Narrative Effect

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       The crisp air was undeniable, with temperatures in the low 30’s. Ice sheets covered the roads as there was a winter storm approaching. It was getting late and as the storm got closer, many people stayed in to avoid such nasty weather. 

       As she sat in her cold, dark room awaiting the storm, she thought about him. She thought about all the memories that had been made as children; carving an igloo using only a screwdriver, sledding down the biggest hill in town, summer water balloon fights, building Minecraft castles, riding dirt bikes up and down the neighborhood street, Tuesday night Dairy Queen ice cream, almost starting a fire after leaving a fork in the microwave, and chasing each other with grasshoppers. She thought about messaging him to see how he was doing.It was getting late and as she thought about everything they had done together, she drifted off to sleep. She dreamed about the adventures they would continue to embark on and the places they hadn’t yet explored. The next day as she awoke from her restful night's sleep, she saw the aftermath of the storm. Snowplows worked endlessly to clear the roads, but many people were unable to commute to work, and schools were shut down. It was every kid's dream, a snow day. 

       As she watched the neighborhood kids play in the white powder snow, she thought back to the days when he would knock on the door and ask if she wanted to go sledding. She smiled as she thought about the friendship they had developed after all those years. Once again, she thought about messaging him. After all, they hadn’t talked in over a year. Between graduation and the stress of moving on to college, they hadn’t had time to catch up. She told herself she would do it tomorrow and went on with her day.

       Later, as she scrolled endlessly through social media filled with pictures of children from the surrounding neighborhood enjoying the snow day, she got a message. It was his dad. Why was his dad messaging her? As she opened the text her heart dropped. Her eyes filled with tears. She felt anger, sadness, and emptiness all at once. He was gone.

       His father explained that the storm approached faster than he had anticipated. He was stuck on the ice-covered road and was blinded as the snowflakes fell quickly to the ground below. An oncoming truck had hit black ice and as they lost control, the truck continued to drift into his lane. They tried to regain control of the vehicle, but it was too late as he was quickly approaching from the distance. He was killed on impact. His father explained that the driver had been texting and driving and was going too fast for the conditions.

       All she could do was cry. She cried for days, weeks, and even months. How could this be true? The memories they had built, the friendship they had shared, it was all gone. She thought about the night before and wished she could go back in time to do whatever she could to get him off the road. If she had messaged him, would he still be here? She wanted him back.       Like many others, the driver of the truck had been texting and driving without thinking of how it could affect others. She was angry as she thought about how she lost her best friend to a simple text message. How could this be possible? How could every memory they made be gone due to someone else’s negligence?

       Months went by and she still felt empty inside. The one person she trusted more than anyone, the one who could brighten her darkest days was gone, and there was nothing she could do to get him back. Twelve years of memories is all she had to remember him by. 

       As she regained control of her wandering mind, she began to understand how dangerous texting and driving can be. From that day forward, she made it her mission to stop distracted driving, as it claimed more than 3,000 lives in 2019