I felt a weight on me, paralyzing me. I couldn't move. I'm dead. I'm trapped inside my body, yet I can't control it. I thought ghosts could move? I thought I was positively dead, but then I gained the power to slowly, slowly open my eyes. It was so dark, and so, so cold. A slightly shattered windshield was in my view, along with a flashing orange light. The moose, the sound of the tires slicing against the ice, Tegan wailing my name. It was all making sense. I looked out the window again. We're in a ditch. I swerved to avoid the moose. I remembered the pressure on me, and tried as much as I could to lift my aching head down. I came to the realization that it was Tegans body causing the weight. She was straddling me, limp against me. Did she somehow roll onto me when we landed? I knew she was intentionally straddling me when I noticed the seat pulled back, and how her fingers were intertwined with mine. I let out a relieved sob, knowing that she wasn't instantly killed when we crashed. There's still hope that my reason of being is still alive.
I brought our linked hands up, and shook them. I was trying to pry our fingers apart so I could wake her up from what seems to be her slumber. But her fingers were so, so cold, It felt like they would break if I pulled away.
"Tee-Tegan," I whimpered, my voice barely there. I shook our hands again.
"Tegan," There were stings of cold shocking me, but I ignored them
I slowly brought my other shaking hand and one by one detached my fingers from hers. They were the slightest, slightest hint of purple. I sat up, taking Tegans face in mine, examining it. She was unbelievably white, her lips tinted blue and dried blood from her split lip a dark brown. I could swear I could see little flakes of snow on her eyelashes, and then looked to her back that was covered in white specks of snow from the shattered windshield allowing the light snow to fall onto her.
I grabbed her shoulders and shook her, until I felt her stir
"Lindsey…"
"You're ….you're alive…" She rasped, still half unconscious
She sat up, well tried and examined me, teeth chattering
" I thought you w-were dead, I could barely f-feel your heart" She sounded hysterical. Her erratic breathing suddenly stopped, and she reached up and when she touched my forehead I winced, but was distracted by the blood on her fingers when she pulled away. She let out a sob, and I quickly told her I was fine, while pulling her into me.
"I'm alive. I'm alive Tegan. Oh god! The moose..."
"The m-moose is okay, I made s-sure" She was now trembling against me
"What's going on?" I asked.."I don't…I can't"
"Shhh, Lindsey, we're o-okay,"
"I didn't say those things to Jake…. Sara misunderstood, Tee.."
'I know, I know. I'm s-sorry for being m-mad I j-just…."
"I understand Tegan.."
She hugged me close, shivering against me. She kissed my shoulder and I flinched at how freezing and hard her lips were and she again squeezed against me, shaking so violently. She was guarding me from the cold, while she was getting snow blown onto her.
"Let's get into the back of the car…the snow"
"I d-d-ddon't th-think I can M-move," When she said 'move' her voice went high pitched at the end.
I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed. Trying to gain friction, my numb hands turned wet from gliding over the snowflakes on her.
"Did you call 9-11?" I asked
"N-no S-Signal out here. N-no pay ph-phone"
"What do we do?"
"W-wait."
It's probably below zero out here. I'm terrified we'll die,
"How long have we been out here?"
"Hours."
It should be morning soon then.
As We lay here, Tegan trembling even in her half-conscious state, the thought that we're not going to make it never leaves my mind. I shook Tegans shoulder, because I haven't felt her violent trembles keeping me awake in a while.
When she didn't respond, I put my hand over her heart, searching for the feeling of it pumping beneath her skin, and relaxed when I felt it.
I could see the faint orange in the sky, but it was illuminating any light hardly. The snow was starting up again, and I felt as scared as ever, especially since I know I'm alone since Tegan isn't exactly here right now. She feels like cardboard against me.
I turned my head to the side, and examined the car a bit more. Chunks of glass occupied Tegans seat, and her phone was laying there. I lifted off my numb hand from Tegans back and didn't even bother shaking the snow off of it. I reached for the tiny phone and applied the slightest pressure to a button, scrunching my face up in pain as I did just to make the phone light up. I looked at the top of the screen and saw 1 bar of signal. I tried moving it around, and eventually I got 2, and took my chances and called the first person to come to mind.
"Hey Lindsey, I've been meaning to call you. AL told me you and Tegan went back to the hotel? You guys must be hiding in your room. Anyways, whats up with you calling so early, I mean I know you're an early riser and everything but wow,"
"Emy," I rasped, trying to get her attention as I stared at the hand shaped spot on tegans back. That was the only spot that wasn't covered in snow.
"And I heard about the fight. Is Tegan okay? We're sure Sara's nose is broken…she's been complaining non- stop."
"Emy!" I screeched
"Lindsey? What's wrong with your voice? Are you okay?"
"Tegan and I are in a ditch" I could hardly form sentences, and my teeth were starting to chatter again.
"You're what?"
"I swerved to not hit a moose, and the car is in a ditch, we need help"
"Oh my god! Did this just happen?"
"No"
"When the hell did it happen then? How long have you been in there!?"
"Since last night…Emy, I don't know where we are and Tegans sleeping on me and im so cold…I can't move or wake her up"
"Is she okay? How did she get on you…"
"She's fine…and I don't even know just help, please."
I heard her mumbling words to someone else, and then I could swear I just heard Saras voice…and then other voices
"You're in the rental, right?"
"Yeah,"
"Okay, we can call the company and ask them to track you down. Do you two need an ambulance?"
I thought about the answer for a second. I don't want to deal with an ambulance right now, and I'm sure Tegan doesn't want to go to the hospital. My mind is a little fuzzy, but Im sure its nothing to go to the hospital for.
"We don't need one. And I don't want one, I just want to be warm."
"I'm having Sara call the rental company as we speak. I'll stay on the phone with you while we pick you up, okay?"
"Mhm" I shivered violently again, and Tegan stirred against me
"Do you guys need me to bring anything?"
"Tegan?" I quaked, moving my shoulder up and down
"Tegan." I called, more sternly
She sucked in a huge breath, and then it shuttered out, turning into a shiver, before lying still again
"Is everything okay?" Emy asked
"I think so…where are you guys?"
"We're leaving now, you guys are a half an hour away, how did you get so far?"
"I guess the GPS took us on a different route."
"Before we leave, do you need anything, other than blankets?"
"A hot drink. Anything hot, extra large, for the two of us."
"You got it. I'm hopping in the car now, we should be there in 20, since AL's driving. Do you still want to stay on the phone?"
"No, I'm okay. I'm going to wake Tegan up,"
"Okay. Just hang in there Linds,"
"bye,"
We hung up, and I nudged Tegan constantly until she woke up
"Lindsey?" she asked, frightened
"Yeah, it's me Tee," she didn't move, she lay still while she asked me questions
"Are Y-you alr-right? T-Tell me what H-hurts," She tried to flex her fingers against my collarbone, when she asked, as a caring gesture
"My-my head, It hurts the most."
"I Th-think y-you h-hit it on th-the st-st-steering wheel," I cradled her head and tried playing with her hair
"Shhh, does it hurt to talk?"
"N-not r-really, J-just annoying,"
"Emy's on her way,"
"W-What?"
"I got a signal and called her, she's coming with blankets and hot drinks."
"Oh G-god. H-hot d-drinks," She moaned, tightening her grip on my shoulders.
"I need you to stay awake with me until they get here. Do you think you could do that for me?"
She nodded her head against me. It finally dawned on me that she might be injured
"Are you hurt? Is everything okay on you?"
"I'm f-fine. J-just c-cold. Are y-you s-sure y-you're okay? Y-you w-were out f-for a wh-while," I felt horrible for making her talk. It was obvious that it was hard on her. It was draining her energy.
"I just have a splitting headache, and I'm a little cold."
"I'm sc-scared you're r-really h-hurt," Another violent burst struck out of her again, but I ignored it. She did too.
"I'm sure I'm fine,"
"W-when is Emy g-gonna be h-here?"
"Soon,"
We both fell silent, as I listened and felt us both trembling against each other. I felt like Rose, and Tegan was Jack. My ears perked up to the sound of snow crunching, and then the sound of an engine being cut off, followed my multiple doors opening and closing.