I Didn't See Anything (Part One)

Artist: Kade Mallory

“Start from the beginning, again.” Dr. Carlisle said, grabbing her notepad and adjusting her glasses.

I tapped my fingers anxiously on the brown, leather couch where I sat facing her. The blood pressure in my head was rising and I couldn’t bring myself to form the words she was asking for.

She sighed. “Hannah,” she set her notebook aside and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands together. Her ocean blue eyes stared intensely at me, never releasing her gaze. “you will never get better and you will never feel safe until you accept what happened so you can move forward.” She leaned back, eyes still locked on me. “I can’t release you from this treatment facility until you prove yourself to be a functional, independent, human being that isn’t a danger to yourself or others.”

“I know.” I looked away, embarrassed. It’s been three years since my best friend was murdered. Since then, reality and memory blend together, like I relive the moment every day. At least I’m not as bad as I used to be… I’m not attacking every man that even resembled her murderer. Even though I watched as the life drained from his face, I never felt like he was truly gone.

I knew he was dead. I watched the vein in his neck as his pulse slowed to an eternal stop. I was glad he was dead. I am glad it was me that got to see the terror in his eyes until they froze in place, like two crystal blue marbles, looking ever so distant at nothing. In that moment, he resembled more like a dead deer, mounted on a wall, than a human being. His ashen face will forever be branded in my mind.

“Do you want to try again another time?” Her voice pulled me out of my head. I almost forgot she was here.

“No,” I blurted. I couldn’t spend another day missing my parents. It’s been so long since I saw my little brother, I missed him so much. “Just give me a second.”

Dr. Carlisle continued to stare as I gathered the courage to tell my story. If I couldn’t do it for myself, at least do it for Maggie. Somehow, the thought of her gave me the strength to push forward.

I took a deep breath and allowed myself to get lost in the memory.

Part One:

“Hannah!”

The sound of Maggie’s voice drew me out of the book I was reading.

“Hannah!” she shouted again.

She waved as she walked through the crowded lunchroom, weaving between hungry students waiting in line to get their trays of food, her long, wavy, blonde hair glistening in the sunlight coming in through the windows, a wide smile stretched across her face.

“Hey, Mags,” I said, standing up to greet her. We hugged, then she sat down on the bench next to me.

“Are you going to the bonfire tonight?” Maggie asked.

“I don’t know, it’s not really my thing.”

Maggie’s smile slowly turned into a frown. Her big blue eyes stared at me with disappointment. “Come on, don’t make me go alone.”

“You can go without me, can’t you?”

“No.” She picked up my hand and held it with both her hands. “Please come with me!” Her voice raised a few octaves. “We’re only seniors once!”

I couldn’t help but giggle at the sound of her high-pitched voice.

“It’s not funny,” she smiled, playfully punching my shoulder. “We both know you have no plans tonight.”

“What makes you think that?”

She squinted her big blue eyes and folded her arms. “I know you. Which also means, I know that the only person worth hanging out with is me.”

I rolled my eyes, “Fine.”

“Yay!” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. “This is going to be so much fun!”

“Maggie!” a voice yelled.

Maggie released me from her grasp.

“Maggie,” the voice yelled again, “let’s go!”

Maggie perked up, “Tyson!” She waved at him and then turned towards me. “I gotta go.” She hugged me. “Pick me up at eight!” she yelled as she ran off.

The bell rang and the student’s dispersed into their classrooms like trails of ants.

After school, I went home and finished my homework early so that I would not be worried about doing it over the weekend. I glanced at the clock that sat on the desk in my bedroom. It was 7:40 at night. I closed my text book, grabbed my purse and denim jacket off of the chair I was sitting on and grabbed my keys.

Maggie was already waiting for me on her front porch. She sat tapping her foot anxiously. She smiled as she ran up to my car.

"Thank you so much, Hannah!" Maggie said, as she climbed into the car. "You won't regret it. It's going to be so much fun!"

The drive up to the bonfire was a long one. Maggie spent the time blasting electronic music through my speakers. She sang to the music loudly and slightly off tune while dancing to the sounds as they played through the speakers.

The bonfire was in the middle of nowhere, deep inside the mountains. To get there, we had to drive through miles of nothing and one small town, filled with broken down buildings; I couldn't imagine how anyone could live in them. Several were caved in, many more were vandalized. It looked as if half the town were abandoned.

I tried to focus on other things.

After passing the town, we found ourselves on a winding road going into the mountains. After many twists and turns, we found ourselves breaking off onto a bumpy dirt road. Eventually we came to a clearing surrounded with trees and the orange glow of the bonfire.

I was glad to have arrived at our destination. I yawned, popping my ears from the elevation.

As soon as I opened the door, music poured into my car. Maggie and I walked toward the music.

The bonfire was enormous. The flames almost reaching the tree tops, it's contents consisting of old textbooks and papers. I stood there staring at the light of the fire dancing on the surrounding trees. The air reeked of underage drinking, smoke, vomit and sweat.

"Hannah!" Maggie shouted over the noise. "Come on!" She handed me a red cup.

I inhaled its contents; the drink emitted the sweet smell of alcohol. I smiled, "Thanks, Maggie, but I think I'm gonna pass on this one, someone’s gotta drive home."

"Suit yourself." Then she chugged the drink, like she had been stranded in a desert for many days. I stared in awe.

"Maggie, what are you doing?" I said, surprised.

"Come on, Hannah." She rolled her eyes. "Live a little." She then walked back to the drink table for a refill.



Hours passed and the night grew darker. Maggie and I walked around and spent the time mingling with fellow classmates. After a while, Maggie ran off to find Tyson who was nowhere to be seen. I stayed and mingled with a few girls from my history class. We laughed as we reminisce on memories of High School. I was actually enjoying myself until I heard Maggie shouting.

"How could you do this to me!?" she shouted.

I turned in the direction of her voice and saw it: Tyson had his arms around a skinny brunette. Her hair was a messy frame around her face. She wore a red button up blouse with the buttons undone exposing her olive skin and the black lace of her bra underneath.

I made my way through the crowd. As I got closer I saw red lipstick smeared on Tyson's lips and trailed down his neck.

"Maggie," I said as I got to her side, tears streamed down her cheeks. She had rivers of mascara running down her face. Her expression twisted with a mixture of emotions: betrayal, sadness and anger. She could barely stand from the alcohol burning through her veins. I wrapped an arm around her to try to stabilize her.

Tyson stood there, silent, his arm wrapped around the brunette.

"Let's go home," I whispered to Maggie, attempting to wipe some of the mascara from her face. "he's not worth it." I grabbed her hand to try to pull her toward the car but, she wouldn't budge. She stood like a statue staring at Tyson.

Her hand lashed across his face, leaving two bloody claw marks on his cheek. My eyes were wide with shock.

Tyson's face flushed with anger. He held his cheek, blood seeping through the cracks in his fingers. His other fist clenched as he took a step toward Maggie. "You stupid slut!"

Maggie took a step back, lost her balance and fell on the ground.

Adrenaline was already pulsing through my veins. My blood boiled at this sight. "Back off!" I slammed my fists against his chest.

"Who do you think you are?" he laughed at my face.

"Who do you think you are?" I mimicked back. "You really think you’re more impressive than the next guy?" I shoved him harder this time. "News flash, you’re just a piece of shit. Congratulations, you two deserve each other.” I glared at the brunette.

I helped Maggie back up and put her arm around my neck for support.

Tyson’s brunette laughed.

"You can have him!" Maggie yelled, throwing a partially filled, red solo cup at the brunette. She gasped as the cold liquid soaked her clothes.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her squirming with discomfort.

"C' mon, Maggie." I turned her and we began walking in the direction of the car.

“You bitch!” The brunette yelled.

Maggie laughed, throwing one fist up in the air, her middle finger pointing towards the sky.

When we got back to my black Honda Accord, I opened the passenger door and she collapsed into the leather seat. "I hate him." She mumbled.

"I know."

She mumbled something incoherent.

"You're drunk, Maggie, get some rest."

"Okay."

I climbed into the driver seat, put the key into the ignition, and pulled out onto the dirt road.

It was late, and darkness surrounded us. For some reason, I convinced myself that it was the blackest night I had ever seen. All I could see was the road ahead of me illuminated by the vehicle’s white headlights. I had driven long trips before in the dark, but something about this night made me feel very uncomfortable, like something could be lurking in the shadows of the moon.

About halfway down the mountain, Maggie's breath became slowed and steadied. She had fallen asleep. I was alone now. I would have woken her up, but she wouldn't have been much use awake. I shook my head and just kept driving.

When we came up to the small town, Maggie suddenly stirred.

"I feel sick." she whispered holding her stomach. "I think I'm going to puke."

The thought of stopping in the town unsettled me. "Can you make it?"

"No," she clamped her hand to her mouth. "We need to stop now."

Without warning, Maggie opened the door. I slammed on the breaks. She crawled out of the car and began vomiting on the asphalt. I ran over to her and pulled her hair back. When she was done heaving she sat up on her knees.

I put my arm around her. Seeing her so sick made my heart ache. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "I think so." She turned to look at me. "Are you mad at me?" Tears filled her eyes and leaked out the corners.

"No." I gave her a hug. "If anyone should be upset, it's you. I'm sorry about Tyson."

"I thought we had something great.”

“He wasn’t good enough for you anyway.” I smiled.

Crack! A door slammed against the side of a house a few doors down. A woman came running out, tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. Her long, red hair was in a tangled mess. Dark liquid painted her pale hands. As I looked closer, I realized that the liquid that soaked her skin was blood. Red drizzled down her face. Her shirt was ripped up and covered in the sticky substance. She tripped and fell face-first on the ground.

A man followed her a moment later, wrapping something tightly in his hand. What was it? He gripped it very menacingly, holding it slightly hidden behind his back. The object glistened in the moonlight. With the other hand, he reached for the woman grabbing her arm. She struggled to free herself.

"Shut up!" he shouted, as he slammed his fist into her jaw and she fell to the ground again.

"Please, don't do this," she begged. She repeated the phrase, like a broken record.

She held up her hands and began to scream, trying to fight him off but his strength over powered her small body. Her scream was blood curdling. I knew she could scream all she wanted; there was no one around to hear her.

“What should we do?” Maggie whispered with staggered breath, her eyes were wide with horror. “Is he going to kill her?” she gasped in a louder voice.

The woman must have heard her because she looked up at us and shook her head as if to say, “RUN!”

“Shhh.. Maggie.” I cautioned grabbing her hand. I pulled out my phone to call 9-1-1; no service. This fun-filled day quickly turned into a nightmare. if only it was a nightmare, I could wake up. There is no waking up from this horror. I turned to Maggie. “I don’t have any service. Do you? Try to call 9-1-1.”

She pulled her phone out from her back pocket. “Dang.” She sighed. “Mine isn’t getting service, either.”

“We need to get down the road a ways and see if we can call the police.”

The woman let out another terrified scream. Her attacker had cupped his free empty hand around her chin. He held the object up, now visible. Maggie and I both gasped when we realized what it was; a knife. He stood facing us now. The look on his face made my stomach churn. His expression twisted with absolute rage mixed with insanity. I have never seen that in someone’s eyes before. The kind of expression a predator might get right before he kills his prey.

“He’s going to kill her.” Maggie whimpered. “We have to do something!” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

He smiled as he dug the end of the blade into the one side of the woman’s neck and slashed a line to the other. He let go of her and watched as the blood began to drain out of her. She grasped her throat with both hands trying to hold her blood in. The blood squirted between her fingertips and ran down her chest. Her clothes were so red it was hard to tell what color they were before. She struggled to stay awake; looking at us one more time, as if to say, “Goodbye,” then collapsed to the ground. There was a little movement, then she was still.

The man stood, clutching the knife as blood dripped from its blade.

“We have to get out of here,” I said. “We need to find service.” I helped Maggie back into the car. She slammed the door, which seemed to startle the man. He looked up at me; we made eye contact.

Maggie began to scream from inside the car. I ran around to the other side and jumped in, dropping my keys on the dark floor. I felt around the floor frantically looking for my keys.

“Hannah!” Maggie screamed.

I looked up. He had almost reached the car when I felt something made of metal. “I found them!” I jammed the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life. I slammed my foot on the gas and drifted out onto the road, the wheels squealing on the asphalt. I looked back at the horrifying scene to see the man watching us for a moment, and then run back to the house.

Maggie began hyperventilating. “He killed her,” she whimpered. She looked at me. “He would have killed us!”

“It’s okay, Maggie.” I had a hard enough time trying to calm myself. My heart raced and adrenaline burned in my veins. “He’s gone now.”

I looked down at the speedometer and realized I was going 85 miles-per-hour. I slowed down to the speed limit of a steady 55. I took a deep breath; it wouldn’t have been good to get in an accident on top of all this.

“What are we going to do, Hannah?” Maggie cried.

“Calm down, Maggie, we just need to get to an area that has cell service.”

I looked into the rearview mirror as lights caught my eye. In the mirror, I noticed two specks of light; they seemed to be getting bigger. As they approached, I noticed the vehicle was much higher than mine and the headlights were bright shade of yellow, like my dad's old pickup truck.

"Look, Maggie, there's someone behind us." I began to slow down. "Maybe they can help us." I turned on my right blinker and began to pull off to the side. the headlights kept coming toward us and my car jerked forward. I dropped my phone on the floor, trying to obtain control of the car.

"What the hell?" Maggie gasped.

The car jerked forward again.

"They're trying to run us off the road!" I shouted, tightening my grip on the steering wheel. I slammed my foot on the gas and we began to accelerate.

The truck behind us also began to speed up. It drove right in our tail lights.

I began praying, Please don't let us die. Please don't let us die... I kept repeating those words over and over. My heart was racing, my head spinning. Is this it? Is this it for us?

The roar from the engine behind us was echoing in my mind, the headlights blinding. Each shove was deafening, like the sound of thunder.

We came up to a fork in the road. At last minute I turned down the right side, the truck went down the left.

When I could, I turned again. I must have taken several turns in my attempt to lose him. Eventually we found ourselves on a long, skinny road, surrounded by nothing but empty fields.

I glanced around for the truck, nothing. I kept driving, not slowing down.

Maggie sank into her seat and began sobbing. "What are we going to do?"

By now we were way off the route to our hometown. With no cell phone service we couldn't call anyone for help. "I'll keep driving until I see something familiar."

Maggie's sobs turned into whimpers. She looked at me with tear filled eyes.

"We'll be okay, Maggie."

Maggie fell silent. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

I turned to look out my window, then I heard it, Maggie's piercing shriek. All I saw was white. The sound of crushed and twisting metal pierced my ears. I felt as if my head was going to explode.

I tried to brace myself but, the force of the car flipping and twisting was bone crushing. I was going wherever gravity put me.



Then it fell silent.