Page 12 of Drifting

The other driver got caught sleeping at the wheel, but they’re coming up fast.

No, nope. I just tree’d you so hard, sucker.

I shift through the gears like a madwoman, and when I glance in my mirror, he’s right on my bumper.

Since I kept everything the same from my last race, I should get a burst of speed right about—

Crunch.

My head snaps forward, the locks on my head and neck restraint snapping tight. My car spins, and my eyes shoot to the side to stare out the driver’s window.

The other car isn’t slowing down

God dammit, he’s going to hit me.

For some stupid reason, I brace my arm against the door, like that will stop him from crushing me. My eyes flash up to find the other racer’s cold, dead eyes glaring back at me.

Wait, is he smiling?

The sound of metal crunching rings in my ears, and everything happens at once.

My body snaps hard toward the passage side.

Boom, the airbag explodes in my face.

My window shatters, sharp shards slicing into my face and arm.

A sense of weightlessness fills me as I flip back around, and my left arm slams hard against my door as I come upright, then tip over again.

Having no clue how many times I flip, I close my eyes and hope I make it through this.

When the car finally settles on the driver’s side, everything hurts, and blackness creeps into my vision.

I should have listened to Cin, I think before everything goes black.

* * *

I come to with a confused, “Hmm.”

Why am I asleep? This isn’t right. Why can’t I focus on anything?

Then, excruciating pain racks my body. I bite my lip, trying to stop the scream, but it doesn’t work.

My eyes fly open, and bright lights blind me.

A sharp pain hits my head, and I snap my eyes closed once more.

Why the hell is it so bright out? I gasp in frantic breaths that don’t seem to bring in any oxygen.

Okay, okay, calm down. Let’s think this through.

Relying on my other senses to figure out where I am, I struggle to concentrate through the pain.

The beeping of a machine matches my heartbeat, and the smell of ammonia fills my nose.

Fuck. Hospital.

Dammit.

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