"The Crash That Changed Everything"
It was an ordinary evening at the ABC News Queensland studio. Snickers, now an experienced news anchor, sat at his desk, reviewing the stories for the evening broadcast. He had grown accustomed to the routine of delivering the news, but tonight felt different. There was a heaviness in the air that he couldn't quite place.
The show began as usual. Snickers looked into the camera, his professional demeanor intact, unaware of the personal tragedy that was about to unfold.
"Good evening, viewers. This is Snickers Dachshund with ABC News Queensland, bringing you the latest and most up-to-date news from around Australia." His voice was calm and steady.
As the program continued, Snickers picked a story from the news feed: a traffic accident in The Gap, a suburb he knew all too well. It had been the place where Bluey, his childhood friend, grew up. Now, Mackenzie lived there with Bluey, but the suburb always held a sense of familiarity for Snickers.
"Recently," Snickers began, glancing at the teleprompter, "there was an accident involving two cars on Waterworks Road."
As he read the story, he was unaware of the storm brewing in his own life.
"The car lost control and crashed into another vehicle when passing a corner," Snickers continued, looking straight into the camera. His tail wagged slightly beneath the desk as he concentrated, trying to deliver the information with clarity.
"According to eyewitnesses," Snickers added, "before the accident occurred, the car driven by the victim was traveling at a fairly high speed. The victims' bodies were taken to St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital for an autopsy."
It was at this point that Snickers began to watch the footage of the crash, displayed on the screen in front of him. The video showed the wreckage—two cars crumpled beyond recognition, emergency responders on the scene, and police officers cordoning off the area. Something about it felt eerily familiar, but he didn't have time to process it just yet.
On the scene, a policeman named George Lee, visibly distraught, was crying as the rain gently dripped around him. George was Michaela's brother, but Snickers hadn't made the connection yet. The footage of George breaking down at the scene was heart-wrenching. As he lay on the wet road, devastated by the loss of his sister, bystanders gathered, and some recorded the emotional moment. The video, played on the news, struck a chord with everyone watching, including Snickers.
Across Brisbane, others were tuning into the broadcast. In their home, Coco and Rusty watched in stunned silence. The footage on the screen hit too close to home. Rusty's ears drooped as he realized what he was seeing—Snickers' family had been in that crash, along with people they had known and loved. Coco, her eyes wide with disbelief, suddenly recognized two of the victims' names: *Calypso, their beloved teacher, and *Pretzel, one of their classmates.
Tears began to well in Coco's eyes as the reality of the situation hit her. She broke down, crying uncontrollably in Rusty's arms. Rusty, too, was unable to contain his grief. They had been married for six years, and now they clung to each other for comfort. Their children, sensing the gravity of the moment, embraced their parents, offering silent support in their grief.
At the same time, Bluey and Mackenzie sat together in their home, watching the same news broadcast. Married for two years, the couple had no children yet, but the loss of their teacher, Calypso, struck deep. Bluey's tears fell freely as the memories of her childhood with Calypso as her teacher rushed back. Mackenzie wrapped his arms around her, his own tears falling as well. They mourned together, grieving the loss of a part of their past.
Back in the ABC News studio, Snickers continued with the broadcast, still unaware of the devastating personal connection to the story. But as the footage played, showing the wreckage and the weeping George Lee, something began to gnaw at him.
A producer handed him the final details of the victims' identities. Snickers glanced down at the paper, his breath catching in his throat as the names registered in his mind.
"Vikki Dachshund… John Dachshund… Michaela Lee… Calypso Shepherd… Pretzel Chihuahua…"
His heart sank. He read the names again, his voice beginning to falter. The realization crashed over him like a wave. His mother, his younger brother, his schoolmate, his teacher—they were the victims. The crash he had been reporting on for the past several minutes had taken the lives of the people he loved most.
Snickers' professional facade crumbled. He could no longer hold back the tears. The cameras were still rolling, but at that moment, nothing else mattered. He broke down, sobbing openly in front of the viewers, his heart shattered by the unimaginable tragedy.
"I… I can't believe…" Snickers whispered through his tears. "It was my family…"
The studio fell silent, the weight of the tragedy heavy in the air. Even the crew, who had worked with Snickers for years, could barely contain their grief.
At the crash site, George was still lying on the wet pavement, overwhelmed with emotion. His sister, Michaela, was gone. As the rain slowed to a drizzle, bystanders continued to watch in respectful silence, some recording the heartbreaking scene. One of those videos found its way to the news, playing as part of the footage on Snickers' broadcast.
It showed George, drenched in rain and tears, mourning his sister.
Back in the studio, Snickers wiped his eyes, still in disbelief. The footage of George's breakdown played on the screen, and the connection between their grief felt profound. Snickers watched, knowing that somewhere out there, another family was mourning just as deeply as he was.
This tragedy had rocked the entire community, from Snickers' colleagues to his childhood friends like Coco, Rusty, Bluey, and Mackenzie. As the news program came to an emotional close, Snickers looked into the camera one last time, his voice hoarse with sorrow.
"Please… cherish the moments you have with your loved ones. You never know when it will be the last time."