ARC I - Birth of a Legend

It was late January evening. Tom Tailor was driving his luxury company car on a highway A1 in Bulgaria. The snowfall was very heavy, visibility was getting worse as the Sun set down minutes ago. Tom was getting warried if they will reach the construction site before they close the road. It was that bad of a blizzard. He scrunched his eyes behind the glasses trying to focus on the snowy road. The asphalt's black was gone and it was all white everywhere, glistering sparks caused by the car's headlights.

Tom glanced right towards his wife Caroline sitting next to him and pouting heavy. She was giving him a nasty glare. She was not happy.

-"I am sorry" mumbled Tom for the n-tieth time this evening.

- Hah, you are sorry? Sorry you say… I was planning to hit the malls with Tracy and Stephany. It is everything on sale now after the holydays. Caroline voice was getting higher pitched every minute

-"I am s…" Tom failed to finish.

- "You are dragging Cristina and me over those dumpsters of construction sites all year round. Once, ..at least one time of the year me and my daughter expect, hope to relax back in the FAKIN civilization. Now Caroline was screaming.

- "Hey don't mix me in the argument. I don't care" said Cristina from the back seat. She sounded bored, scrolling her phone.

Tom glanced in the mirror at Cristina. His one and only child. Warmth spread in his mind looking at her. What a fine lady was she growing up. He was a very conservative family man. He loved his wife and even more his precious daughter. Tom focused on the road again. Car was getting unstable even with those fancy systems of a brand new heavy limousine.

-"It was emergency calling. I need to be present for testing the auxiliary cooling systems of the nuclear plant. Bulgarian government is pushing for an early completion than the arranged deadline" said Tom

-"I don't care" grumbled Caroline

Tom turned his head right towards his wife to continue the argument. Right this moment both his wife and daughter screamed in unison.

He immediately focused on the road. His ayes went wide as saucers. He didn't had a time to scream as a 40 tone truck flew over the crash barrier coming from the opposite line. It hit them with a massive force frontal- sideways. Airbags blew up everywhere as the heavy car was sent spinning in rolling motion outside the road. Tom vision went blank with only the horrible tire screeches and sounds of metal grinding in the background.

It just happened in a instant. Moments later sharp pain in Tom's abdomen woke him up from his stupor. He cried in shock seeing a metal bar stuck in his body. Tom panicked when he thought about his wife and daughter, pain immediately shut in the back of his mind. He drew his hand and shook Caroline, who looked conscious but dazed.

-"Honey.. Honey ! Look at me, please!" said Tom

Shortly after Caroline's eyes focused on him.

" What? What happened? mumbled Caroline

-" We had an accident. We crushed" said Tom while turning his gaze back to his daughter. Airbags were deflating and a horrid smell of gasoline was sneaking from bellow.

-"Cristine!" Shouted Coroline. "Oh my dauther".. ..

-"Honey!! She looks ok. Don't panic. We got to evacuate now, I don't like the smell. cried Tom . "Hurry up, try open the door!" ordered Tom

-"I can't. It's stuck" cried Caroline

Tom pushed his door which opened easyly. Removed his seatbelt and cried in pain when he pulled out the metal bar and exited the car. World spin, his vision got blurry. Tom gathered his will, adrenaline pumping. He had to save his family no matter the cost. He slumped around to the other side of the car or what was left of it as- it looked like smashed can. Caroline won't be able to exit from his door as several metal rods has spiked in the middle, blocking her path. He elbowed the already cracked window of the passenger seat with every ounce of strength he manage to master. Then cleared the residual glass and helped Caroline as she was getting trough already. Pain in his abdomen flared. Tom gritted his teeth and moved to the back door where Cristine was struggling with her seatbelt. Something was wrong. Tom looked at the window. The top of the car was bent, there was no room for exit there. The door refused to open as well. Tom started to panic, gasoline smell was getting worse. The tank was leaking!.

-"Cristine come through your mom's seat window! Hurry!" shouted Tom

-"I cant. I cant ! The seatbelt. It wont come out.. Daddy help, Aahh..". Cristine was crying, weakly struggling with the seatbelt.

Tom's mind went to overdrive. Seatbelt problem. A possible jammed mechanism. The belt must be cut out. He slumped around back to the driver seat. There he opened the door's pocket where was his multi tool. A gadget every respected engineer must have. Quickly enabled the knife function and while seating in the driver seat turned around to face Cristine.

-"Here, Cris cut the belt!""

-"It wont open daddy. It…""- Cristine was heaving.

-"Hey, sunshine look at daddy. Look at me, please!". – Tom tried to look calm. Finally, Cristine looked at him with some semblance of reason.

-"Cristine, now take this knife and cut the belt! ... Yes, that's my girl."… Careful,….. "

-"There!!!" shouted Tom smiling as his daughter finally managed to cut the stupid seatbelt. It looked like eternity to him, but the process took less than 2 minutes.

-"Quickly, out through the window, hurry!" ordered Tom

Soon Cristine smuggled to her mom's seat, and later through the window with Caroline pulling her at the same time. Both mother and daughter fast retreated some distance from the already burning car. Tom mastered his strength, exited the vehicle and slowly arrived at the place where both his family were sitting. He dropped next to his wife on the ground, ispected them carefully with his hazing sight. There! It looked like both Caroline and Cristine are going to make it. Relief washed true his muddled mind. His family was safe. Now he can rest. He was feeling tired. He wanted to sleep.

Tom was not stupid. He knew he was losing tons of blood. "I won't make it" Tom felt the cold reality.

-"Cristine come closer, sunshine" Tom whispered.

-"Papa what wrong"? Mommy papa don't look good!" shouted Cristine.

-"Listen Cristine, I am so happy to have you, to watch you growing up from the little bundle of joy to the fine young lady you have become. I want you to keep going and never give up no matter what". Tom caughed blood.

-"Papa!" ""Honey" Both of his beloved girls were crying loud

-"Shhh. " Carol, the insurance will settle for several million. Then the savings. You won't have money issues". Tom made a deep pause, as he was losing his sight. At least the pain was fading. Caroline was shaking her head, tears flowing rivers…

"- I love you! I love…" Tom couldn't finish as he drew his last breath in this cold January night, laying in the snow in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by his grieving family in a distant foreign country. He was unfortunate indeed, but his early death triggered chain of events affecting fates of billions.