Chapter 3
I was never entirely out of it, I don't think, but I wasn't entirely there, either. My memories of those first few minutes are like they were printed on glass and then shattered, just jagged fragments that were missing key details. You could try to put them back together, but they didn't quite fit.
I remember brushing windshield glass out of my hair. It seemed important at the time, to get all of that out before I even tried to get out of the car. I don't know why. Already I could feel the growing goose egg on my left temple and was careful not to touch it in my glass-brushing efforts.
I remember the tree branch that had speared its way through the windshield like a knight's lance, coming to a rest mid-thrust through the space between the two car seats.
At first, I couldn't h
