The seatbelt yanked at my torso, tightening against my chest, I couldn't breathe. Pain spread all across my head in a pulsating wave and I fought to keep my eyes opened. My surroundings were too dark to assess but I could hear water rushing into the front of the car, I began sobering to the gravity of the situation. "M-mom.." I gasped, my trembly voice resonated in the car. No answer. I turned to my sister's seat and reached out for her. "Alya..." I tugged at her arm hoping for a response, and then I realized... My memory fired up, flashing through each significant scenario throughout the trip. The conversation, the seemingly random choice made by mom to go on a different road, mom throwing herself out of the car, the impact, the car spinning, the screeching tires, the tumbling, the violent splash... Alya's body was limp. My heart began to race as I struggled to process the moment, "N-no... this cant be.." I could barely let out a word, I was choking up. "a- ALYA, WAKE UP- PLEASE", tears began streaming down my face, I couldn't understand why this was happening, but I knew nobody would come to rescue us. I had to get out. I had to get us out. Glaring down at the front of the car, I stretched my neck out in an attempt to discern how high the water had gotten. It definitely had moved up by a foot. If I set myself to stand on the seat I would be knee deep. I frantically began searching for my seatbelt buckle, violently fidgeting with it to release myself as my hands trembled with fear, I was not letting Alya go. Not with uncertainty..
I was standing on the back of the front passenger seat, gripping the belt to maintain stability as the car slowly began rolling to its side. The water had nearly entirely filled the front of the car and had reached waist height. I tried the window, it wouldn't budge, I looked at my sister, not a single movement. Looking up at the seat I sat in, a thought crossed my mind. I disconnected the head rest, I had to try. I aimed the metal piece at the corner of the window and struck. Again. "Piece of shit.. just fucking break already..." I grit my teeth and with all my strength I could muster in this cramped place, swung as hard as I could. Cracks branched out from the point I'd struck, but merely on the surface. Water had started flooding in at an accelerated pace, with the rushing sound of a river inside what felt like a box of death as we sank further into the pond. In near defeat, I grabbed the door handle, giving it one last push, and as expected, a dead end attempt. I couldn't face the truth, it'd be impossible to get me and my sister out of this. "I'm gonna fucking kill them Alya! I swear! With everything I have I'll kill them damnit! You hear me?! You hear me!?" I screamed at the top of my lungs, further exhausting myself. Defeat. I was paralyzed in the freezing water. All I could feel was anger and malicious thoughts as the water started to engulf me whole, leaving me under as my lungs gave up... Then, darkness...
All my thoughts slowly faded, no longer had I felt violence and anger in my heart, it was peaceful. Serene. A beautiful feeling, a meditative state. Floating in the dark, orbs, like marbles, were attracted to me, softly dancing like flowers in a warm spring breeze. I was navigated towards light, slowly brightening as distance closed, I was approaching a new world.
My family of four lived in a cheap, run-down building, our home a haven of chaos and despair.
Our Dad, a drunken and abusive man, ruled over us with an iron fist, his anger had a constant presence in our lives, like the stench of cigarettes and alcohol.
As for mom, she slept around, bringing unfamiliar men into our home while Dad was at work.
And then there was Alya, my older sister, a lighthouse in the darkness of our forlorn lives, her innocence; a stark contrast to the ugliness that surrounded us.
Akira Yukihara groaned, as all of a sudden, his older sister, Alya shook him awake, the sun slowly rose, casting a soft, warm glow through the curtains of their cramped room. It was time for school...
"Come on, Akira," Alya whispered, her voice with urgency, "We have to go before he wakes up."
As they silently got ready for school, Akira could only think about his life. At 12 years old, he had seen more pain than most adults could fathom.
"My name is Akira Yukihara," he repeated under his breath, in an attempt to assemble some confidence.
Alya walked beside Akira, she knew how rough things were in the family and at home, but she always reassured him that they would get through it together.
They went about their normal days, but as the final bell rang, signaling it was time to go home, he walked to the gates to see their mom, whom barely ever picked them up from school...
Our mom showed up, a fake smile across her face, as she spoke:
"Come on kids, we are going for a drive like one big family!"
But as the day wore on, the truth became impossible to ignore. My mom's perspective was shown in it's true colors, parked in front of a house we had no recognition of, she whispered confessions to a man, and in response; words that spelled out her intentions in a stark, chilling detail from her conversation with the unknown man.
"I like you, but you have kids."
She gazed at us by the car, then at the stranger whom she seemed to be very close with. Their talk dragged on for a span of 10 more minutes until she finally walked back towards the car.
"Sorry kids, mommy had business to attend to, haha!" her more than painfully fake laughter brought an awkwardness and disgusting vibe to the moment. I could almost feel Alya rolling her eyes.
In silence, the rest of the trip went by. Tension thickened in the air, as mom was unnaturally quiet. None of the usual fake and disinterested questions she'd throw at us, regurgitated from what she heard other parents ask their children at school. I turned to look at Alya, she acknowledged the same. Without warning, our mother swung her door open, jumping out of the car as it sped towards a cliff. Everything happened in a flash, leaving us unprepared as we sat there trying to collect our thoughts.
In panic, Akira exclaimed:
"What the hell did she just do!"
Alya, in return, yelled:
"Mom this is not funny get us the fuck out of here!"
I screamed as the car went off the road. I reached out for Alya, my fingers brushing against hers as we struggled to escape. The branches crashed against the the sides of the car as we barreled towards the pond.
I reached out from under the water, holding my sister's hand one last time to scream, with one last sentence coming out of my mouth:
"I. want.. str-rength..."
...
The tragic and miserable life of Akira Yukihara came to a close sooner than anticipated, igniting a new beginning for Fheng gu, his body possessed by the soul of Akira...
Eyes blurred, my body was small, the only thing I could see was a man across the room, staring... I look up at the man, my words come out as a mere mumble as he embraces me in his arms, lifting me up out of my bed. In his eyes I saw my reflection....