The Water

The water was already at his ankles. By the dim red light form the warning indicator on the dashboard he could see that his shirt was stained. It felt warm. His heart was in his mouth as he stretched his limbs around the twisted metal that was blocking his view. He followed it round, his fingers crawling along his shirt to the spot he… wait… he couldn’t go further. The metal… the metal had hit him. It must’ve been pressed pretty tight against his skin, which is funny, because he hadn’t felt it punch him. And it must’ve been some punch! Look at the state of his car! His fingers slid up and down the edge of the bent metal as he contemplated insurance claims, time off work… water was at his knees… where was he? He was the right way up, he was sure of that. Something had been lying in the road, something he hadn’t seen, obviously. Why hadn’t he seen it?! He was a good driver. His fingers were warm. Odd that he should be warn on a cold night like this. He brought them painfully back round to his face. They looked dark, but then oil and all sorts must be leaking. He wondered when another car would come… water round waist… and phone the police. The police? Why would he need the police?! Ambulance more like… he was convinced he had broken something. Most of his lack of movement would be from shock, obviously, but he would need to be careful. Maybe even the fire department, to cut him out. The metal was certainly holding him tight, and as he struggled he winced air out through his nose in an odd way. He tried to look down again, forcing his chin into his neck as much as he could (it aches, it aches!)… water reaching the metal – it stings! I must be pretty sore! He could hardly tell where the metal ended and he began! It almost looked like it had gone right through his shirt, right into him! Ha ha! He’d have some good bruises to show from that one! His other arm was trapped behind him, and he wriggled the fingers a bit. They had pins and needles, and it wasn’t particularly pleasant. Man, his chest did sting. The water was there, it must be irritating the skin. That must be it. Unless… no. That’s stupid. He wasn’t going that fast. I mean, it could have gone in… but his back stung too, why did his back sting like his front? He tried to lean back, but the chair wasn’t there… he winced again... that wasn’t nice. He looked around, and felt dazed. He was giddy, and there where huge white spots covering his vision. His eyes closed. This wasn’t too good, he thought. He would wait for the ambulance. He would wait here, not moving anymore. It would be better if he just lay still. Water at his neck… so tired, they would come for him. Water at his chin… water at his mouth… water at his nose… his eyes… the top of his head… the headlights lit his way as he sank to the depths, making dim circles in the water before they flickered and dimmed.