Walking out to his car, Horatio clenched his teeth. He ignored the rain which was soaking through his t-shirt and his books. Reaching the car, he pounded on the hood, releasing the fury building up inside of him. He opened the door and then slammed it closed, out of uncontrollable rage. Looking up at the sky, he simply shook his head. He hated the rain.

Finally, he got into the car and stared at his reflection in the rearview mirror. Despising what he saw, without thinking twice, he raised his fist and forced the mirror to shatter into a million pieces. He felt no remorse, just pain, as the oozing blood from his raw knuckles slowly trickled over the smooth leather interior and mixed with the reflective shards. Calming down, Horatio just sat there for a few moments; he closed his eyes and regained his composure, as he clutched his throbbing fist to his chest. Listening to the thunder slowly rumble above, he revved the engine. He had to get out of this place. Disappointment loomed over him like storm clouds.
As he cruised down the road going 85 in a 55 mile zone, he only had one thought. Veronica’s sweet face loomed in his head, and blinded him from the outside world. Interrupting his daydreams, the thunder boomed, louder than before. His car graced upon the upcoming turn, and Horatio’s eyes focused on the road ahead. The storm had become worse; his headlights could barely see three feet ahead of him. Looking for a distraction from his sorrow, he nudged the radio button with his strong hand. As a news update came on, the weatherman’s voice sounded very frantic as he rambled on, Horatio attempted to listen but was interrupted by the humming of his cell phone on the passenger seat. He reached over to answer it with his good hand, taking his hand off the wheel for a quick moment. The car swerved on the slippery pavement beneath him and Horatio quickly recoiled, placing both hands on the wheel, ignoring the piercing pain. Rubber screeched beneath him, and his eyes strained to comprehend what was happening. It was all a blur to him. The last thing he saw was the oncoming headlights, as his helpless body lashed forward violently.


...



The phone fell out of her hand.
“Oh, gosh please. NO!” Her screams echoed throughout the house, drowning out the constant pounding of the storm. “No, no, no, NO!”
She fell to the floor and her lungs gasped for air.
This could not possibly be happening. It’s all just a dream, right?!
Veronica pinched herself, just to make sure. There was no way this could be happening… this only happened in movies, right?

She watched the tiny stream of blood gush from her arm, confirming not only her reality, but her worst nightmare.