The panic hit me like a freight train, sudden and overwhelming. My breath came in short, shallow gasps, and my vision started to blur. I could hear Blake calling my name, his voice urgent and panicked, but it was muffled, like he was speaking underwater. My ears were ringing, a high-pitched whine that drowned out everything else. My chest felt tight, as if a vise was squeezing the life out of me, and I couldn't get enough air.
Memories from the accident when I was twelve surged to the forefront of my mind, vivid and terrifying.
We were driving home from a weekend at the beach, the sun setting in a blaze of orange and pink hues. I sat in the backseat, my mother beside me, chatting about how much fun we'd had. My father was at the wheel, his eyes focused on the road ahead. The car was fil
