It’s just a day like any other, I grab my bike and get ready to cycle home. I feel a raindrop on my shoulder and look up. The sky has turned grey in a few minutes. How pleasant, just as I have to go home. I get on my bike and start to cycle. I hate the rain.
[30 minutes later]
I am about halfway there, I am fully soaked. The wind is coming from exactly the wrong direction, it’s not a soft breeze either. It’s starting to get dark as well, I hate this weather. I hope that I’ll be able to take a shower when I get home. My eyes trail to my bike, only half looking at where I am heading. Not the safest, but I do that on autopilot. I hear a vehicle approaching from behind. The truck just misses me once it passes by. Just one or two inches away. Out of shock I move away and fall in the grass next to the road. I push myself up from the ground and shout:
Look where you are driving!
I get up and grab my bike. I look back at the truck that just missed me. The truck is skidding, swaying back and forth across the road. I cover my ears, expecting the truck to crash. I see the truck trying to make the turn, but it is going way too fast. With a loud bang the truck flips over and lands on the side.
Alarm.
I grab my phone and try to call 112, but my whole phone is wet and doesn’t recognise my touches. I keep pressing on the phone, trying to make it react, but there is too much rain. My eyes look back over at the truck, a tree has punctured the tank it was carrying.
I try to see if I can find out what is in the tank, but there is no readable text, no images to be seen. What if it is kerosene or something? Some dangerous acid?
Danger
My legs start to move, I accelerate towards the truck. I put my phone away and put on my gloves. Don’t want to cut myself on some glass. There is a really strong scent coming from the truck, it smells highly chemical. I get between the cab and the tank looking for a way to climb up. Luckily there are some things to grab onto. I look down through the window to see if the driver is okay. He looks unconscious. I start to try and open the door I am sitting on when I hear a crackling sound coming from behind. I look over to see a small fire starting. My eyes look back at the door that has to be opened, it is stuck. The only idea I had was to kick the glass with my heel. After a few hits it starts to show cracks and slowly breaks. I look down at the driver and see the pieces of glass falling on and around him. I slowly climb inside. Placing my feet on the sideways seats and lowering myself down with my arms.
I check the driver his pulse once I get down, luckily he still has a pulse. I unbuckle his seatbelt and try to lift him up. He is quite heavy. I feel that it’s getting warmer.
I try to carry him and climb out, but it’s too heavy. I should’ve thought about this plan. My eyes look around the cab, trying to find an alternative exit. The only other way I find is the front window. Luckily it’s mostly broken, just have to break it a little more. I hit it with my elbow and it breaks. Now I just need to pull him out. As I try to pull him out my hand cuts itself on a big piece of glass. Almost there…
But an explosion interrupts me, bringing with a lot of flames. That was very close. I look away whilst I pull to get him out of there.
I drag him until he is about 15 meters away. I lay him down and check his pulse. I get interrupted by an large explosion, I look back over to the truck but he is now fully covered in flames. I look back at my hand and see that I am bleeding a lot from my hand. Shit! I clench it into a fist to try and slow it whilst walking back to my bike. I have to get home so that I can stop this. But then I notice a piece of glass on the floor and get an idea. I grab it and cut off a piece of my pants, I wrap it around my arm.
I walk back to my bike to continue on my way home.