An Accident changed a woman’s life

“Stay still, miss, and don’t turn your head,” then the same voice turned from me, saying, “Hand me the neck brace.”

I tried to see clearly, but in front of me was only grayness until I realized I was looking at my snow-covered windshield in the soft light of early dawn.

“I’m going to put this brace around your neck, and I need you to hold as still as possible. Don’t try to help me, and try to resist nodding and shaking your head. Do you understand?”

I started to nod before remembering I wasn’t supposed to, and instead answered through a tight, dry throat, “Yes, I understand.”

“Good,” he replied, placing a terribly uncomfortable piece of rigid plastic around my neck and fastening it tightly, “Can you tell me your name?”

Natasa,” I answered, trying to clear my throat.

Natasa, do you have any idea when your car went off the road?”

I tried to think. It had been about eight when I lost the call to Tessaṣ. But what happened to Liam? I left my car soon after it wrecked, but somehow I was back in it now. Has that all been a dream?

“I think it would have been about eight fifteen,” I answered the EMT.

Again I felt as if he was talking to someone else as he repeated what I had just said. “If you’ve been here all night, I’m surprised…” but he left the rest unspoken. “I’m going to turn you to lift you out and onto a backboard. I want you to hold as still as you can, and not try to help, okay?”

Again I stopped myself from nodding and answered, “Yes.”

The EMT spoke again to the other person and I felt a shifting beside me before strong hands turned me and lifted me. Another set of hands grasped my legs and I was lowered to a board on the ground. Multiple hands rapidly strapped me flat and braced my head so all I could see was the steel gray sky above me.

The EMT said from the far end of my board, “Look at her feet. Her shoes are gone and it looks like she’s been wandering around in the woods barefoot, but she was still strapped into her car. What do you make of that?”

I saw a man lean over my face to glance at my feet. As he leaned back I caught a hint of bright blue eyes and shiny black hair before he answered, ” Aye. The class must have’ taken a walk with’ the fairies last night.”

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