Radioactive

"Maybe we'll turn it around.. 'Cause it's not too late, it's never too late.."

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Metal screeched, and people screamed. The world seemed to spin; in reality, it was the bus, spinning dizzily across the dark gravel. Smoke billowed up from the inside of the bus, and people jumped out of their cars to call the police and help who they could as it screeched to a halt.

"Can anyone hear me?"

The voice broke through the fuzziness that bubbled inside of Harpers head. She blearily opened her eyes. The wreckage spun dangerously around her, and she clutched at her head. Somehow, she had ended up on one of the bus seats. Her knees almost gave out, but she somehow managed to pull herself upright. She was sagging over one of the seats when the door opened, and a man stuck his head inside. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'll get back to you on that." Harper replied weakly. Her knees shook dangerously, threatening to send her toppling to the ground. "Scotty?" She called out, her voice echoing around the wreckage. "Scotty!" She called again, scrambling into the aisle of bus. Bodies littered the floor. The mans body, that had claimed to be a doctor, was surrounded by a pool of blood. "Scotty!" she shouted this time, her voice rising with despair.

"Calm down!" The man who came to help them demanded her.

"My friend, I have to find my friend." Harper explained breathlessly.

"Some people have already been dragged from the wreckage. Everyone in here is pretty much--" He closed his eyes, but Harper didn't have time to be distraught. She shoved passed him, stepping over the body of an old man.

Blood coated her shoes as she squeezed through the deformed doors. "Scotty?!" She called again. The smoke cleared outside, making it easier to see, but her eyes still stung. "SCOTTY!"

"Calm down!" A woman shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Are you alright? Can you--"

Harpers gaze flickered wildly around the scene. A man was leaning over the body of a blond girl, and Harper pushed away from the worried woman. "Scotty." She cried frantically, kneeling down beside her unconscious form.

"She's still breathing, she was knocked unconscious from the crash."

"I can handle her," Harper snapped with surprising ferocity. "Go help someone else." The man obeyed, hurrying away.

"Scotty, wake up, please. We have to get out of here. We can't go to the hospital." Amaryllis didn't answer, even when Harper shook her roughly. "Please. They'll kill us. They'll think we're affected."

Nothing was working. She glanced wildly around, getting to her feet. People had abandoned their cars, creating a half circle around the scene to assess the damage. The idea only briefly flashed in her mind, but it was the only one she had, so she went with it. She bent down and grabbed her friend under her arms, dragging her towards the closest car. The door was wide open. Adrenaline was coursing through her body, so it was surprisingly easy to pull her friend across the asphalt and hoist her into the car. She even went as far as to buckle her seat belt. "Safety first." She told her unconscious friend with a grimace.

"HEY! THAT'S MY CAR!"

Harper started at the noise, glancing worriedly at the man who was darting towards her. Without hesitation, she threw herself across the hood, wrenched open the door, and threw herself inside. "I'M A COP! YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT!"

"What's an off duty cop gonna do?" Harper mumbled. This wasn't a cop car, and he wasn't in uniform. The keys were still in the ignition, and it started right up. She switched it into drive, and pressed down on the gas.

"FREEEEEDOMMMMMM!" The man chased wildly after the car, Harpers wild scream lost in the wind rushing through the open window. She rolled it up to block the heat of the sun, and flipped on the AC.

Amaryllis stirred in her seat, letting out a tired groan. "Scotty? Wake up, Scotty." Her eyelids fluttered open, and then closed again.

"AMARYLLIS SCOTT." She jerked forward, her hands flying upwards, hitting the dash.

"Ahh." She groaned, covering her eyes. "It's so bright."

"How do you feel?" Harper asked, her eyes flickering between her friend and the road.

"My head hurts. I feel dizzy."

"You probably have a concussion."

"Are you driving? What are you--" Amaryllis glanced around wildly, "you don't have a car."

Harper smiled sheepishly. "I sortoftookit."

"You what?"

"Sortoftookit."

"I can't tell what you're saying."

"I SORT OF STOLE THIS CAR."

"Wait, you--you what?"

They both glanced at each other, their faces registering horror. "Holy cow. I-"

"You-"

"Stole a car." They said in unison. They both glanced out the windshield, at each other, and out the windshield again.

"Ahhhhhhh!" The earsplitting scream was enough to frighten anybody, but they had luckily rolled up the windows.

Out of nowhere, and much to the girls surprise, a bark came from the back seat, and a big furry head popped up between them.

In both horror and surprise, they glanced at the dog, at each other, and then out the window, only to let out another scream. This day was not going according to plan.