Dec 21, 2016 (age 17)

''This is already the 10th basket, Arden. Are you sure you want to continue playing? I am getting tired of winning'' I said with a sly smug. ''Fine, fine, Rose. I surrender. I concede that you are the best and that no one is capable of defeating you.'' Everybody started grinning behind Arden. Most of them had placed their stakes on me, so had won bountifully. After all, I am the SLAMMER.

It was the last match I was playing that semester before the Christmas break, and I ended it with a bang. Afterwards, I rushed back to the dorm as I had to get ready for my trip back home, California.

As I was looking into the mirror while getting ready, I saw someone staring back at me. It was me, but with a new personality and aura around her. I was proud of the person I had become. I was actually an orphan and was adopted by my parents when I was 8. I was really thankful to them for bringing me out of my shell. They were the reason I was able to reach where I am today.

I got ready within an hour and left my college for the airport.

Dec 22

By the time I reached California it was morning and I knew my parents were waiting for me at the airport terminal. I couldn't wait to see them. This Christmas was a long-awaited holiday on both our ends.

When I met them, we exchanged some tearful and heartfelt greetings. My mom especially became very emotional and started crying out of happiness. Even though she was acting a bit weird, I understood her emotions pretty well.

You see, my parents work for a pharmaceutical company and are high-level directors. As their company is international and has various branches, they have to travel frequently. So we seldom see each other and have to make do with the time we get. This time, we hadn't seen each other for almost one and a half years. When I was young, I would travel with them (I was home-schooled), but now since I was in college, I could no longer do that (I do miss those days, good food every day!)

We spent the rest of the day updating each other on what had happened in the past one and a half years. I went home to a sumptuous plate of food. In honour of me arriving, my mother had prepared a feast!

Dec 24 - Dec 25

''We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!...''

We came out of church after wishing everybody and were driving back home.

The Christmas spirit lived on throughout the car ride. My parents and I blasted the car with Christmas songs and carols. We were having a happy, merry time.

It was already midnight, and snow was falling heavily. There was minimal visibility due to the snowfall. The road from the church to our house was a mountainous one, but luckily due to the time, not many vehicles were there.

Abruptly, lights flashed at us from ahead. It was a huge truck coming our way at full speed. It showed no signs of slowing down, so my father could only do one thing to avoid immediate collision, i.e. take a sharp turn towards the mountain. This turn came with a price tag attached to it, we collided with the mountain at full force.

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.

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I was the first to wake up amongst us all. When I woke up I found that my eyesight was a bit hazy and my forehead and right hand were paining. It took some time to focus on my vision, but after that I removed my seatbelt and started treating my injuries with what was present. I pulled out the glass shard that had taken lodging in my forehead after a lot of pain-staking effort. I also managed to immobilize my arm using my jacket.

I was sure that my parents had suffered the brunt of the crash as they were seated ahead; but what I saw was much more horrendous than what I had imagined.

My mom's hands and legs were bleeding because of small and big glass shards; her seat belt was still on which was suffocating her, topping it all was the airbag which had opened after she was pierced. This obstructed me from helping her.

It was the same with my dad, except that even his abdomen area had gotten pierced. I could see fresh red blood coming out of that area which was dreadful to look at.

At present, my priority was to wake my unconscious parents and hope that they would be able to move at least a bit farther from the car. Reason? The car's petrol pipe was leaking and was showering the car with petroleum which could burst into flames at any given point of time.

I first tried to wake my parents up by shouting and shaking them slowly, but it was to no avail. So, I took my water bottle and put water on their eyes. They immediately woke up (to agonizing pain...) and I did my best to update them on the situation.

''Dad, Mom, are you'll able to move? Please answer me!'' ''Rose, I cannot move, I am sorry child. It's too painful....'' ''Rose, we cannot move, the windbags and seatbelts are preventing us. The car could burst into flames any time now, so go.'' ''Please Rose, go, we cannot make it even if we try.'' ''No! Mom, what are you saying? I cannot leave you! Please, my real parents already died, you'll cannot die too. Please try, please....'' ''Rose, if you truly care about us, listen to me. Leave now and maybe you can repay us.'' ''No dad, what are you saying? I am not leaving you? How could I?''

''We are sorry for this Rose.'' Saying this, my parents applied the last of their strength to push me out of the car. I fell out of the car and because of the force rolled some way down the mountain slope. I could not accept what my parents had done, so I ran. I ran towards them. (Though, because of my injuries it was more like speed walking....)

''Rose!'' My mom shouted. ''Find the rose plant. All answers lie in that.'' After just saying this much, I saw my mom cringing in pain and vomiting blood. Then my dad continued, ''Find Ms Katl....''

There was a loud explosion and a bright flash of light, all I heard was a loud bang, and before I could figure out what happened, my head hit the ground and my vision went pitch-black.