FATED HEART Love in the shadows

We were driving home from a day trip to the lake, the sun setting over the trees as we wound our way through the woods. Mom was singing along to her favorite song on the radio, her voice off-key but enthusiastic. Dad was laughing and teasing her, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

I was sitting in the backseat, watching the trees blur by outside the window. We'd had a great day, swimming and picnicking and just enjoying each other's company. I felt happy and content, surrounded by my loved ones.

As the song ended, Mom turned down the radio and asked, "Who's up for ice cream when we get home?"

Dad and I both cheered, and Mom laughed. "I take that as a yes," she said, smiling at Dad.

And then, without warning, the car swerved off the road, tires screeching in protest...

Shuuuuuuu!

The car tumbled, its tires screeching as it careened off the winding road and into the darkness of the woods. Branches snapped, and leaves crunched beneath the crushing weight of the vehicle.

I screamed as the car swerved off the road, the tires screeching in protest. Mom's hands were still gripping the wheel, but her eyes were wide with fear. Dad's face was set in a grimace, his arms bracing himself against the dashboard.

What was happening?

The impact came out of nowhere, a crushing force that sent our car tumbling into the woods. I felt weightless, my stomach lurching as the world around me spun out of control.

Glass shattered, metal crunched, and branches snapped. The sounds were deafening, a cacophony of chaos that left me disoriented and terrified.

The car finally came to a stop, the silence that followed almost as jarring as the crash itself. I was dazed, my head spinning, and my body aching from the impact.

Mom...Dad...

I tried to call out to them, but my voice was barely a whisper. I struggled to move, to free myself from the wreckage, but a searing pain shot through my head, making my vision blur.

As I struggled to free myself from the wreckage, I saw Mom and Dad crawling out of the car, their bodies battered and bleeding. Mom's face was contorted in agony, her eyes wide with fear. Dad's voice was hoarse from screaming, his words barely intelligible.

"Help...help somebody ,olive..." Mom cried out, her voice weak but desperate.

My voice was hoarse and barely audible "Mom...Dad..."I whispered feeling weak.