.
“Yes Madison. Try not to speak. Save your strength.” Terry was holding my hand. His fingers were soft.
“What…what happened?” I still couldn’t remember how I got here; I didn’t understand what was going on.
“There was an accident.” Aiden said.
“An…accident?” Why can’t I remember anything?
“There was a deer. Aiden swerved to miss it, but the car flipped.” Explained Terry. “You didn’t have your seatbelt on. You went through the front window.”
“Oh no.” I said weakly. “Well that doesn’t sound like fun.”
“No it doesn’t.” Aiden was caressing my hair. “You, well, you kinda died for a minute.”
“More like fifteen minutes.” Terry added.
“Dude, shut up.” Aiden hadn’t stopped crying yet. “But it’s okay, everything is gonna be okay now.”
“I…I think…” Terry was trying to speak, but he was stumbling over his words. He placed his hand against his temple. “I…I think I…”
“Hey, you okay?” Aiden asked. “You sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”
The blood drained from his face suddenly. “I…I don’t feel very well.” Terry collapsed without warning, his body just collapsing to the ground.
“Terry!” Aiden scrambled over to him, checking his pulse. “No-no-no-no!” He started doing CPR, counting the chest compressions aloud, then pinching Terry’s nose and breathing into his mouth.
I heard a roar behind me. When I turned to look, I saw what was left of my car; it was a mangled mass of wrecked steel and burning fiberglass. Through the flames, I could see the Ambulance pulling to a stop, the Paramedics hopping out of the back and running towards us.
“Stand aside Sir, now!” One of the Paramedics yelled as they immediately took over. There were two of them working on Terry, trying to revive him, but it just wasn’t...
“He’s not breathing! I’ve got no pulse!” The Paramedic screamed, ripping open Terry’s t-shirt, his chest completely exposed.
The second Paramedic charged up the defibrillator. “CLEAR!”
Electric current poured into Terry, making his body twitch and jerk upwards. “Still no pulse.”
“CLEAR!”
His body arched upwards again. The first Paramedic placed his ear next to Terry’s mouth. “I’ve got nothing.”
“Come on buddy, come on! Nobody dies tonight. Everybody goes home.” They resumed CPR.
“CLEAR!”
This went on for a while. A lot longer than fifteen minutes. The paramedics just refused to give up on Terry. They refused to quit.
Until they finally did.
“This guy’s gone.” Said the second Paramedic softly. “I’m calling it. Time of death: April 6th, 6:20 am.
I just sat there, not fully understanding what had just happened. He seemed perfectly fine. He was okay. How is he…I’m the one who died, yet Terry, he’s the one who is dead. How is that possible? How is that even close to fair? That should have been me. That was me and now he’s gone, just like that. Right in front of my eyes.
I’m the one who died.
I couldn’t fight back the tears any longer, I could feel them trickling down the side of my face. I had been holding them in check up until now, praying for a different outcome, but my prayers were in vain. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. They said I was dead for over fifteen minut
es. Fifteen minutes, yet I feel fine. Better then fine in fact. It was crazy to even contemplate it, especially after what just happened, but I feel… refreshed, physically rejuvenated, like I just had a really good workout. I don’t feel like I was in an accident, let alone dead.
What makes me so special that I get to live and he gets to die?
Aiden was on the phone. He was talking to our parents, explaining to them what happened. The Paramedics were checking me out, making sure I was okay, but I hardly noticed. I wanted to tell them to leave me alone, that I felt fine, but I kept my thoughts to myself.
They were talking to my brother Aiden now, trying to get him off the phone, but by then I had zoned everything out. I just sat on the ground, next to the burning catastrophe that was my car, staring at Terry’s body. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Isn’t somebody gonna put a white blanket or a sheet over him? Do they even do that in real life or is that just in the movies? His eyes were still open. I wanted to get up and close them myself, but I didn’t. Terry was looking up at the stars. It was probably the last thing that he saw. At least they were beautiful tonight.
My name is Madison Amber Rose. This is the story of how I died.