The first thing Sam noticed when she woke up was the sky. It was ominously dark, with heavy clouds and the smell of rain still clinging to the cold air. The second, and probably more important, was that she was already late!She had been postponing going to University for the last three years, trying to decide what she really wanted to do with her life.
Her parents, even though she had loved them deeply, never hid their desire for their daughter to be successful and follow on their footsteps. But the truth was, Law school had never been her thing.
When they were alive, she simply changed subjects or didn"t compromise when they tried to talk about her future, a technique mastered and improved along the years. But when they were gone, she simply didn"t have the hart to do anything.
Sam still remembered those dark days... The endless pain, the self recrimination, the tears, the feeling of being powerless to do anything. When the time to du her Entrance Exam pa.s.sed, she actually felt relieved for the excuse not to dwell on that any longer.
It took her three years of bad choices to get back on her feet, decide to start her own business and subscribe to a Business Management course at University. She had had it all: the idea, the funds (painstakingly saved from her inheritance) and, soon enough, the degree to wrap everything up.
And then she decided that David, The b.a.s.t.a.r.d, was a good choice.
"Not dwelling on this right now!" she reminded herself, putting on her everyday clothes and jumping into a par of all-stars. One last look at the time on her phone was enough to decide there was no time for breakfast either.
Running trough the kitchen as if the devil was on her heels, she stopped long enough just to gobble a yogurt and pick a granola bar. "This will have to do!".
Samanta decided to do a mental checklist on the most important topics she had studied while driving, which would guarantee that her mind wouldn"t wander to unwanted places. So, as usual, she put Queen to play on the radio just loud enough to be a background sound, connected her phone to the car system and started hading to the city center, where the exam would be held.
The rain started on the ending of the second music.
"Perfect! Just. Perfect!" Samanta complained, looking angrily at the sty though the windshield. On the ONE day she forgot to pick up her umbrella, water had to start falling from the sky like it was the da*m Deluge all over again!
Just then, the music was replaced by the sound of her ringtone, screaming though the car speakers like there was no tomorrow.
"Dammit!" she mumbled, looking quickly at the still green traffic lights before extending her hand to pick up the phone from the pa.s.senger seat and see the name on the screen.
Sam felt her blood boil like hot lava.
"What do you want?" she almost yelled after punching the speaker b.u.t.ton.
David"s voice was a bit subdued, almost pleading when he answered.
"Sam! Thank G.o.d you answered! I called you nonstop last night! I..."
"My not picking up should"ve Benn answer enough David!" she retorted, her hands tightening around the wheel "Now stop bothering me!".
"Sam, Sam please! Listen sweetheart" she closed her eyes for a second, trying to breath trough the hatred pilling on her throat "We need to talk. Please. it"s not what you"re thinking!"
Oh-oh! She wanted to laugh, and punch a hole through his had. And laugh a bit more. On the back of her mind, Sam pondered whether she was finally becoming hysterical.
"I didn"t understand, hun? You must think I"m really stupid to believe Avery sh*t you throw at me!"
"Of course not! Sam, I love you! All I did was..."
"If you really loved me, you would have helped me! Would have respected all my efforts to make a name for myself! My G.o.d David, I told you everything! I told how hard it was, how I was putting all my cards on that stupid formula!" she screamed, angry tears running down her cheeks as her eyes were completely blinded by rage "And if you think, just for one second, that this pathetic attempt of apologizing will stop me from suing your a*s, so wake up! We"ll see each other on court!".
With another burst of anger, she punched the calling b.u.t.ton and cursed herself for not turning her cellphone completely off before leaving her apartment. It was not like she was expecting an important call or anything. Amelia knew she would not pick up until before the test was over, and all her other contacts were just acquaintances she could go without.
Of course David would try to talk to her! After she cursed and threatened him with a law suit, Sam KNEW he would try to get on her good graces again. Why she even picked up the call was another mystery.
Maybe she was a bit of a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t, who knows?
"Oh my head hurts" she mumbled to herself, closing her tired eyes for a split second.
A split second that changed everything.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of car brakes and tires burning of the asphalt floor. her eyes opened wide and she tried to turn the wheel, but there was no time. She could she the petrified look on the young driver"s face before her head b.u.mped agains the steering wheel. Her ears seemed to burst with the deafening sound of the steel tearing itself apart while the vehicle flipped over and the gla.s.s exploded, sending shards of gla.s.s everywhere.
There was the smell of gasoline and the faint sound of screams that wouldn"t stop. Pain engulfed her body as the lethargy crept nearer by the second. There was the feeling of the rain still falling somewhere far aways, and the burning sensation on her throat and limbs.
Her eyes closed, her body trembling with cold... And then, only the darkness was left.
With some misguided attempt at humor, her last though before everything went black was that, on this life, the last person to talk to her would be her treacherous ex-boyfriend.
The heavens had a terribly distorted sense of humor.
"At least someone will get out of this happy" she thought tiredly "It seams I won"t be suing him anymore".
Oh my, this all simply had to be a dream.
A very bad dream!