Chapter 2

Hope's POV

I must have gone unconscious for a moment because I suddenly became aware of screaming, crying and a wet feeling. My ears were ringing and I had a tremendous headache. I felt as though I'd been hit by a truck. Probably because we just had.

"Dad? Daddy?" Dillan's voice was an octave higher than I'd ever heard. Already, he was out of his seatbelt, clammering to get out.

Mom wasn't responding. In the darkness, I could barely make out Dad as he shifted around in his seat to check on us. "It's going to be OK..." he reassured, wincing slightly at the movement. "Take your belts off. Hope, help you sister out of the car seat. You need to open the window. Do it NOW!" His attention returned to Mom. "Naomi?" Dad's voice was full of anguish as he called out. "Naomi, honey...baby, you need to open your eyes!" Nothing.

As the vehicle plunged into icy darkness, my mind raced. The front end of the car was sinking faster than the rest pushing us up at an odd angle. The whole front end was pushed in, and Mom's side of the vehicle had gotten hit the worst. Releasing my seatbelt, I searched for an exit. Perhaps the doors? My hands attempted their handles, but the pressure outside the door was too great and wouldn't allow me to exit. I hit the power button to lower the window not taking the time to think about how that would give the water full access into the vehicle. I knew our only hope was the find a way to crawl out. Luckily the power to the window hadn't shut off yet, but as it opened, the trickle began slowly at first than like a full on flood, it poured in. Luckily the water wasn't deep enough for us to be completely submerged, but the water still rolled up over the car which was filling up fast.

"I got ya," I tried to keep my voice steady as I struggled to remove Emmalyn from her carseat. The girl clung to me, crying loudly. "Come on...we have to go," I pushed my brother out through the open window before following ignoring his cries for our parents. "Daddy?" I looked back to see if he and Mom were coming. Why weren't they coming? The water pounded down over my head making me choke and sputter. I didn't know what to do. Time stood still. I needed to get my siblings out. I had to save them. It was dark and difficult to see. I winced in pain; something had cut into my chest making it difficult to breathe. "Dad, we have to go..."

"We'll be there soon," Dad reassured. "You need to get the kids out of the water. We'll be right behind you."

"No...no, Dad, please...I can't do this."

"You can, Hope and you will. Your Mom and I will be right behind you."

"You promise?" I didn't believe him.

"I promise, firefly," he said. "I love you. Now go..."

Tears ran down my cheeks as I readjusted Emma on my shoulder and lowered myself into the water. The current was strong and I slipped. Dillan went down beside me, and I grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him back up out of the water. He choked and spat; I could hear his teeth rattling.

"What about Mom and Dad?" he screamed. "We can't leave them. Where are they?"

"They're coming," I stated, firmly. "Dad promised they'd be behind us. Now, let's go."

"But we can't leave them!" he yelled, frantically. "We have to save them. I'm going back."

"No...Dillan, listen, Emmalyn can't stay in the water. It's too cold and she's too small. I need your help. Come on..."

I had all I could do to hold onto them both as I trudged through the waters to the snow covered embankment. It was steep, and my fingers weren't cooporating. We slipped and slid, but finally reached the top. Emmalyn's cries for Mom and Dad were getting softer as the cold temps drained her. Beneath the street light, I could see her lips were turning purple. We were soaked and far away from anything. I pulled my phone from my pocket, it was drenched and wouldn't even pull up the main screen. The truck we'd collided with also lay on its' side, the driver hung out the window. Blood poured down the outside door to the cab.

Emmalyn screamed when she saw it and I covered her eyes immediately. "Don't look," I told my brother. Frantically, I searched for a place to set Emma that wouldn't be directly in the snow. In the rubble, I spotted a tarp. Perfect, I thought. Getting to it was harder than I'd expected.

"Dillan, take her. I'm going back," I stated, matter-of-factly, placing the frightened, wet, sobbing little girl into his shaky arms.

"I'm coming with you!" he demanded with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Dillan, I need you to take care of Emma. She needs you! I need you!" I pulled him into a tight embrace before turning to slide down over the embankment into the water. They disappeared as I worked my way back into the rapids. My legs were giving out, fingers closing involuntarily.

"Dad!" my voice was getting weaker as I fought through the river to the vehicle which was nearly filled by now. I felt like throwing up, but there was no time for that now. "Dad! Daddy? Daaaaad!" I took a gulp of air before diving beneath the water using my hands to feel for the entrance back into the car. A hand clasped around mine and I felt my father's strong grasp.

"Are they safe?" Dad panted.

"Yeah, but Mom?"I felt around until my hand met my mother's form. No movement.

"She's gone, honey," Dad's voice cracked.

"What? No? No, no, no, no no..." I dug around beneath the water for my mother's seatbelt to release her from the watery grave. "No, Mom, you have to get out. You can swim out. You're a great swimmer. Mom, Mom, Mama!"

Dad's hand stopped me before I could remove the belt. "Hope, stop. She's gone and there's nothing we can do. I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

"We can get her. You and I together. I know CPR," I pleaded. Why wasn't he moving? My air was coming in gasps and sharp pain tore through my chest. The water had almost filled the entire front of the vehicle, Dad choked on water as he struggled to stay above the flood.

"Hope Elaina, I have loved you since the moment your Mom found out she was pregnant. You saved our marriage, that's why we named you Hope. You gave us a reason to believe again. Did your mom ever tell you? I'd filed for divorce. Our marriage was over and you came along. You gave us the hope to keep going."

"Dad, why are you saying this? Why aren't you moving? We need to get out," I didn't want to admit it, but I knew. He wasn't getting out.

"I want you to never give up on anything. You have so much strength in you. I need you to be strong for your brother and sister. They need you! And don't you let them forget us. You tell them all about our camping trips and our Saturday explorations. I need you to do that for me. You understand?"

"Daddy..." I sobbed. "Come on...you have to come too."

"I can't, baby. My legs are trapped. I've tried, but it's no use. It's OK. I'll stay with your mom," the water was rising more and it was difficult for him to speak without swallowing water. "I love you all...Go, HOPE! Get out while you can."

"No!" I was getting disoriented, turned around in the water and the darkness. I kicked, pulled and tore at the harness holding my father in place. His nose and mouth was under water now. He was drowning. I screamed, but it was absorbed into the water that overtook me faster than I thought was possible. The sharpness in my chest got stronger, and I couldn't catch a breath. I gasped and spat at the liquid filling my mouth and lungs. Darkness was closing in. Beneath the water, I tried to orient myself to find the exit, but it was no use. I was trapped. I was going to die...Darkness overtook me and then there was nothing.