LYRA*

As Vega's screams echoed in my ears, the sudden silence on the line left a chilling void. A metallic tang filled my mouth as blood trickled down my chin. Waves of searing pain surged through my entire left side, making every movement unbearable. The stubborn airbag refused to deflate, enclosing me in a suffocating embrace. My growing claustrophobia intensified in the tight space, amplifying the anxiety of being trapped and helpless. The excruciating agony coursing through my body was overwhelming, causing a profound sense of dread. I longed for Vega's call to anchor me, to prevent the impending panic from consuming me.

A few light taps on my window have me glancing up to see a concerned woman looking down at me.

"Hello Miss, I'm from the car behind you. I wanted to check on you to see how you are doing and also let you know that help is on the way."

My head was pounding, so her voice was killing me. "I'm alright. But I'm pinned between the door and the steering wheel."

"Help will be here soon. I'm going to check on the others. We have quite the pile up on our hands." She said as she ran up the ramp.

I raised my eyes and noticed a group of individuals gathering outside their vehicles, engaged in conversation. The desire to join them welled up inside me. As my gaze blurred, a lingering pain reminded me of the impact my head had made against the car window. Perhaps it's best I remain here.

"Incoming call from Vegas cell, Incoming call from Vegas cell."

I poked the phone icon on the dash to answer the call.

"Lyra, we're almost there," Vega screamed into the phone, her words wreaking havoc on my pounding head. "Has the EMS and other rescue workers arrived yet?"

"No, but they should be here soon. Can you not talk so loud, Vega? My head's pounding away at my skull?"

"What is your situation, Lyra?"

"I had my left foot up on the cup holder on the door, and my left elbow was resting on my knee. So they my leg and arm pinned between the steering wheel and the door. I think I've broken both my arm and leg. In all honesty, I'm feeling excruciating pain throughout the whole left side of my body, head to toe. I hit my head on the door window, so I'm bleeding. My head is pounding, and my vision is getting blurry." I whispered.

"Oh no," Vega whimpered. I could hear her sniff, and I knew she was crying.

In the distance, the piercing wail of sirens reached my ears, causing both Vega and I to exhale with relief. Fatigue washed over me, and I yearned to surrender to unconsciousness, to drift into a peaceful slumber. The agony on my entire left side was indescribable, while my pounding head seemed to play strange tricks on me, intensifying the throbbing sensation within my skull.

"I love you, Vega," I whispered.

"Oh God, Jace, hurry. Lyra, you're going to be fine. Help has arrived. You know I love you too. I'm so sorry for being such a bitch earlier."

I clenched my eyes shut, hoping that the thick fog surrounding me would dissipate. A sudden tapping sound on the window broke the eerie silence, causing me to jolt with surprise. I raised my gaze to find two identical twin firefighters peering in. The sight was both bewildering and unnerving. Determined to make sense of this bizarre occurrence, I closed my eyes once again, only to reopen them and witness the twins merging into one person. My vision blurred as I struggled to comprehend what was happening. Doubles, overlapping images, a disconcerting realization dawned upon me - this was not a fortuitous turn of events. It indicated a severe concussion, sending a wave of concern through my shaken body.

"I'm going to break the back window and come in through the back to assist you. Hang tight, alright. You are going to be ok, I've got you."

"That's my sister in that car! Please let me through, so I can be with her! LYRA! I'm here, and I won't leave you, I promise! Please let me through!" Vega screamed.

"Ma'am, you can't go over there. It's too dangerous and the rescue workers need the space cleared to do their jobs."

"But she needs me!"

Her phone remained on, the shrill voices of their conversation piercing through the car's speakers. The noise reverberated within the confined space, intensifying the throbbing ache in my head.

"Vega! Dammit, stop screaming!"

"Shit! I'm so sorry, Lyra. I love you," Vega whispered. "I'm going to let you go now so I can call Dad and talk to the paramedics."

The line went dead.

At that moment, the firefighter shattered the window, causing a cascade of sharp glass fragments to scatter in all directions. The cacophony of breaking glass resonated in the air as a sudden gust of wind rushed through the opening. As I turned my attention to the rearview mirror, I caught sight of him maneuvering across the back seat, his presence looming in the reflection.

"Don't be worried. I'm here and right behind you. Can you tell me your name, please, Ma'am?"

"My name is Lyra Riley, and what is your name, sir?"

Despite the garbled words slipping from my lips, I'm grateful that I can still convey my thoughts, albeit not to perfection. The sudden release of the airbag echoed through the car, filling the air with a distinctive pop. Relief flooded over me, like a cool breeze on a stifling day, as the suffocating sensation of claustrophobia dissipated. Inhaling, I could taste the sweet air of freedom, no longer trapped in the confines of the of the airbag. To ensure stability, he secured a rigid neck brace around my vulnerable throat, its presence a constant reminder to keep my head still, as if my life depended on it.

"I'm Jacob O'Donnell, ma'am. Do you know what has happened and where you are, Lyra?"

Bloody hell, get me out of here. The pleasantries can come some other time. I glared at him but winced in pain instead, and he caught the sight in the mirror.

"You've hit your head, Lyra, and I need to ask these questions to assess how bad your head injury may be."

I can tell that he's trying to assess if I have brain damage, because I've watched enough movies in my lifetime to know how this goes. It also helps that my dad is a trauma surgeon, so he has taught Vega and me a thing or two.

"I'm in Lubbock, Texas, born and raised here. Twenty-one years old. I have a twin sister, Vega, and she was the one yelling over the bluetooth earlier. I'm a psych major in college," I slurred and winced in pain.

Surrounded by a cacophony of commotion, I strained to glimpse the unfolding chaos outside. Alas, my immobilized head, confined by the restrictive grip of a neck brace, denied me the ability to satisfy my curiosity.

Jacob noticed me rolling my eyes to the left. It was as if he could read my mind because he said, "They need to move the cars that were behind you so we can get you out."

Oh my goodness, was he going to leave? I don't want to be left alone here.

"Please! Please don't leave me here by myself! I can't move. I'm broken, and I'm pretty sure I'm about to pass out! My head hurts so bad, and I'm so scared," I screamed. I looked at Jacob in the mirror, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Someone get me a towel," he yelled out the door. Moments later, Jacob cleaned the blood and tears from my face. "I will not leave you, Lyra. I'll stay right here with you."

Someone walked up. "I need to check her vitals. Can I switch places with you for a second?"

Someone was trying to pry my door open. And my eyes widened in horror. They can't just open the door. That would be horrific on so many levels considering my leg and arm are stuck between it and the steering wheel.

"Hold on. Give me the med kit and I'll check her vitals and get her secured. She's got several injuries. Don't worry Lyra, I'm not leaving you, alright."

My eyes fluttered and closed because of heaviness. "Lyra, open your eyes, look at me. You've got to stay awake," I heard him, and I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't, and moaned in aggravation.

"It hurts. I'm trying to open my eyes, but I can't."

"Keep talking to me then, alright. You need to stay awake. Don't go to sleep, Lyra."

He wrapped a tight blood pressure cuff around my right arm; the Velcro ripping through the air. I felt the coolness of the cuff against my skin as he placed two firm fingers on my wrist, searching for my pulse. Panic laced his voice as he urgently yelled out to the EMT, "We're losing her! We need to get her out now!" his words piercing through the surrounding chaos.

"I'm going to secure her body. She has multiple severe injuries to the left side of her body. Someone get in contact with her sister, so she can go with us to the hospital. We'll need to get her transported as soon as possible. She's close to losing consciousness."

"How long have I been stuck like this?" I asked, my eyes opening to slits.

Jacob had been adjusting his arm, positioning it to catch my flailing arm and leg as soon as soon as the door had opened. Amid his intense focus, he briefly glanced up at the mirror, showing that over forty agonizing minutes had elapsed.

"What?!"

"I'm ready!" Jacob yelled.

"Lyra, the door wouldn't open on its own; so they will use the jaws of life to pry the door open. Don't be afraid. I won't let anything bad happen to you," Jacob said into the mirror. My eyes fluttered and closed, and everything faded into darkness.

"LYRA! LYRA, come back to me! You can't..... LYRA!"

Amid the suffocating darkness, Jacob's voice reverberated in my ears, a faint whisper in the void. The absence of light hindered my progress, leaving me trapped in this desolate abyss. The excruciating pain that had once consumed me has ceased, tempting me to remain in this bleak sanctuary.

VEGA*

I've been standing here for forty agonizing minutes, the passing time marked by the distant hum of slow-moving traffic and the occasional chirping of birds. To any onlooker, my behavior would seem bizarre, even crazy. But deep within, I can sense a fraction of Lyra's anguish. Sharp jolts of pain shoot down the left side of my body intermittently, like electric shocks disrupting my senses. It's the inexplicable bond that Lyra and I have shared since the moment of our birth. And don't even get me started on the chaos unfolding within my mind.

Jace had held me up as I cried and called my dad. He and mom were both at the hospital's emergency room, dealing with all the trauma cases going in from the accident. It's all hands on deck over there.

I witnessed the chaotic aftermath of the hit and run as ambulances rushed many victims to hospitals across the city. The scene was overwhelming, with a cluster of over fifteen cars piled up on the loop, each bearing the scars of the collision. The sight of the wreckage seemed to justify the frenzied pace at which everyone in this area operated. However, it was my sister Lyra who endured the brunt of the accident. She remained trapped in her car, making her unreachable, and I couldn't approach her despite my desperate attempts. Periodically, someone would provide me with updates, offering a glimpse into the ongoing rescue efforts. The deafening sound of wrecker trucks echoed through the air as they painstakingly removed one vehicle after another. Finally, the rescue workers cleared the last car, granting unrestricted access to Lyra's vehicle and enabling them to extract her from the devastating wreckage. It filled the scene with a distinct mix of tension, urgency, and hope.

A rush of relief washed over me, filling my lungs with oxygen. The air was thick with the smell of burning rubber and smoke, a harsh reminder of the chaos that had unfolded moments ago. Just as tranquility settled in, piercing cries echoed from inside her car, tugging at my heartstrings. All of a sudden, a sense of unease engulfed me. As her car door burst from its hinges, it screeched in protest, making time seem to stand still. My eyes fixated on the scene unfolding before me as the rescue team maneuvered Lyra onto a stretcher. The rhythmic thumping of the fireman's hands against her chest reverberated in the air, a desperate symphony of hope. A brief, fleeting glance in my direction ignited a surge of adrenaline within me, propelling me forward in a sprint towards them.