Trapped In a Thought Storm.

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TRAPPED IN A THOUGHT STORM

A SHORT STORY BY MARK A. BUCHANAN

The race was finally here.  The World Rally Championship.  Who would be crowned Rally Champion 2003?  As I stepped into the drivers seat of my Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V, I heard the crowd go mad as I watched John Fitzgerald, one of the best Rally drivers in the world, and also my best friend and team mate, move up to his place in the starting line up in his Evolution VI: the newest model of the Mitsubishi Lancer.  I rolled up beside him and gave him the thumbs up.  Above all the chaos and loud cheers (and jeers) from the crowd I could still hear John giving me one last piece of advice “Stay tight on the shoulder until the last lap, then we break”.  As usual John was trying to allow me to win.

Our engines ignited.  The starting lights flashed on showing red, then silence until the green light flicked on and sent us off on our Championship race.

The majority of the race went without a hitch until we reached the final hairpin in the last lap.  I was tight on the shoulder in second place with John just in front, John gave his signal for us to break but I had already pulled out of the hairpin.  Before I knew what was happening I had clipped the tail end of John’s car and sent him spinning into the solid, reinforced concrete barrier.  Slamming my foot down on the foot brake I spun unto the gravel and came to a standstill, miraculously unscathed.  As I struggled to open the door with my hands shaking uncontrollably I heard an explosion.  I pushed open the door to see that another car had collided with John’s and was on flames.  As much as I wanted to I couldn’t move from that spot, I couldn’t go and help put out the fire, all I could think about was what if…

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I was taken to hospital with John and the other casualty, who, appallingly, was pronounced dead on arrival.  After I was checked over and given the all clear, I stayed with John for a few hours.  The doctors had put John on life support.  He was in a coma.

As I got the bus home I thought of nothing else but sleep.  I wanted to be swallowed up akin to the Titanic being swallowed by the sea.

 I was woken up the next morning by the doorbell ringing constantly.  Surprised that I had been able to fall ...

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