Submersion

When the young man opened his eyes, the green lights in the dashboard were blinking like fireflies. Higher up, through the windshield, he saw black.

Water was streaming in around the doorframes, rising to his chest. He began to remember his car slamming through the bridge’s guardrail and the ripping sound of iron and concrete. It must have happened moments ago, but it seemed like a distant memory—like a murky dream, the specifics of which are difficult to recall in the morning.

The steering column was driven into his torso, leaving his body pinned back against the seat. He was surprised that he felt no pain. He felt no sensation at all, not even the water that was cold this time of year.

He tried to squirm in his seat but he could not move. But his body did not feel stiff; it felt almost weightless and strangely buoyant.

The water in the car seemed to be past his head now, but he could not be certain since liquid and air had entwined and become indiscernible. He wondered how he could possibly still be breathing. But then, he didn’t seem to be breathing. He could not feel his lungs swell with air and then exhale, nor could he feel his heart pump blood.

He now wanted badly to get out of the car and perhaps try to swim to the surface. He tried to place his hands on the steering column to push it away from him. He could not grasp the column; it seemed to slip through his fingers like mud.

He became concerned that he was terribly injured. He lifted his hand to his face to feel for blood.

His hand passed through.

Where his fingers should have pressed against flesh, there was nothing.

For the first time, he sharply and clearly felt a bodily sensation: a horrible sinking in the pit of his stomach. He fought hard against the realization, but it bit deep and held on.

A wave of regret crashed over him and he was engulfed in it. He now felt like he was truly drowning.

He would never fall in love. He would never marry. He would never have children.

The dashboard lights finally flickered out, leaving him in blackness. He only wanted to weep, but there was no need. Water had already filled the car like endless tears and he was dead.