The harsh illumination of the headlights crept slowly up the bonnet of my car, turning its somber red into a vivid, blinding white. I began to squint instinctively to protect my sight before I realised there was little to be gained from doing so. After all.. I'd see nothing but black soon enough.

My hands weighed heavily on the turning wheel that directed my car on its path. Still pulling to the left, the wheels wailed out from rain slick roads in protest but they kept their grip. I was thankful for that, at least. The body of the car groaned in discomfort as it was twisted forcefully in the battle between inertia and command.

The light dropped away from my eyes and retreated from the surface of my car. I looked up, unsure what I would see. Part of me was hoping to see something nonsensical. The lamps being made of burning marshmallows perhaps. The mountain beyond to be nothing more than a giant Santa doll. Anything that would reveal this to be nothing more than a twisted dream.

The other car has swerved to avoid me, turning into the lane which I had just exited, their own vehicle twisting in the mirror image of my own. There was not enough room or time for this to go without contact.

And contact there was. A huge screech rang out into the otherwise still night air as metal and plastic met their brethren. Quick reactions had lent to it being a glancing union but inside the cabin was a ruckus the likes of which I could not have imagined. Just hearing that sound of scratching, cracking, crunching.. would be enough to convince anyone of their imminent departure from this plane.

Our windows lined up and I saw inside the other car. I took in every detail, from the shape of the window, to the cheap plastic of the console - even the form of the headrests. The driver was afraid, that much was clear. With eyes firmly shut, they gripped the steering wheel so tightly the blood was being forced from their knuckles.

They slowly slid from view and as our cars disconnected, the sound ceased almost immediately. There was a calm silence as I let go of my steering wheel and a relieved jolt from my car as the wheels turned themselves back to neutral.

The silence was shattered by a jaw-aching crunch as front of my car hit the barrier that lined the highway. I was thrown forward for a moment but even that was interrupted by the truck striking the rear of my vehicle, spinning the boot around over the barrier and sending me and a ton of metal spiraling uncontrolled into the night sky.

The dull roar of air brakes sounded a farewell to me. As the road panned into view, I caught a glimpse of headlights rotating gently to a stop. I've done my part, I thought to myself as gravity took hold and began to starve me of consciousness. I've done my part..

.. and saved her.

Golden leaves floated down the river like tiny canoes from an era long past. I breathed a heavy sigh and looked up the bank to the road. The tire tracks leading down to the water were still fresh and muddy. The phone call had come late last Saturday night and I will never forget the words the police officer said. Both of my parents were in the car when it veered off the road and into the river; their bodies were never found and they were assumed to be dead.

I sat down on a nearby rock and struggled to stop my eyes from tearing up. The weight upon my heart was unbearable. Twilight approached and soon rested upon the hills around. A tree branch landed behind me and I looked up to find what had knocked it down. My vision was arrested by the sight of two glowing red discs in the tree...

The Johnsons were about to make a loft extension in their house and since the attic cried for cleaning, Mary, the eldest daughter, spared a few quarters to see to it. The very first thing she stumbled upon, after ascending the ludicrously long flight of stairs, was a jumbo chest, swathed with a sort of silk cloth. Underneath was an itsy-bitsy padlock which she managed to get rid of in no time. The inside revealed a real family gem – the portrayal of Mary’s granddad.

Despite her fairly young age at the time he passed on, she still treasured a wealth of memories, with granddad’s bonhomie and hospitality at the top of their list. Only when she beheld his depicted figure on the faded canvas, did she realize how wonderful it would be to have him back again… All of a sudden a voice came to her ears. An undetermined but undoubtedly a human one. “Mary, come to grandpa!”

In the shaft of light coming from the sole dormer window a pale silhouette was hovering. A silhouette featuring her granddad’s face. “You can make it, Mary, just a few steps, come on!” By this time she had been left with no doubts whatsoever – she had to do nothing but leave at once. Gasping, with her eyes grief-stricken and tension breaking all the record rates, Mary pressed the latch, slid her way through the door and...