Thanks XOXOserenityXOXO , xSmallLadySerenity13, kimdc413, maxridelover, mel77able , Awesomegirl789, mranime23, MarronChestnut, Starfire Grace , BTfan11, SSJ Pikachu, Gohan123, annony, Coolgurl123, LeximusPrime08, Junior VB,The Professor47 , and anyone else I might've forgotten for reviewing, and favoriting this story!
Don't forget to leave a review again, depending on responses, this story can go one of two ways. . .you'll understand as you read through the chapter ;) By the way, scientific names were looked up, the only scientific name I know for sure is Canis Lupus. Hopefully none of the names were wrong.
Loosely based on a real incident My Twin endured. Fictionalized for this chapter.
The Accident.
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The nightmares came to me every night, but I could never remember them when I awoke.
"It must be anxiety," Mom said, leaning forward, her grin growing wider." I bet if you told me what the fight between you, Marron, and Pan was about, the nightmares will go away."
Even though Pan came to see Brother that one time, there was no communication between us. For once, I didn't push the nosy woman away. Maybe she's right. Maybe I do need to talk to someone and get everything off my chest.
Mom could tell I was finally going to open up to her, but Brother butted into the conversation with a solution of his own." I know what will cheer you up! Would you like to come with Giru and me on a little road trip?"
I glanced at the black truck. It was an old model people used to drive before the invention of hover cars. For some reason the design appealed to Brother, since he hand-picked it to transport two newer Capsule Bikes.
"Sure." I agreed. It was the first time Brother had ever invited me to go somewhere with him, a big change from when we were little, when all he wanted was to get rid of me." Where are we going?"
Thwack! Mom slapped Brother on the head, furious that he had distracted me from pouring out my secrets.
Brother laughed, rubbing his head where Mom had hit him." Sage City. I plan on driving through the night, so we should make it there around eight."
Giving us twenty-four hours to do some brother-sister bonding.
"Great. I'll get my purse."
.
.
.
Giru sat on the dashboard with his back facing us, acting as the truck's GPS system. The little bot enjoyed talking. Brother and I had nothing to talk about, so we were grateful for Giru's company.
"I spy a. . .Phaethontidae Psittaciformes. Giru,giru."
I watched the corner of Brother's mouth curl up. He knew the answer. The amusement of me making the wrong guess kept him from speaking up. It was starting to become annoying. My brother and his robot were teaming up against me.
"I don't know." I shrugged." A tree?"
"Wrong answer! Trunks?"
"It's a crow," Brother said, pulling into the gas station.
"That was my second guess." I growled.
"Okay," Brother laughed." This is the last stop for a few hours. I suggest you use the restroom and stock up on snacks now." He paused, digging into his wallet for his credit card." We'll be passing through Mt. Paozu on our way to Tali Mountain."
Pan and Goten's faces flashed through my mind.
"I don't want to see them," I decided, closing the passenger door gently.
Brother nodded, then began to instruct Giru on how to refuel the truck. I wasn't aware of the details between his and Goten's friendship. He never mentioned Goten or moped around the house like me, but I could tell their friendship wasn't the same. Goten never came by to visit anymore, and I couldn't help but feel it was my fault.
.
.
We sat on the hood of the truck, parked beside the highway, watching cars zoom past. I insisted Brother pull over to eat his store-bought burrito, using the excuse that he was getting beans all over his black shirt
"Are you feeling okay?" Brother asked, noticing that I had been staring at my hamburger instead of eating it.
"I'm not hungry." Guilt kept my appetite away. What if Goten senses me nearby and confronts me about the Valese incident?
We listened to Giru chomp on his wrench.
"Pan still wants to be your friend, she's just embarrassed to tell you because of me." Brother said, leaning back on the windshield. The reflection of the setting sun transparent in the glass, muddied by the bug guts. Ew. Why didn't he wash the windshield at the gas station?
"She shouldn't have made a love confession if she was going to be embarrassed about it later." Pan wasn't one to embarrass easily. She must like my brother more than I thought.
"I'm sure she'll come around. Goten too."
He said it with a smile, sounding so sure of himself.
"Mmm. That tasted good. Giru loved wrench. Giru want more." The little robot's red eye flashed as it caught sight of the radio antenna.
Brother sat up and jumped off the hood before Giru could get his hands on the antenna or something more important.
"Can I drive?" I asked, my pulse racing. I needed to distract myself from Goten and driving seemed like a good idea. Most teenagers were already driving, except for me. Dad didn't have the patience, and Mom was too busy to teach me. Yeah, I could fly a plane and fly with my chi, but I wanted to be normal. Normal girls drove cars.
Brother tossed me the keys and told me to get in.
.
.
.
I practiced the basics in a supermarket parking lot before Brother would allow me to drive on the highway.
"Turn on your headlights." Brother said, nervously chuckling as the windshield wipers started to move instead.
"I can't find the switch. Where is it?" I panicked, driving blindly in the night on Tali Mountain Road, which was rocky and not paved. Brother reached over and switched on the headlights, making the road easier to see.
"Relax Bulla. You're doing good. Just relax."
"Bulla should slow down. Going too fast. Giru, giru." The robot glanced back at me before facing the gravel road again." I spy a Cervidae."
"We're not playing I Spy." I said, looking at Brother." Are we?"
Brother's eyes widened and he slammed his foot into the floor, tapping an invisible break that didn't exist, yelling." DEER!"
I faced the road. Coming into the headlight's beams was a single deer too stupid to get out of the way. Dad would've accelerated and hit the deer, but I slammed on my break, forcing the truck to come to a sudden and painful stop. We lurched forward, our seatbelts keeping us from flying out, then throwing us back into the seats like a slingshot.
Giru fell into the seat and tumbled to the floor beside Brother's feet.
We felt sick to our stomachs, but we were fine.
The deer's left ear rotated, then it jumped out of the road and up the embankment.
"Stupid animal." I smiled." At least it's ali-"
Something hit us, a large speeding car I hadn't noticed was driving behind us. There wasn't time to think as the truck pushed forward, the right tire disappearing over the cliff first. We jerked to the right as the truck flipped, our bodies tense as it kept flipping and rolling down the mountain.
The sound of the truck crushing and windows shattering was deafening, along with my screams. It was an uncomfortable ride we had no control over, and I wanted it to come to a stop. So this is how laundry feels when it's in the washing machine, I thought.
We would've fallen forever if it wasn't for the one tree that caught us.
.
.
"Ugh." I groaned, irritated that my long hair was touching the floor, which was actually the ceiling." Why'd we have to stop upside down?" My attitude changed once I saw the electric sparks coming from Giru." Oh no."
"Bulla, are you okay?" Brother grunted, ripping off his seatbelt and falling next to Giru.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied, realising that my brother's head was bleeding."Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. Don't worry about me." Brother said, coming off as unconvincing.
"I feel dizzy." I said, unsure if it was because I was still hanging upside down or if it was the strong smell coming from the truck." I think the gasoline is leaking."
Brother produced a knife, crawled to my side of the truck, and began sawing at my seatbelt. I fell out, but it wasn't a long drop to the floor. Most of the truck had caved in during the time it rolled down the cliff.
Freeing me from my seat took the last of Brother's energy.
He coughed and warm liquid covered my arm, which would've grossed me out any other time if he wasn't desperately gripping my wrist. His body trembled, too weak to support himself, and I could tell that Brother was very sleepy.
I wanted to pass out myself. The smell was horrible, giving us headaches as the gasoline dripped from the ceiling and onto us. But most of all, I was relieved we were alive. Brother could repair Giru after we got out of the truck and away from the putrid smell.
"Not bad for your first time," Brother smiled.
I smiled weakly back at him." Maybe I should stick to flying."
"That's a good idea." Brother laughed, coughing halfway. He lowered his head onto my arm, keeping his gaze locked on me." Bulla. . . go find Goten. Hurry."
I shook my head." No. I need to get you out of here first."
"Out! Now!" Brother shouted, wincing in pain.
I quickly crawled out of the truck through my broken window, scraping my knees against the glass shards, not daring to argue with my brother. Twigs poked against my face and arms as I blindly reached out, pulling the grass on the hill to help me to my feet. The headlights were still on, lighting more trees and bushes in the dark night, my only comfort.
Nothing could be seen up the cliff, except the pitch black night. There weren't any flashlights, no one yelling out to see if we're okay. What happened to the person in the car that hit us? Is it possible his front bumper bent a little and he kept driving? Did the impact of hitting us kill him? This is my fault. I should've slowed down and not slammed on my breaks like that for a deer. That was stupid of me.
"Get Goten!" Brother shouted from within the truck, sensing that I was still nearby.
I blinked dumbly at the truck. It wasn't everyday I saw a truck with the tires sticking up. Only three tires remained. Judging from the bent axel in the back, it must've fallen off somewhere during the fall. A tire wasn't the only thing missing.
"I think one of the bikes are missing." I said, seeing the tarp that had been used to cover the bikes further up the cliff.
"You remind me of Mom sometimes. . ." Brother growled, knowing full well that I'd take offense to his comment.
"Whatever." I snorted, hovering into the air." You remind me of Pan! I thought she was the only weakling that relied on others for help, but I guess I was wrong." I disapprovingly crossed my arms, floating above the tree tops. The mountain was blacker than the sky, but only by a shade. I felt safer in the sky and with the stars then on the ground with who knows what else. The forest is so dense anything could've been staring at me, and Mt. Paozu is known for having all types of gigantic monsters roaming the forests." Too prideful to let your little sister help you out? Sheesh. I don't see why I have to get Goten, I'm strong enough to get you and Giru-"
The truck exploded.
A hot, bright, orange cloud burst towards me, burning parts of my skin and hitting me with flying chunks of metal. I realized, as the explosion pushed me through the sky, that Brother didn't want me to get Goten at all. Maybe it was the gasoline fumes that impaired my judgment, or the tumble down the cliff, but I never thought that Giru's sparking could cause the truck to explode that quickly.
Brother did. He knew right away what would happen. Instead of crawling out of the truck first, he lured me out with Goten's name, saving my life.
Flying through the air, the explosion ringing in my ears, my stomach twisted into a million painful knots as I realized I'd just killed the most important person to me.