Shock Reflection

"Claire get your lazy ass down here", Julia, my Mom Hollered.
I knew why, I missed the physics deadline again. It is not like it’s my favourite subject, hell I hated that subject, I am only doing this subject this year because my Mum picked the subject, and true to form I didn't get a say. Something about making a profit in a poor society, Mum says often. You see, we are not exactly rich; we live in a dingy, crappy Queenslander house that needs, to say the least a bit of TLC. Don't get me wrong, we are not completely poor, but transporting a Queenslander 3 hours from Brisbane to our house in Wollongong in the middle of Australia is quite a stretch, kinda breaks the bank a little. So here we are, in the middle of the rudimentary lounge room, Mum micro seconds away from World War III.

"Claire, this is Bull****, I mean, we aren't rich, and you treat us like a money tree…", Mum rattled on and on, about stuff I did not care an ounce about...oh no she is going to say it… no no no no please don't say…
"Back when I was a youngster I was taught to respect my elders, and do my school work", Mum declared.
She said it, dude why do all parents talk about themselves when "they were guppies" or whatever they say.
Anyway getting back to the now after she finished the "stone age" talk.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Mum asked.

I have perfected an answer to this that works on both parents, and even other parents. Just the other week I destroyed Mrs Markine's garden when I decided to go for a hoon in the car 2 k's away, what did she ask?
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?” oh hell yeah, it worked, so no reason it shouldn't work now.
Here we go I am going to do it…
I shrugged.
"WHAT!?” Mum shouted manically.
Awwww god, she doesn't sound like Mrs Morris...
I shrugged again.
Awkward silence ensues…. For 30 seconds… 1 minute… 2 minutes…. Bloody hell, how long does she stay silent for??!

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“Guess what Claire YOU WILL DO NOTHING!! YOU WILL STUDY, YOU WILL GET STRAIGHT A’S AND THAT’S FINAL”, Mum roared.
I just kept running, there was nothing for me, hell I need to get away. I ran outside in a flurry of excitement jumped into my low-set Hyundai and set off down the dusty, brow-beaten driveway. I turned on my CD player to Don’t Wake Me Up by Chris Brown, and started to calm down from my distressed state.

So much life in the city, you won't believe
Been awake for some days now, no time to sleep
If your heart is a pillow, this love's the bed
Tell me what is the music, inside my head

Yes, before you say anything I don't have a licence, but hell, we have druggies next to us who haven't been caught yet, so I think I am safe. Hitting 90 k's I revelled in the exhilaration of the ride, the pure power and awesomeness… The pure EPICENESS!!

Don't wake me up, up, up, up up, up
Don't wake me up, up, up, up up, up
Don't wake me up, up, up, up up, up
Don't wake me up
Don't wake me.

Coming along the straight of our driveway, signalling almost the end of my euphoria, I gave it my all. Gunning the gear, planting my foot down to the floor I accelerated. A feeling of danger never did outweigh my feeling of Euphoria, nor did the warning bells go off loud enough.

I don't wanna fall, fall, fall, fall asleep no,
I don't wanna fall unless I'm falling for you
I don't wanna fall unless I'm falling for you
I don't wanna fall unless I'm falling for you

Suddenly a massive Red Kangaroo darted onto the beaten track as I hit 110k’s, my terror spiked as I hit it, then a strange feeling consumed me - it wasn’t exactly stepping on cloud nine, but I felt peaceful, like acceptance or not caring for the outcome. Despite all this, I felt confused, the only thing paused in my mind was a lyric, some lyrics to a poem…no a song…

Don't wake me up, up, up, up up, up
So much life in the city, you won't believe
Been awake for some days now, no time to sleep

It just repeated over and over again, like an alcoholic to rum. And the more ‘time’ passed, the more unsettled I became. WHERE AM I? WHAT AM I? WHAT IS HAPPENING? With a shocked understanding, I felt sensation return; I felt my body ineptly positioned on the seat of my car, my head lolled onto the steering wheel, I smelt the faintest metallic odour of bent and twisted metal, mixed with the faint smell of blood…

As my eyes finally opened I gasped and jerked out of my stupor. I glanced around the seemingly normal sight, what happened? I uneasily got out the car, and was greeted by the alarming spectacle of a dead, beaten, bloody kangaroo in front of dented, bent, twisted car body. A huge crater was visible on the car. It dawned on me… I did this! I looked down at my body, and realised I had no injuries, except for a few abrasions and bruises.

Feeling that there is nothing really left for me to do but walk home and alert Mum, I grudgingly started the long, lonesome trek home. I am lucky to be alive; I thought to myself, I hope Mum goes easy on me…

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Things weren’t as bad as I thought; sure I got in trouble, but I did not feel consumed. It was during that walk home on that eventful day that I realised what that strange contentment, peaceful moment was, almost death, it was what some people call “The final Crossing”. Ever since that day I feel a bit more aware of life; silly as it sounds it has struck me how important it is to take each day as your last, and to understand, that some people never get that opportunity, because they didn’t do it, they thought about it too late. I pledged that day to never ever be that type of girl. I will take the time to live…