remember me
			by anna hadland

He watched silently as the two ducks swam side by side on the lake. The sun shined brightly, reflecting off the bright blue water. It was a warm spring day. There were no clouds in the sky and the boy sat on the park bench by the lake with a single rose in his hand. She always liked it here he thought. This was her most favourite place in the world. Tears started to form in his eyes as he thought about her. He tried to blink them away but the more he thought about her the more tears he had. He remembered back to the day exactly one year ago.
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Claire giggled as she jumped into the car next to Mark. The two eighteen year olds had been seeing each other since they were fifteen. Mark had just recently passed his driving test so they were going out to celebrate. “I can’t believe you passed first time!” Claire exclaimed. “While I’m taking my third next month. It’s not fair!”
Mark laughed as he started the engine. “You’ll pass next time. What film are we going to see then?”
“I don’t know what film you’ll be watching but I will be too distracted by a dark handsome bloke sitting next to me.”
“So I’m not good enough for you anymore?”
“Funny!” Claire laughed. “Why don’t we go to the lake instead? It’s a nice evening.”
Mark drove to the park and they walked to the bench. They sat there talking while watching the ducks swim about on the water.

Later that night they sat in the pub with a few of their friends. None of them were drinking alcohol but they were having a good time anyway. At around eleven everyone started to go home. Mark and Claire got back into the car and drove along the quiet country road to Claire’s home. Mark had never driven this way in the dark before so he kept his speed to 40mph. The journey was a silent one. Up ahead Mark could see some dim lights. “That car should have his headlights on,” Mark said to himself quietly.
“What did you say?” Claire asked him.
“Nothing. Don’t worry.”
The road ahead suddenly went into blackness. That’s odd, Mark thought. There aren’t any roads up here so he couldn’t have turned. Where did he go? Mark went back to concentrating on his driving. Still at 40mph.
Suddenly everything went into slow motion. Mark saw a flash of silver, heard a bang then felt the other car hitting theirs. Mark blacked out as he heard Claire’s screams ring through his ears.

Mark woke up to silence. He was lying on grass flat on his back. His head hurt and as he tried to sit up his neck hurt to. Claire! Mark quickly sat up ignoring the pain in his neck and chest. He looked round. Both cars had fallen down the embankment at the side of the road. The silver car that went into them was further down the bank next to a tree. The windows were smashed but the car was upright with the driver door wide open. Nobody was inside it. Mark’s car was a few metres away from the silver one. The front was squashed right up to the windscreen and there was a big dent in the roof where it had rolled down the hill. Mark ran over to it and found Claire unconscious inside, still strapped in by her seatbelt. Mark was wearing his and was wondering how he had been thrown out. He picked up Claire’s hand and held it in his own. Claire woke up. “Mark? It hurts.”
“Where honey?” “Everywhere.”
“You’re gonna alright.” Somewhere in the distance Mark heard some sirens. “What a way to end the day huh?” Mark looked down and noticed Claire’s legs were being held down by the squashed dashboard. There was a pool of blood by her feet, which was growing every second.
“I feel funny,” Claire complained and closed her eyes.
“Don’t go to sleep hun,” Mark said starting to get worried. Claire had a cut on her head, which was bleeding just as much as her legs were. He took off his jumper and laid it over her.
“I’m scared,” Claire said and started to cry.
“Don’t be. You’ll be fine.” The sirens were getting closer.
Claire started to feel weaker and couldn’t keep her eyes open for long. “Try and stay awake,” Mark said starting to cry. Claire started to cry with him.
“Mark?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too sweetheart.” Mark kissed her lightly but Claire was too weak to kiss him back. Mark saw blue and red flashing lights and the sirens got louder then stopped completely. The lights carried on flashing. “Down there!” he heard someone call. Mark looked up towards the road and saw people in green and black uniforms coming cautiously down the hill. Claire gripped his hand hard and made him turn back round.
“Mark?”
“Looks like we need a brand new car,” Mark tried to joke. Claire’s grip started to get weaker as he held it. Her skin growing cold. He looked her in the eyes.
“Remember me,” Claire whispered as she released her gripped and closed her eyes. He body went limp and Mark started to cry. A paramedic came over and wrapped a blanket around him. Another one got in the car on the drivers side and checked Claire’s pulse. “A DOA,” he said to a police officer walking up next to him. Mark heard. He looked back at the car once more then let the paramedic take him away.

The day after the funeral two police officers came to Mark’s house. “We have some information about the accident,” One of them said. “The driver of the silver BMW was intoxicated with alcohol and thought he would just give you a scare by driving on your side of the road for a while. He lost control. He’s pleaded guilty and his sentence hearing is next Tuesday if you wish to come along.”
“Thanks a lot,” Mark said as the officers left. Mark went to his room and laid on his bed staring at a picture of him and Claire on the bench by the lake. The picture was taken by Claire’s mum. Mark picked up the frame and hugged it to his chest. Tears formed in his eyes. I miss you so much.
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The driver of the silver BMW got five years for drink driving and six years for involuntary manslaughter. While he was stood in the dock listening to his sentence his eyes locked with Mark’s. Mark held his stare with ice in his eyes. He will never forgive him for what he did. He lost the girl he loved for one stupid joke. Now this was the first time he had been back to the lake in a year. It brought back all his memories of Claire. The good and the bad. Mark reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo of Claire. I’ll always remember you. He put the picture back into his pocket and stood up. He threw the rose he was holding into the water and turned round to leave the park. A cold wind blew and in it he heard the words “I love you”. A silent whisper. “I love you too.” And he left.