Avery Kane Deveraux stepped out of the diner, the cool drizzle of rain kissing her cheeks as she made her way to her car. The glow of the streetlights reflected off the wet pavement, casting shimmering patterns that seemed to dance with the rhythm of the rain. She tightened her coat around her and jogged the last few steps, unlocking her car with a click.
Once inside, she exhaled, brushing a few raindrops from her face. The familiar comfort of her car wrapped around her like a blanket. She adjusted her seat, plugged her phone into the car’s audio system, and scrolled through her playlist.
“Something upbeat,” she murmured to herself, finally landing on her favorite song.
The opening beats filled the car, and a grin spread across her face. She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, nodding her head to the rhythm.
As the car rolled out of the parking lot and onto the main road, Avery’s voice filled the small space. She wasn’t a great singer—far from it, really—but she sang with enthusiasm, her energy infectious even if it was just for herself.
“Don’t stop me now, I’m having such a good time,” she belted out, her hands tapping along to the beat.
The drizzle outside grew heavier, the rain streaking down the windshield in thin rivulets. Avery flipped on her wipers, laughing at her reflection in the rearview mirror as she hit a particularly high note.
“I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky—”
She drummed the dashboard with her fingers, her whole body moving with the music. It was a rare moment of pure joy, one she hadn’t had in a while.
Her phone buzzed in the holder attached to the dashboard, lighting up with a notification. She glanced at it quickly—nothing urgent. Just Janice sending a meme.
Avery chuckled to herself and reached out to tap the screen to dismiss the notification. But as she did, the phone slipped from its holder and tumbled to the floor of the passenger side.
“Ugh, seriously?” she muttered, the music still blaring in the background.
She reached over, her hand fumbling for the phone on the floor. Her eyes flicked between the road and the device, her fingers grazing the edge of it.
It was only for a second, but the distraction was enough.
The blaring sound of a car horn shattered the bubble of music and laughter. Avery’s head snapped up, her heart lurching as she saw headlights barreling toward her.
The rain blurred the edges of her vision, the wipers struggling to keep up with the sudden downpour. Everything seemed to move in slow motion—the sound of tires skidding on wet asphalt, the blinding lights growing closer, the cacophony of honks echoing in her ears.
“No, no, no—” she whispered, her voice trembling as she gripped the steering wheel, jerking it hard to the side.
A deafening crash split the air, the impact slamming her body against the seatbelt. The car spun, metal screeching against metal as the world outside her windows became a chaotic blur.
Her head slammed against the side window, pain exploding behind her eyes. The music cut off abruptly, replaced by the eerie silence that followed the crash.
Avery’s vision dimmed, her mind struggling to keep up with what had just happened. She felt the cold seeping in through the shattered window, the rain soaking her face and clothes.
She tried to move, but her limbs felt heavy, her thoughts sluggish. The distant sound of voices reached her ears, muffled and indistinct.
“A car accident—”
“Call for help!”
“Someone’s in there!”
Her head lulled to the side, the darkness creeping in at the edges of her vision. The last thing she saw before everything turned black was the blurry outline of someone running toward her car, a flashlight cutting through the rain.
The world went quiet, the pain fading into nothingness. All that remained was the faint echo of her favorite song playing somewhere in the back of her mind.
Don’t stop me now…
And then, nothing.