The car was speeding, and Lincoln was sitting on Mom's lap, he's only 3 years old and he's already talking. Lori and Leni were sleeping, they had a fight over the dolls earlier, and Dad gave them Coca-cola to calm them down. Luan was playing with her whoopie cushion Dad got for her yesterday, and Lynn was at the back sleeping, hugging the new football Dad bought. I sat there in the middlemost seat, listening to music on the Sony MP3 player Dad bought me yesterday. I never really wanted anything, but Dad thought that I might like it. I sat there with my seatbelt barely holding me in place. These past few days were weird. Lori and Leni didn't notice anything, they were too busy playing, and Luan and Lynn were too. Maybe I'm the only weird one. I looked out the windows and I saw the ocean, we're on a cliff. Mom and Dad told us to pack our stuff because we were going on a holiday, and the view was nice. I looked at the mirror on top of the radio and I saw Dad's eyes looking at me. "Thanks, Dad for taking us on a trip," I smiled. He sighed, his eyes were red. "What's wrong Dad? Why are you crying?" I asked him. Maybe Dad got a boo-boo. I wanted to unbuckle my belt and give him a hug, but he looked at me and he smiled from the mirror.
"Everything's alright honey, you should go to sleep... How's the player I gave you? Is it good?" He asked me.
"It's good Dad, I like this Mick Swagger guy, his songs are funny," I said with a giggle.
"Really Luna? You can listen to all of his music later alright..." He said. "Now, just go to sleep, baby. I'll wake you up when we get there," He said, I saw a tear coming from his eyes but Dad was smiling. Maybe he was happy I liked this Mick Swagger guy, Dad cries sometimes when he is happy.
"Okay Dad," I said as I increased the volume a bit, I looked out the windows and saw the ocean, it looked so nice. Too nice. Suddenly, it felt like we were flying, I looked in front and I saw the ocean, but we were heading for it. I didn't know what to feel. I just stared. Then I heard a loud crash and I felt wet. Water flooded Vanzilla. I looked beside me, Lori and Leni didn't wake up, I looked in front and I saw the water getting red. I felt scared. Bubbles came out. I saw Mom let go of Lincoln, he floated up, crying. I grabbed him. "Mom?! Dad?!" I shouted. The van is slowly getting swallowed by the water. I slid out of the belt and I shook Lori, she didn't wake up. Bubbles came out of her mouth. I looked at Leni and bubbles were coming out of her mouth. I climbed to the back seat, it was still dry. I shook Luan and Lynn up and their eyes opened wide. "Lynn, Luan the van's sinking!" I shouted, water reached our knees. Lynn shot up. Luan was panicking. Lincoln was crying louder. I sat Lincoln down and I tried to pull Lori to the back, and Lynn too. But we were too weak. Luan hugged her knees.
"HELP! HELP! HELP!" We both yelled as we banged our hands on the glass window of the boot. Water reached our chest, Lynn tried to bash the window in with her football but it didn't work. The water is at our neck. Lincoln stopped crying, I looked at him and his face was blue and bubbles came out of his mouth. The water around us became redder. We banged harder and harder. I raised Lincoln as high as I could, water was at our necks. I took a deep breath and I placed my hand on Lincoln's mouth. The water swallowed us. I didn't know what to do, I panicked. One arm holding Lincoln I used the other to hit the glass with my MP3 player. It was working. The glass cracked. I pulled Luan and Lynn behind me and I smashed it again, shattering the glass. The shards stabbed my arm. We swam up and we made it to shore. Luan was crying. Lynn was crying. Lincoln wasn't. I looked at him and I saw that his skin was already blue. My arm had glass shards sticking into them, but all that I could feel was nothing. I sat Lincoln on the rocky ground and I sat down. He wasn't breathing. I don't know what to do. Luan and Lynn ran up to me and hugged me. I don't know what to do.
I suppose crying can never make the world a better place, so I didn't. I looked at them, I can't cry too. I cannot have emotions if I want to protect them. I need to kill my emotions. As a lone tear flowed down my cheek, I looked at my hands. Bloody. The sun was slipping. Blood was dripping down my hand. I don't know what to do. The MP3 player in my fist is broken, the screen shattered and the metal dented. The earphones were still in my ears. I'm cold.
MAY 3RD, 2008 DAILY NEWS PAGE 1
5 DEAD IN TRAGIC ROAD ACCIDENT ON PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
CALIFORNIA, May 1st, 1:04 PM. A family of 8 on their way to their holiday vacation in San Francisco was involved in a tragic freak accident when their car presumably lost control. Their Model 1999 Jericho SUV swerved out of the road and into the ocean. The parents, Lynn Loud Senior and Rita Loud died alongside their eldest daughter, Lori Loud, their second child, Leni Loud, and their son, Lincoln Loud. The survivors, Luna Loud suffe Luan, and Lynn Loud suffered minor injuries and were transported to Octal General Hospital in San Francisco by air.
The survivors were reunited with their maternal grandfather, Navy Captain Albert Reynolds.
The door opened, and Pop-pop let us in first. He looked at us and smiled a weak one. We just came back from the funeral. Luan and Lynn were crying. I couldn't. My right arm was wrapped in a bandage. I looked at Pop-pop and he ruffled my hair. "Your hair's short Luna," He said. The house was empty for the most part, except for the pictures on the walls. I sat down on the couch and I stared at the wall. I don't know what to do.
"I don't like it long, it gets in the way," I said coldly. We're in Florida now, it's hot here. Pop-pop sat beside me and he pulled me into a hug. Luan and Lynn went upstairs to the rooms Pop-pop made for us.
"You saved your sisters' lives. You should be proud of yourself Luna," He rubbed my back. "You're a hero."
"Pop-pop, what do heroes do?"
"Heroes, they... They protect others, people who can't protect themselves, they help others even though they could just help themselves,"
"Then, I'm not a hero Pop-pop..."
"You are Luna, you are, you just don't know it yet," He hugged me tighter. I know he was crying and I don't know why I couldn't.