The Twists in My Trail (In Progress)
written by ☆kiola-the-iola☆
Harriet Abbey has lived in Colorado for six months. Before that, she lived in Chicago, and right now, she's still getting used to life in Colorado. It finally feels like she has a trail to follow when everything suddenly twists: a car crash kills her parents and both her sisters. Her parents don’t have a will, and so it’s up to her to decide where to live. Though given offers of a home from many in Chicago and Colorado, she decides to live with her Aunt, Uncle, and cousins in Texas. What will happen? How will she cope? And will she ever find her trail again?
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
5
Reads
687
When My Trail Twists
Chapter 3
There's no chance for my family to get out of the way. If Caleb hadn't pulled me out of the way, I would have gotten hit as well. The truck crashes into the car, and I hear my family screaming. It's the most heartbreaking sound I've ever heard. As I watch the car slowly getting crushed, the feeling of Caleb's arms around me fades and my mind travels into the past.
…..
One Year Earlier
My parents just told me that we're moving to Colorado. Colorado! Luka's face crumples and tears start to roll down her face. I just stand there in shock. Finally, my mom speaks again, but the words that come out of her mouth are no help.
"Harriet, you'll be able to get away from all your sadness revolving around Max." I stare at her in disbelief. How dare she bring up Max Cadwell at a time like this!
Max and I dated for six months earlier this year, seventh grade, and then in one swoop he crushed me into a million pieces, telling me that I was worthless and ugly and self-righteous. My mom very well knows that I haven't gotten over him yet. My heart is still broken… and every time someone brings Max up, it makes it worse!
Dad and her just broke my heart over again, and now she has to bring up the one person who makes me miserable and yet gives me meaning? It's terrible! And what about Sierra, my bff? What's she gonna say when I tell her that I'm moving from our big city Chicago to a little town in Colorado named Greeley that no one has ever heard about? What do I do?
…..
One Year and a Half Earlier
I walk around Old Orchard with my mom. The fountain spritzes us as we walk by. Old Orchard is the best outdoor mall in this whole area. We walk into Pink and start looking at the shirts when my phone rings.
I push the answer button and Max's voice rings out into the air. My mom immediately leans in with me; she knows the whole story about our terrible fight and breakup two months ago. I wonder why Max is calling. He seemed to completely believe everything he said about me.
"Hey, Harr-bear." I jolt a tiny bit. He hasn't called me that since we were dating.
"Ummm, hey, Max." Max pushes the video call button and his face fills my phone. My mom looks at me questioningly, and I shrug. Max looks into my eyes and says,
"I'm going to boarding school."
"What? Why?"
"Well, my parents have been looking into it for a while. But now, I can't stay here at our school anymore. Everytime I see you, you look so broken, but the only way I could fix you is to take you back, and I don't want that either. So I'm leaving so I don't have to see you anymore. Your face haunts me everytime I close my eyes. I just can't deal with being around you anymore. I'm sorry, Harr-bear." I sigh.
"It's fine, Max. You do you." My mom hugs me as Max hangs up. I will never see or hear from him again.
…..
Two Years Earlier
My family is sitting on the floor, playing Uno, but I don't join. I'm so over family time. Heck, I'm finishing sixth grade! That's way too old for family time. I instead play on my phone, completely blocking out the sounds of my family having fun. Kandace, only three months old, is already asleep, but Luka is chattering away with my parents. I put in my earbuds, annoyed, and start to listen to Shawn Mendes. I turn it up so I can't hear them, but they are too loud, and so I storm off to my room. My family is a nuisance.
…..
Present Day
The truck spins out into the grass near Caleb and I. I run over to the car, which now resembles scrap metal. Caleb is close behind. I don't hear anything from the car, and Caleb whispers,
"Harriet… I don't think they made it." I nod my head, still in shock. But then I hear a little whimper. I peer into the car, crying out at glimpses of blood and bone from the bodies of my family. Finally, after searching the dark car with my eyes, I know what I hear.
"Caleb! Luka is alive!" Caleb rushes over and sees Luka. She is terribly hurt… but I know she's alive. Caleb's team is coming towards us; they obviously saw the accident. I have (sweaty) boys give me tissues and hugs. The coach calls 911.
The ambulance comes roaring down the street. Flashing lights and blazing colors blind me, thought I already couldn't see much because of the tears in my eyes.
Caleb and I were right: my mom, dad, and sister Kandace are dead. So is the driver of the truck, a guy named Valerian Terrence. The authorities think that he was driving under influence. Luka is alive, though barely. I'm trying to think positively, but she isn't likely to make it.
I ride to the hospital with Luka. In the ambulance, I call Aunt Leona and spill out the whole story. I also tell Grandmother Easton. Telling everyone else will come later.
At the hospital, the cheery "get well" signs seem to mock me. The "don't worry, be happy" poster seems to spit in my face. It all gets worse when the doctor pulls me aside and tells me that Luka isn't going to live. There's nothing that they can do except give her a pain killer and let her spend her last minutes at my side.
"We're very sorry, Miss Abbey," the doctors say. They treat me like an adult, and I guess that that is what I've become in the past half hour. I'm now Luka's parent until she passes, too. I'm being treated like a parent, but only because mine died. I'm supposed to keep Luka calm and happy during her last moments, but who will keep me calm and happy? I'm going to be completely alone in the world. What's the point of living if the people I love most aren't alive?
…..
One Year Earlier
My parents just told me that we're moving to Colorado. Colorado! Luka's face crumples and tears start to roll down her face. I just stand there in shock. Finally, my mom speaks again, but the words that come out of her mouth are no help.
"Harriet, you'll be able to get away from all your sadness revolving around Max." I stare at her in disbelief. How dare she bring up Max Cadwell at a time like this!
Max and I dated for six months earlier this year, seventh grade, and then in one swoop he crushed me into a million pieces, telling me that I was worthless and ugly and self-righteous. My mom very well knows that I haven't gotten over him yet. My heart is still broken… and every time someone brings Max up, it makes it worse!
Dad and her just broke my heart over again, and now she has to bring up the one person who makes me miserable and yet gives me meaning? It's terrible! And what about Sierra, my bff? What's she gonna say when I tell her that I'm moving from our big city Chicago to a little town in Colorado named Greeley that no one has ever heard about? What do I do?
…..
One Year and a Half Earlier
I walk around Old Orchard with my mom. The fountain spritzes us as we walk by. Old Orchard is the best outdoor mall in this whole area. We walk into Pink and start looking at the shirts when my phone rings.
I push the answer button and Max's voice rings out into the air. My mom immediately leans in with me; she knows the whole story about our terrible fight and breakup two months ago. I wonder why Max is calling. He seemed to completely believe everything he said about me.
"Hey, Harr-bear." I jolt a tiny bit. He hasn't called me that since we were dating.
"Ummm, hey, Max." Max pushes the video call button and his face fills my phone. My mom looks at me questioningly, and I shrug. Max looks into my eyes and says,
"I'm going to boarding school."
"What? Why?"
"Well, my parents have been looking into it for a while. But now, I can't stay here at our school anymore. Everytime I see you, you look so broken, but the only way I could fix you is to take you back, and I don't want that either. So I'm leaving so I don't have to see you anymore. Your face haunts me everytime I close my eyes. I just can't deal with being around you anymore. I'm sorry, Harr-bear." I sigh.
"It's fine, Max. You do you." My mom hugs me as Max hangs up. I will never see or hear from him again.
…..
Two Years Earlier
My family is sitting on the floor, playing Uno, but I don't join. I'm so over family time. Heck, I'm finishing sixth grade! That's way too old for family time. I instead play on my phone, completely blocking out the sounds of my family having fun. Kandace, only three months old, is already asleep, but Luka is chattering away with my parents. I put in my earbuds, annoyed, and start to listen to Shawn Mendes. I turn it up so I can't hear them, but they are too loud, and so I storm off to my room. My family is a nuisance.
…..
Present Day
The truck spins out into the grass near Caleb and I. I run over to the car, which now resembles scrap metal. Caleb is close behind. I don't hear anything from the car, and Caleb whispers,
"Harriet… I don't think they made it." I nod my head, still in shock. But then I hear a little whimper. I peer into the car, crying out at glimpses of blood and bone from the bodies of my family. Finally, after searching the dark car with my eyes, I know what I hear.
"Caleb! Luka is alive!" Caleb rushes over and sees Luka. She is terribly hurt… but I know she's alive. Caleb's team is coming towards us; they obviously saw the accident. I have (sweaty) boys give me tissues and hugs. The coach calls 911.
The ambulance comes roaring down the street. Flashing lights and blazing colors blind me, thought I already couldn't see much because of the tears in my eyes.
Caleb and I were right: my mom, dad, and sister Kandace are dead. So is the driver of the truck, a guy named Valerian Terrence. The authorities think that he was driving under influence. Luka is alive, though barely. I'm trying to think positively, but she isn't likely to make it.
I ride to the hospital with Luka. In the ambulance, I call Aunt Leona and spill out the whole story. I also tell Grandmother Easton. Telling everyone else will come later.
At the hospital, the cheery "get well" signs seem to mock me. The "don't worry, be happy" poster seems to spit in my face. It all gets worse when the doctor pulls me aside and tells me that Luka isn't going to live. There's nothing that they can do except give her a pain killer and let her spend her last minutes at my side.
"We're very sorry, Miss Abbey," the doctors say. They treat me like an adult, and I guess that that is what I've become in the past half hour. I'm now Luka's parent until she passes, too. I'm being treated like a parent, but only because mine died. I'm supposed to keep Luka calm and happy during her last moments, but who will keep me calm and happy? I'm going to be completely alone in the world. What's the point of living if the people I love most aren't alive?
