I Never Thought It Would Happen To Me

• Katelyn Gregory, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2013

Katelyn Gregory
18 Years old
6 Ingram Close Narre Warren
Year 12 Fountain Gate Secondary College

I never thought it’d happen to me. Neither did my twin brother, my boyfriend or my best friend. But it did. What they warned and worried about. Drinking. Driving. Speeding. They told us but we didn’t listen. Now the three of them are gone and all I want is for this unbearable pain to stop.
Death is a natural occurrence in life. We all knew that. What we didn’t know was the pain that came along with death. I used to wonder if death hurt. But now it seems like the only way to survive.
It happened two years ago. Mum was away, we don’t have a dad.
We threw a party at our place, celebrating year 12. The party was awesome, music blearing, everyone dancing, drinking. I’d say it was the best party, but the worst night.
Some boys my brother hated showed up. He told them to leave but they challenged him to a drag race. If my brother won they’d leave. My brother wasn’t sure. If I knew what would happen I would never have allowed it but I didn’t know. None of us did. We all encouraged him and got in the car to show our support. The boys in front, us girls in back. We shouldn’t have gotten into the car, not only because of what happened but because my brother only had his red P’s.
I remember looking over to the other car, the smug look of the drivers face. Thinking he could win. Only by a technically he did. Our car never finished the race.
We only had half a kilometre to go. The boys in the other car started hitting us, where my best friend was sitting. I told my brother to hurry up. Get away from them but he couldn’t go any faster. He was already speeding and the road was slippery from the rain. The car hit us another time. We slid on the wet surface, hitting the ditch on the side of the road. Then we started rolling. I don’t remember stopping or getting out of the car but I remember my brother. His face smashed against the steering wheel. I remember seeing my boyfriend’s lifeless arm hanging out of the car. I remember my best friend smiling as she closed her eyes one last time. I remember hearing someone screaming. It’s hard comprehending it was me.
I have trouble believing that they are dead. They’re gone. I’m left here without them. We thought we were invincible. We were wrong. They were right. Our parents, teachers, anyone who ever told us not to drink and drive.
I used to think about death when I was a little kid. It now seems like the perfect solution to my problems. I cannot handle the pain of not being with them, two years is too long. I’m going to go out the way they did. Pushing everything to the limit. I’ve learned it can happen to anyone. None of us are invincible.