Chapter 2

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Still lost in her thoughts, fantasizing about what her life might look like five years from now, Grace was jolted back to reality by a scream.

It was her mother. Startled, she opened her eyes to find her father struggling with the car's steering wheel. The brakes had failed, and a massive truck was hurtling towards them. In a split-second decision, her father swerved towards a tree at the side of the road.

Through all this, Grace could still hear her mom screaming, her cries reverberating like the world itself was collapsing around them. Maybe it was because, in the next few seconds, what occurred felt like a terrible nightmare, one she desperately wished she could wake up from.

As the car swerved towards a tree at the side of the road, an unexpected collision occurred. Out of nowhere, a truck carrying metal poles slammed into their car. In the chaos, Grace's father was suddenly in front of her. She couldn't comprehend how he managed to jump from his seat with the seatbelt on. Broken glass littered the surrounding ground. A warm liquid trickled down Grace's face, and when she touched it, she realized it was blood. Confusion filled her. Why was she bleeding when she didn't feel hurt?

Grace glanced at her mother, who had stopped screaming. Shock painted her mother's face white as she stared at something with dread.

“FATHER!” Grace screamed as she saw her dad on the ground, a metal pole piercing through his heart. She kept calling out to him, but there was no response. Trapped by the fallen metal pole, she cried out for help, desperately reaching out to her mother. However, her mother was no longer looking at her father. Her eyes were closed.

A profound fear gripped Grace's heart. She continued to call out, but neither of them responded. Eventually, she lost consciousness.

For the first time in her life, Grace experienced a terrible dream. She felt herself falling into a void, voiceless and struggling. Just when she thought she would succumb to the painful abyss, someone called her name.

“Grace, wake up. It's just a dream.”

Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself in a white room. Miss Lara Hail was there, offering her a reassuring smile. “It's alright, Grace. Everything will be fine,” she said, embracing Grace gently. Trembling uncontrollably, Grace couldn't grasp what was happening.

“Where am I? What happened?” Grace asked, noticing she was the only one in the room. “Where are my parents? They're supposed to be with me.”

“You're in the hospital, Grace. Your parents are okay,” Miss Hail said, her voice heavy with concern. She hugged Grace again. “Just rest. When you wake up, I'll take you to your parents, okay?”

Despite the sinking feeling in her chest, Grace replied, “Okay, I'm sleepy.”

“It's alright; you can sleep now.”

And once again, Grace fell into a deep slumber, this time more terrifying than the first.