Accident By D.I. Jolly
Jerome laughed at his son, who was 8 minutes into a telling a story that hadn’t actually started yet. He liked listening to those kinds of stories, he knew they’d never resolve but enjoyed seeing how his son’s mind worked. After blinking the tears out of his eyes, the red traffic light suddenly appeared and his heart leapt into his throat. He slammed on the breaks and with his eyes forced opened watched the car skid at speed towards the crossing pedestrians. Unconsciously noting down, an old woman with a pram, two children with school bags, teenage girl and boyfriend and my son isn’t wearing his seatbelt. As the world started moving in slow motion a cold sick feeling spread over his body and for just an instant thought he would throw up. Then there was a crash, the sound of shattering glass and it seemed like everyone in the world started to scream.
Jerome sat up suddenly gasping, frantically blinking the sleep from his eyes. The room was dark and the sick feeling had carried with him but a sudden overpowering wave of relief hit him.
“Oh thank god, thank god, it… it was just a dream, oh thank god.”
Before his eyes could adjust arms wrapped around him and kisses started being dotted around his face. As the blur faded his wife came into view and he could see the dark circles under her eyes and the look of fear on her face. As he blinked and looked around he dimly became aware that he was in his bed at home.
“Where, what happened?”
Tears rolled like streams down her face and the world around him shattered.
“No, no it … it was a dream… it… it was a dream.”