• *Suffocating Souls*
    "Come on Jess, can't you please give me a ride to my school? It's pouring outside." Derik complained, following his 16 year old step sister around. Jessica shrugged. "you're school is only 2 blocks. Bring an umbrella." Jessica scooped up levi, her 2 year old cousin, as he ran towards her. "Jehica! Look what i gots"
    He proudly showed her his coloring. Jessic gasped, making Levi giggle. "that's really good Levi!" She shifted him to her hips, grasping his diaper bag. "ok Derik, I'll give you a ride if you take levi to the car and buckle him in."
    "Deal!" Derik agreed taking Levi from his sisters arms and running to the car.
    "not so fast Derik!" Jessica warned, throwing a sweatshirt over her head before she trailed after the boys.
    When she got outside, Levi was stamping his foot, peering up at an agitated Derik.
    Derik looked up as Jessica stepped outside. "He's throwing a fit because I won't let him sit behind the driver's seat in his carseat."
    Jessica crouched down next to Levi. "I thought you loved watching me drive Levvy"
    The 2 year old puckered his lips. "I want to wide behind you jehica. I want toooo!" Tears began spilling from his eyes. Jessica sighed and nodded.
    "Ok hun." She fumbled through his diaper bag. "Look what iiii got" she pulled out his favorite sippy cup. Levi grabbed it happily.
    "mine!"

    The rain was coming down furiously by the time Jessica arrived at the daycare to drop Levi off.
    "What do you mean he's sick?" Jessica asked the daycare attendant, who only shook her head.
    "He has a tummy flu. he will infect the other children. he needs to go home." she replied exhaustedly.
    "I changed his diaper last night.. He was fine."
    "well he's not anymore. Please, take him home so he can rest."
    In annoyance Jessica picked up Levi and carried him back to the car.



    She didn't know why but a feeling consumed her, a dread so deep she understood the tables were turning. The thought ate at the back of her mind, but the child's piercing screams of joy erupted her thoughts.
    "Jehica Jehica!" Levi shouted. Jessica smiled at him through her rear view mirror.
    "What is it hun?"
    "Sing me a song!"
    And she did. She sang to him until he screamed with laughter. Until Derik's smile lit up his face.
    "Jehica! Guess what I'm going to do when I get home."
    Jessica laughed. "what Levi?"
    "Eat butter toasts and watch scooby doo!" Levi picked up singing to himself, bobbing his head back and forth. Derik copied his little cousin, laughter filling the car.
    Jessica switched her window wipers up a notch, going 30mph on a 35mph. With children in the car she drove like a grandmother, any other time she was secure.
    The river flowed swiftly to their right, no barricade. Erosion was happening from all the rain. it was not safe to be driving, and she knew that.
    A turn came up and she slowed to 25mph...then disaster struck.
    Leaves as dangerous as black ice spun her car out of control.
    Her heart was thudding against her rib cage. levi and Derik screamed frantically in the back seat, and jessica wished she could hold them tight. Instinct kicked in as she tried going with the car as it spun to the left, before she tried correcting it. The gravitational pull was too much. Her car was too light.
    She slammed on the brakes as soft soil grasped ahold of her tires.
    this cant be happening!
    Her car went nose first into the river, which seemed to be waiting to devour her.
    The current flipped and rolled her car viciously, denting and scratching, praying for a way to eat them all alive.
    jessica whipped her head back to look at the boys.
    "Derik!" the 13 year old appeared to be unconcious.
    what do i do?!
    Jessica recalled learning somewhere that you need to wait for pressure on both sides of your door even out before opening for an escape. She waited until she could not bare it anymore.
    Levi's cries from the backseat drove Jessica to open her door. It took effort before it finally gave way.
    "Hold on Levi!" She sucked in a breath of air as the river invaded her car. The child was lost. The river was so muggy she could not see where he was.
    Panic overwhelmed her as oxygen became less. her hands fumbled for the seatbelt, but to no avail.
    In desperation she returned to the surface, then immediately dove back down...but the car was gone.
    Whether the current took her more downstream..or it took the car...it also took away 2 precious unfulfilled lives...


    (it was rushed...but i could not type anymore because of tears...RIP my little darlings...) I pray for the family