Fatal

• Ellyna Collins, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2016

Wind catches her bright red scarf, held above her head fluttering with careless twirls and flicks. He is sitting proudly holding the steering wheel firmly. She looks across and smiles at the Prince Charming. They're perfect. Her light flowing elegance matches his strength and stability. The open top Mazda slides down the country road with ease and in this moment everything seems so surreal. They are escaping the world. Little do they no that these sugar coated thirty seconds will be their last. The pressure in the back tire reaches its limit and bursts spinning the car into a wild series of circles. The tree maintains fixed as the front or the vehicle wraps its self around the trunk. Prince Charming lays in a crumpled pile next to the girl who is smashed the way China dolls break when dropped. Hitting the breaks, my own car screeches to a halt. I scramble out I want to help, to do something, but my limbs freeze. The only thought running through my head is like a stuck record. How can something so perfect spin out of control with such speed it results in devastation.