Hit And Run

• Pepita Prettejohn, Grade 6, Mt Molloy State School -
• Short Story
• 2021

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Note 2021' competition

Maria’s raven hair glistened underneath the bright streetlight. Sharply she turns around, her hazel eyes dart side to side making sure she’s alone. I sprinted into a nearby alleyway just avoiding her gaze. Carefully Maria clutches a small box, which she holds like it was a small, delicate baby. Her hand suddenly clenches. She turns around, her gaze meets mine. Quickly she slips the box behind her back. “You really think you could scare me don’t you.” She says as she rolls her eyes.
“How are you so good?!” I reply “I was really hoping to get you that time!”
Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I spot a red Honda swerve towards Maria.
“Watch out!” I scream as I push her out of the way. The wind escapes my lungs and it feels like I've been crushed by a herd of African elephants. My mind goes blank, I can't see anything. I wake up, I'm disoriented, my vision is blurred.
“He's awake!”
I look up. Maria’s standing above me.
“Wa-what happened?” I ask.
“You got hit by a car, you're lucky this young lady had a phone to dial 000 or you would’ve been dead” says a voice.
I look around. I'm in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors and nurses.
“You’ve been out for a week!” One of the doctors say, “the police are still trying to find the person responsible for the hit and run.”
I try to get up but my whole upper body aches and for some reason I can't feel my legs.
“W-w-what happened to my legs!?” I ask. I try to sit up but my back gives in.
“You broke your back when the front of the car hit you. Your MRI shows that you’ve broken your thoracic vertebrae at the T11 T12 level and completely severed your spinal cord” another doctor says.
Tears streamed down my cheeks like heavy rain. I turn to look at Maria but she avoids my gaze. Is she hiding something or does she just feel guilty and upset? Slowly the doctors and nurses pour out of the room. Now Maria and I are alone.
“What's wrong?” I ask, trying to hold back my tears.
“I-I-I hate seeing you like this!” she wails “I-I-I should’ve be-be-been the one hit by that car!”
“Never say that! Don't you EVER say that!” I cry “None of this is your fault.”
I look down at my feet. Tears are now streaming down my face more than ever. I glance up. Maria isn’t crying as much now. Her eyes meet mine. I smile in hope that she smiles back.
“Let's just change the subject,” I say. “So what was in that box you were clutching that day?”
“A Fitbit.” she replied. “I was going to give it to you for your birthday.”
“It’s just crazy what can happen in a matter of seconds'' I say. “Civilizations fall, empires rise, worlds collapse, things can mean everything then nothing.”