"What
movie are we seeing tonight?" Channa Izumi said to her mother, Helene Izumi.
"Chocolat."
Helene said for the forty-eighth time that night. Channa was so forgetful.
Luckily, she wasn't the only one who'd have to remind Channa of things. Her
husband, Li, was coming to. He would remind Channa of something's.
They were
also bringing Helene's baby, Koushiro. He was only two weeks old, and the only
baby-sitter they had been able to find was a twelve-year-old girl, and Helene
didn't want to trust her newborn with a preteen.
Their
daughter, Channa, would be responsible for the baby. She could watch Koushiro.
Of course Helene would like to, and so would Li, but they both knew they'd be
too wrapped up in each other to pay much attention to Koushiro.
Li was
driving the car. He took a left turn. "Honey, you really shouldn't go this way.
There's a lot of traffic." Helene said, resting her head on her husband's broad
shoulder.
"Sorry
hon. I didn't know. To late to go back."
"It's okay. We're early
enough. We won't miss anything."
Koushiro
had woken up from his nap and was crying. Channa was trying to shut him up.
"Mom, he's crying."
"I know.
Give him to me." Channa gladly handed her brother over and immersed herself in
a novel.
Helene
tried to calm the baby, but he wouldn't be quiet. "Li!" She shouted. "Tell your
son to be quiet!"
"Not now
Helene, I'm trying not to crash. You're right, it is heavy traffic. It's not
safe. I need to concentrate." Li said, gripping the wheel angrily.
So Helene
continued to whisper to Koushiro, trying to calm him down. "Shh…baby,
shhh…Koushiro…go to sleep…" She rocked him in her arms until she thought they
would fall off, and finally he fell asleep.
"Mom, I'm
hungry." Channa whined from the backseat.
"We'll
get some popcorn at the movie." She knew popcorn wasn't much of a dinner, but
right now she didn't care.
Channa
was looking out the window. She hated traffic. She got so bored on these long
road trips. Traffic only prolonged them. She had finished her book, so she had
nothing to do. It hadn't had a very good ending anyway. The girl died. Why does
someone always have to die? Channa didn't like the idea of death at all. It was
to depressing. "Mom, are we almost there?" She asked.
"Yes, but
it could take a long time because of all the traffic. We could've avoided it if
someone had taken the right road!" Helene glared at her husband.
"What?
What did I do?" Li asked, taking his hand of the steering wheel. Before he
could gain control of the car, it swerved over to the edge of the highway, breaking
the fence between the highway, and the river. "Did I just do that?"
"I'm
afraid so…" Helene said before they plunged into the river. The car broke down
instantly. They tried to open to doors, but they were stuck. They all got
jostled around quite a bit. Koushiro was tossed to the backseat.
Channa
was crying. She knew they were going to die. She looked out the window in
despair. But she noticed something. It was opened. Unfortunately, they had the
kind of car where the window didn't open anymore then that. She would never be
able to fit through. But Koushiro could…
Channa
lifted her brother to the window, and did her best upward throw. She prayed to
all the gods that, if the rest of her family couldn't be saved, then at the
very least, her brother.
Soon she
could no longer breathe. She slipped into death without a fight.
Koushiro
landed near the rocks that came out of the river. He'd hit one of them, still
in the water, barely alive. A women and her husband were walking in the park
where the river lay. The woman saw a shadow in the water. She thought it was a
doll at first. It looked interesting, and she walked over to the water. But at
closer examination, she could see it was alive! It was a baby! She instantly
grabbed him out of the water.
Her husband
rushed over to see what was going on. He could see the baby was nearly dead.
"Lets get the kid to a hospital." He said.
"Good
idea." And they walked off in the direction of the hospital as normally as if
they were to newly weds, carrying there own baby, who happened to be
unconscious and soaking wet.