Crashed CHAPTER 2

"Stand right here, and face the corner of the wall. Close your eyes, and try to balance while keeping your feet as close together as possible." The counselor has her hands rested on either side of my head, guiding me and ensuring I'm staying in the right position.

Balance in general had become somewhat difficult to me, but I was managing. The hard part was trying not to use my wings when I was about to fall over.

"Great. I'm sorry I have to keep putting you through these exercises, but you must understand that they are to help you." She gestures towards the huge round machine in the corner of the room. "We'll be using that next time. Bet you were wondering what that's for."

"Thanks again. I'll see you next week." I tell her, forcing a smile.

I push past the front doors, waving when I spot Blaze's car. She rolls down the window, lifting her huge sunglasses off her eyes. "Damn, that took forever."

"I told you, you didn't have to wait here for me." I told her as I climbed into the passenger seat. "I would've called you when I was done."

"Well, I mean, I didn't stay here. I got food." Blaze reaches into the back seat, producing a paper bag. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I might've gotten too much…"

"Thank you. What would I do without you?"

Blaze was someone who always thought ahead, and plans out everything she does. She's been that way since I met her in 3rd grade, when she transferred from another school.

She was always feared for her strange power of being able to control flames, summoning them with her own hands and doing with them as she pleases.

I was the only one who ever talked to her, knowing what powers she possessed. We grew up together, and now we live together.

"So, are you ready to go back to work tomorrow?" Blaze pulls out of the parking lot, a little too fast.

"Yeah, kinda. What's the rush? Stop driving so fast!" My fingers dug into the seat.

"Sorry Rouge, but Silver is going to be here today and I need to see him." Blaze's face was practically lit up with her smile.

Silver is Blaze's boyfriend, but I've only seen him a handful of times. Blaze tells me he just works a lot, and has things (although what things she's talking about, I'll never know) to take care of. I'm not sure I believe her, but hey, that's her business.

"Well stop driving so fast, unless you want me to break my ribs again!"

The car slowed down, and Blaze's ears flattened with guilt. "I-I'm sorry. Just got a little over-excited." Her hand reached over to pat my shoulder.

I closed my eyes and willed my heart to stop beating so erratically, and waited for her to pull into the complex's parking lot.

Blaze practically shoved me out of the car, she couldn't wait to make it upstairs. "I wonder if he's here already. I hope he didn't bring me flowers, he knows I hate those. Why not something practical? You know what I mean?"

I had to fly to keep up with her. "Yeah, I know."

She dropped the keys a total of three times before she got the door open. "I haven't seen him in—well, a long time."

Blaze tells me that when she sees Silver, it's never here, which is why I've only seen him a few times. He prefers dates on the town, I guess.

Come to think of it, I think I've only been seeing him on their anniversaries. So, like, four times? They've been together for five years then, as of today.

Blaze almost accidentally set the ground on fire when she saw him, standing in the middle of the living room. Silver opened his arms and flashed a wide smile, letting Blaze leap on him and wrap her legs around him.

Silver was wearing the same leather jacket and black jeans from the last time I saw him. Does he ever change?

"Hey, Rouge." Silver smiled at me from around Blaze's head. I gave a slight wave, then headed off to my room to give them some alone time. I could almost hear the make out session on the couch.

I collapsed onto my bed, stuffing my face into one of my many purple-and-black pillows. I felt exhausted, and I wanted nothing but the sweet relief of sleep, even though it was only almost 4:00.

I rolled over, pulling out my new phone. I had to replace my old one, which got destroyed in the accident, along with all the pictures and music held within. "What am I gonna do." I huffed, staring at the screen. No one to talk to, no one to call and ask stupid pointless questions like "How has your day been?" "Watch anything interesting on TV?"

You'd think I could call my parents, but they're not exactly the kind of people I'd like to call Mom and Dad.

Mom was a whore, Dad was just plain crazy.

My mom dealt with my alcoholic dad beating her, mentally abusing her, and him doing the same to me up until the day she died.

On my 18th birthday.

That day was definitely something I have always wished to forget, but with no success. It was the day my Dad got just a little too drunk, hit her a little too hard, and for a little too long.

While I had to sit and watch.

And while he serves his sentence, I don't believe he'll ever feel a sliver of guilt. He'll never care how much I hate him, or how much he'd hurt me.

Reliving the painful memory made me even more tired, and soon enough, I gave into sleep.

I opened my eyes to be greeted with the scene of the accident. The sky was dark and dotted with stars, unlike the sunny sky I last saw when it actually happened. There were no cars around except for the three crushed together in the middle of the road.

I covered my agape mouth, unable to bear the sight before my eyes. The car in the middle was absolutely crushed. There's no way someone could recover from that.

I stayed rooted where I stood. Are they… still in there?

I walked around to the other side, maintaining my distance. There I was, lying on the road, unconscious. "Wake up!" I yelled to myself, overcome with rage and sadness. "You're not dead!"

I ran over to my own side. I saw every cut, every wound, and they were fresh. Nothing's cleaned up yet. There's blood… everywhere…

I glanced around, anxious. "Someone, help! There's been an accident—"

The hand of my past self suddenly grabs onto me, blood seeping between her fingers. "I'm not the one you need to worry about."

A scream escaped from my mouth. Looking at myself like this… it's… creepy as hell.

"Wh-what are you—"

"He needs you, Rouge."

"Who? Who needs me? They're already dead! What the hell am I supposed to do?!" I pounded my fists on the gravel, letting my tears rain down on Past Me's face.

Suddenly the whole scene starts to fade. I desperately grip onto my own bloody hand, shaking myself. "Tell me, please!"

"Look out."

Bright lights blind me, and I soon realize the source of the lights are the headlights of a car. Coming right towards me.

I wake up screaming.

"Rouge! Are you okay?" Blaze is sitting beside me, with Silver hovering over her.

I wiped they stray tears from my eyes. "J-just a nightmare. That's all."

"I heard you screaming and crying, and I rushed in here. You scared the shit out of me." Her eyes stared into mine, widened with shock. "I've never heard you scream like that before."

"I just… it was…" I imagined the far-away look in my own eyes. I imagined the blood, the fresh wounds, the awkward position of my own body after it was flung through the windshield. "I saw myself. I was at the scene of the accident and—"

"Rouge, you don't need to talk about it. I can hear how close you are to crying again. Just tell me about it later." Blaze offered a smile before pulling me into a hug.

Silver stood behind Blaze, shifting his weight between his feet. "Have you had dreams like this before?"

"Well, no, not that I remember. This is the first one since the accident happened." I told him, offering what little information I had. No, I have not had dreams of my accident until today. I'm sure I'd remember something as traumatic as the dream I had to witness.

Silver kept glancing at Blaze, seemingly anxious to get her away. "Blaze, I need to talk to you. Now."

"But Silver—"

"Blaze, it's important. I have to go soon." The expression on Silver's face showed pain, the pain of having to be away from Blaze. But, why so soon?

"Why? Did I do something? I'm sorry if I ruined your—"

"No, Rouge, you didn't ruin anything." Blaze squeezed my knee. "I'll be right back."

Blaze slowly trudged out the door behind Silver, and slammed it shut.

Boy, did she seem pissed off.

I couldn't help but press my ear against the door. They were speaking so quietly I could barely understand anything.

"Blaze, you know what those dreams mean. I have to go." Silver's suddenly gruff voice startled me.

"I didn't think about that… But I don't want to be without you again." Blaze was on the verge of tears, I could hear her voice trembling.

"I'm sorry this—this was really unexpected. But I have to find him now or—"

"You could lose him. I know."

"I can only go off of what she saw. We're lucky it happened while I was already here." I saw their shadows shifting, likely hugging each other.

"Yeah, we're the lucky ones who have to deal with the two who—"

"Shh, Blaze, she might hear you."

I backed away from the door. I might hear what?

I suddenly was overcome with the intense feeling of anger. What the hell are they keeping from me?

"You have to keep this a secret." Silver whispered.

After all that's happened to me, now Blaze is keeping secrets from me?

I shoved the door open. "And what, exactly, might I hear?"

Blaze was standing alone in the living room. "What are you talking about?"

"W-where's Silver? And what were you two talking about? What about my dream made him have to leave?" I clenched my fists

"Rouge, I don't know what you're talking about. Silver just had an emergency to attend to. Hopefully he'll be back soon." The cat motioned for me to sit on the couch with her.

She was acting weird. The look on her face, the tone in her voice, and just her entire demeanor was off. "You guys were acting pretty secretive."

"Rouge, we weren't even talking about you—"

"Bullshit."

"Rouge please drop it—"

"No, Blaze, tell me—"

"Rouge, god dammit!" Blaze stared daggers into my eyes. Her entire body tensed up.

Suddenly, I forgot why I was so mad.

"Rouge, I'm sorry your dream upset you so much, but you don't need to yell about it. Please, just sit down." Blaze sat on the couch and patted the space next to her.

Right, my dream. Was I really yelling at her because of it?

I felt dizzy, and to make it worse, a headache was coming on. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I was so angry…"

Blaze's face washed over with relief. "Let's watch a movie, okay?"

"Y-yeah, okay."