• xxxI don't remember much of what happened. Or, more accurately, I don't want to remember. Those few seconds of my life during the crash were horrible. I never lost consciousness until I was half way to the hospital. I'd felt every break of bone, the heat of the fire, and I'd smelt my own flesh cook and burn. I wasn't scared though. Not at first. I found that I could accept I would probably die, that if by some miracle I lived that I would never walk or talk again, let alone move. Never do what I loved - swim in competitions around the world. I heard somebody shouting. Something about how someone was still in the wreckage? Oh yeah... I was still in the wreckage.

    xxxStrong hands grabbed my arm and I would've cried out in pain except for the fact I couldn't even whimper. I saw a face which was joined by many more as I was loaded into the ambulance. People hooked me to a machine and I felt air - sweet, sweet air! - enter my lungs as it breathed for me, my chest rising and falling steadily. Then, a thought crossed my mind that brought a flash of alarm.

    xxxWhy wasn't I unconscious yet? In movies, people always passed out in accidents! What was going on?

    xxxThere was a loud beeping as they shouted something about my heart. A defibrillator was brought out and my back arched as the volts rocketed through me. The beeping slowed and steadied as an IV was then stuck into my arm and my eyes darted around, trying to take everything in. Somebody finally took notice of those frightened eyes and came over.

    xxxx"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. If you understand, blink once," the man said. I blinked once and he smiled a dazzling smile. "Good."

    xxxAll that happened after was a blur. The world was gradually getting darker and I knew I was loosing the battle to stay awake. When my eyes closed, they never opened again. Instead, I fell into a blissful, painless sleep that the doctors will tell you is a coma. I call it release. Sweet, wonderful, joyous release.

    xxxI should explain where we are, huh? The year is 5017. Cars and other vehicles drive themselves so this crash wasn't supposed to happen. Everything is set into the master system, but recently there have been a few glitches. Nothing, not even a machine, is perfect. This had just happened to be one of those incidences. It was the worst by far, but still considered to be minor. My coma was considered minor! If I could still talk, then I'd probably sue. I had the feeling my dad would anyway.

    End Chapter One