Cara | Part Two Cara awoke in a bright room, the whir of machines filling her ears. She tried to inhale, as was natural for her, but found breathing tubes attached to her nose & threaded through her lungs. She panicked for a moment. She didn't remember what had happened to her. Why did she need help breathing? The room came into focus and Cara tried to sit up to survey her surroundings. She started to push her body up on one elbow, but collapsed immediately with an intense pain shooting up her arm. She peered down and saw a dark blue cast hugging her right arm, from her hand to her shoulder. Panic seized her again. She thrashed her legs against the bed, but again was met with sharp, prickling pain that came in waves. Waves. The memories came flooding back. Stopping at the green light. Watching the seagull peck at it's dinner. The screams. Why hadn't she paid mind to the screams? It could have saved her. Cara started to cry. It started as tears slipping down her cheeks, which stung with salt, until the sobs turned into choking, snotty messes of grief. She shook her head from side to side, trying to bury the memories. A pulsing whooshed through her head, sending what seemed like thorns into her brain. Everything hurt. There wasn't a single part of her body that didn't shriek in pain. Cara was broken. Meanwhile, Cara's best friend Jessica paced her living room, biting her nails. She never bit her nails, unless something insanely nerve-racking was going on. This day fit those standards. Jessica tucked a red curl behind her ear, and inspected her torn fingernails. They had been long and shiny- perfect for the banquet- only an hour ago. Now she felt ugly and disheveled, but it hardly mattered. Cara was missing.