Chapter 5 Inside Adam's Mind

I was driving my best friend Austin, his crazy wife Janice, and my sworn nephews Chris and Goku to see my girlfriend Lizzy. "Today's the big day huh?" Austin chuckled as he winked at Janice. "Oh man, you told her too!!! C'mom man." I threw sharp glances at Austin who was sitting in the passenger seat beside me. "I don't know if she'll say yes." I sighed defeated at the fact I can't make Janice forget the secret. "Well, if it makes you feel any better she doesn't want to leave you." Janice gloated as she took Chris' shoes off. "Are you scared? Cold feet?" Austin turned my attention to him. "What! I've never been so sure in my life. It's...I don't want to be a reason she has to fold her wings. That's all." I have been discussing this very topic with Austin for weeks. The thought of growing with Lizzy and waking up to her smile everyday. I can proudly say I found my goal in life. But in the past when I first tried to start a relationship with Lizzy, she pushed me away. I don't want to get pushed away again. Yet, not being able to chase my goals is not living a life worth living. Besides, she was extremely cute when she struggled to not look at my phone. "Buddy, you're dozing off again. Do you want me to drive?" Austin asked a bit more concerned than his usual remarks. "I'm fine, don't you have night blindness?" I snickered back. "Hahaha, very funny. I'm serious, you've been losing sleep because of your nerves." Austin fist bumped my arm to jolt me awake a bit. "Don't worry, lately Lizzy has been treating me well." "Oh you guys already act like a newlywed couple. No wonder he's tired. She will soon know what tired is once she gets" Janice pauses and takes a look at the sleeping kids then back to us. "Well I'm sure you know what I mean." We laugh as we stop at a stop light. We're 20 minutes away from Home. "Hey, I just thought of something crazy." I began to share my thoughts when the light turned green. I pressed the gas and turned my right signal on. We were making a turn here. Before I can continue my statement I saw in the corner of my eye a couple fighting in the car to the left of me. I lost my train of thought as I tried thinking of ways to safely get everyone to safety. There was only one way. I have to take my foot off the gas and let it hit me. I turned me head to the right once more to scope out the possible crash points. There was no trees or walls just an open road. That's good, the most that will happen is the car spinning out of control. Besides a couple of bruises they'll be fine. Austin was trying to get my attention the entire time trying to get me to complete my statement. "Hey, Austin. Tell Lizzy and my little brother that I love them and lived very happy. Also, this one's for Lizzy. The ring is in the game." I threw Austin my brightest smile. Everything went black at that moment. Then I opened my eyes only to see Austin slightly concussed and Janice's body thrown onto the kids. I stare vaguely at my body. I was the only one covered in blood. Austin and Janice had a couple of scratches and was bleeding a bit, but no deep wounds. Only I was soaked in a pool of my own blood. "Is that how I look?" I said confused unable to identify with the bloody body. Janice began moving as the people from the other car got out and began panicking. Austin was knocked out while Chris and Goku were awake and crying. How ironic, they're awake now when Austin and I are asleep. I smiled as I pushed my way to the boys. "I think I may be dead. But don't worry guys, it was worth it." I reached out to wipe their tears but my hand went right through. All the while, both the boys stopped crying. "can you guys hear me?" I asked a little surprised and a bit hopeful that I could communicate with them. "Uncle Adam isn't dead. Chris he's here." Goku looked down. "I know I can hear him." Chris patted Goku on the back. "Wait you guys can really hear me?" I waved my hands in front of them. "Why is he waving at us?" Goku asked Chris. "He wants to know if we can hear him." "Hey! don't talk as though I'm not here!" I lost my composure. "Sorry uncle Adam. Our mommy told us not to talk to ghosts." Chris answered me. Janice I always knew you had given birth to the twin boy version of those creepy scary twins in the horror hallway movie. "Ok no problem, you boys got to be strong for your mommy. She's really scared that Daddy and I are sleeping. Can you help her out?" I pointed to Janice who was outside the car on the phone panicking. She didn't let the kids see it but she was crying and shaking. I got up and out the car and tried to comfort her too. But she couldn't see me or hear me. "Mommy, Mommy, can you hold me?" Goku ran up to Janice after Chris pushed him out the car. "Mom, dad is waking up." "Tell her she should take a picture just in case." I interrupted Chris. "Also, you should take a picture. Just in case." He repeated, Janice excused herself from the phone call and took a picture. "Right, are you boys hurt?" She was coming to her senses. Janice was now trying to assist the situation into having a less chance of worsening. "Chris, go tell your brother to go wait in the car or just stand around it." Chris ran up to the car and sat down. It was already dark and the boys were tired. "Are you okay?" Janice went up to the reckless couple. "We're so sorry!!!!!" The female was crying, she was dressed in a regular tank top and jeans while the man was in his pajamas. "Do you want to call my insurance or your insurance?" The man held up his phone. "I think, before we discuss the damages we should discuss our health. I already called for an ambulance. We can discuss insurance after we get checked." Janice was fierce as she walked back to my beat up car. From the looks of it, it did spin out of control. I'm relieved that at least Janice and the kids are awake. I sat on my body unable to move it...unable to connect to it. Janice was waiting outside for the ambulance to arrive. "Uncle Adam, what are you doing?" Goku asked me. I turned to face him. "I'm trying to wake up." Chris delivered the message for me. "Do you think you can do it?" Goku asked with his head tilted. "Chris this is for you too so listen well." Chris nodded his head. "I am not dead, naturally I'll be up in no time. Just like daddy Austin. He's up but is still putting mental pieces together. I'm just sleeping. So be patient. Okay boys." Chris was done being my personal translator. They both nodded their heads. The boys had decided to leave me alone for the remainder of the wait. There was a total of three ambulance trucks to respond. This was because Janice told the cops that there were 6 injured. During the wait Austin had woken up completely but hadn't remembered the last 5 minutes before the crash. Meaning, nobody knows except Julie that the ring is hidden in the game. Unless, of course Julie told someone else. But I doubt that...at least I think I do? Who is Julie again? Anyway, Janice rode with me while the boys rode with their father. And the dangerous couple rode with themselves. Julie had chose to ride with me because she didn't want the boys seeing me all bloody and conscienceless. Which is understandable, I wouldn't want to see either one of them in the same situation. I hope the others don't get too mad. I sunk into my body trying to remember this person called Julie. I had a vague sense that she was a girl. Then I realized something, I was afraid of other people getting mad at my act of kindness. But I wasn't really sure if I knew any of them. Who are these other people? I find myself banging my mind for answers. Even after being carried in the ambulance truck I couldn't find any clue. I waited a bit hoping I wasn't forgetting anything important. Still nothing, instead I am confronted by my younger self. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be taller?" I followed him deeper into a ever so growing void. "Remember who you are, then and only then will you know you breathe air." The little boy disappeared and left me alone with my thoughts.