Easy As Falling Off A Bike.
by Angharad
part 220.

I'd told Simon I was on my way as I set off down the M4. The traffic was heavier than I anticipated but my little Merc was chugging along quite nicely. I loved my little car and even more the person who had given it to me.

I was thinking warm thoughts of Simon and cooking Christmas dinner. I felt sad that Stella was still in hospital, but we'd go and see her later, she was out of ICU and on an ordinary ward, essentially she needed to rest and recuperate. So things were moving forward.

I felt as well that in another week or so, I'd have had my bits remodelled and could begin the legal process of changing my birth certificate, and perhaps even more importantly, I could consider having a full relationship with Simon.

That was something I wasn't sure about. Part of me was scared of the idea of sex because it might hurt, part of me wanted to wait until we were married, and part of me wanted to go for a test drive as soon as I could.

Life never seems to provide answers, just changes the dilemmas, or that was my experience of it.

At least having all these thoughts mulling around my head made the journey seem to pass quicker. I didn't particularly enjoy motorway driving but today I seemed to be getting along just fine.

The morning had started off overcast but dry, now came the rain and I switched on the wipers. The spray from other traffic was a nuisance and I switched on my lights, hoping that I was visible, although sometimes the spray was like a screen.

I dropped my speed from the legally permitted maximum of seventy miles per hour to nearer fifty. Cars and vans were still belting past me at ridiculous speeds, if they needed to stop, they wouldn't have a prayer.

I cringed each time someone flew past me, the curtain of spray making visibility very difficult. "It just takes one clown and we'll have a disaster on our hands," I said to myself, "it only needs one."

As if the universe had heard me, I saw someone in front of me brake suddenly and start to skid slightly into the outer lane, when the car zooming up behind also tried to brake and skided into the very outside lane, the car overtaking him hit him at enormous speed.

I somehow managed to pull over onto the hard shoulder, unscathed, but cars were bashing into each other at speed and within as many moments twenty were involved. Several had very nasty impacts from the speed and surprise involved. One had rolled off the road and down the embankment.

I sat shaking in my car not knowing whether I should sit still or try to help. I switched on the hazard lights. I then called 999.

"Emergency, which service do you require?"

"Police and ambulance."

"Who are you and where are you calling from?"

I told them and tried to give my location as best I could. I was crying, it was so frightening. I heard another bang and glass smashing and knew someone else had hit the stationary vehicles. I stayed in my car, knowing I should be helping the injured, but at the pace they were travelling, I could get myself killed, for nothing.

I called Simon.

"Hi babes, where are you?"

"I'm on the motorway and there is an awful accident, cars are still running into each other and I'm frightened."

"Have you stopped?"

"Yes," I sobbed.

"Get out of the car."

"But it's the only protection I have, and it's raining," I sobbed down the phone."

"Are you on the hard shoulder?"

"Yes."

"Get out of the car, now, do it now. Please get out of the car and get away from the road."

"Okay, but I'm scared, Simon."

"I know babes, but do this for me."

"Okay, I'm getting out now."

I picked up my handbag and stepped out into the rain and mayhem. There were cars all over the carriageways. In the distance I could hear the sirens. I ran around to the boot of the car and grabbed the waterproof jacket I kept there, it was also bright yellow. I pulled it on, and walked away from the car and the road.

Moments later a car came from nowhere and smashed through two others hitting one into mine on the driver's side. A minute longer and I'd have been dead. I felt myself feeling sick and vomitted onto the grass. My little car was destroyed.

I could hear groans and and screams. I called 999 again, and advised they sent a fire engine, we now had someone stuck in a burning car. Then it exploded, the blast knocked me to the ground and set fire to two other cars. Despite the rain, the cars were burning and so was the road as petrol spilled from an upsidedown car.

Jesus, they were still inside it and the flames were spreading towards them. I ran to the wreck of my car and reached in through the broken window for my extinguisher, then throwing caution to the wind, ran towards the car leaking petrol.

I got to it just as the flames did and somehow my little dry powder extinguisher worked first time and to my astonishment stopped the flames. A man ran up and began trying to wrench open the upside down door, it was jammed shut. One of the occupants was dripping blood from their inverted body onto the roof of their car.

The first police car arrived, followed by two more, then the ambulances and the fire tenders. I kept out of the way, helping freed motorists walk to the side and get out of the danger area. The police had closed the road but there were still risks from petrol tanks or cars falling over, or just getting in the way of the emergency services.

Some children were released from a car, I didn't think their mother was so lucky. I took them to the side and hugged them. They were shocked and confused and crying pitifully. I tried to act like an adult and comfort them, but inside I felt like I wanted to scream and cry myself.

There had to be some fatalities, the exploding car had at least one person in it, the car which had turned upside down had someone bleeding heavily. The car which had rolled off the carriageway, could have seriously injured, if not dead occupants.

I stayed with the children, keeping them close to me, two little girls aged about eight or ten. I hoped their mother was okay. The confusion was awful.

The police and firemen were trying to make the area safe for them to work releasing the injured and trapped for the paramedics to get away to hospitals. The paramedics were working on injured people still stuck in their cars. While the walking wounded stood around in the rain dazed and confused.

Eventually, by the time the seventh police car had arrived, a policewoman came up to me and said, "Can you give me your name and address and car number?"

I pointed to my car and gave my name and address.

"Are these your children?"

"No, this is Pattie and this is Gemma. Their mummy is still in that car, I pointed to a badly damaged Seat."

"Okay," she said looking rather sick, "Can you keep them with you a little longer and I'll try and get someone to look after them."

I saw a paramedic examine their mother and he called for the firemen to cut her out, she was still alive but unconscious.

We were invited to sit in a police van which was parked at the rear of the mess. At least it was dry in there and I sat hugging the two girls, they were still crying.

"Is my mummy dead?"

"I don't know sweetheart, I don't think so, the paramedic was working on her."

"I want my mummy," sobbed Gemma, the younger of the two and I tried to comfort her. I knew how she felt, I wanted mine too, or just to wake up from this awful nightmare and see the world as safe and warm. But I knew, that the stupidity of a small number of fools in cars had spoiled the Christmasses of many, some forever.