Again (Brandy Jeffus)

automatic reaction was to duck. He heard the driver he had just pulled over swear loudly.
    When the crunching had stopped, Eli jerked upright. He saw dim headlights against a tree across the street and heard a horn continuously blaring. The smell of burnt tire rubber was thick in the air. Immediately, he radioed for back up.
    “You get out of here, now. I don’t need you in the way of emergency vehicles,” Eli directed the pulled over driver.
    He shuddered, hoping for a miracle. It was dark, masking the true color of the flipped and twisted car. With a sick twisting of his stomach he read the bumper sticker on the bumper, "Never drive faster than your Angel can fly."
    The car was flipped and twisted around an old cement sign. The passenger side was visible but the driver’s side had completely disappeared. Eli tried to ignore the pounding in his ears. Oh God, please don't let it be her, he thought.
    He heard a soft mangled cry; a woman's cry. It was then that he knew. He rushed over and knelt down. He brought his flashlight out and shined it off to the side. There hanging upside down was Ms. Cindy. Blood was dripping from a gash on her forehead. The car horn all of a sudden turned off.
Ms. Cindy looked over and Eli felt tears well up.
    She looked broken and so terrified, "Elijah, is that you?"
    “Yes ma’am, I’m right here. You’re going to be alright Miss Cindy,” Eli reached inside carefully and grabbed Cindy’s hand.
    “Oh boy, I know its bad honey. I don’t know what happened. But it hurts, it hurts like Hades.”
    “Miss Cindy, don’t try to talk. Just rest your voice. I’m going to try and get in here and find a way to get you out.”
    Eli crouched, careful to avoid the broken glass that littered the ground. He was able to maneuver halfway into the upside down car but the console and dash had crumpled up together to block him from getting to the other side of Miss Cindy. He didn’t know how she was alive. He exited the wrecked car and stood up.
    “Eli, please don’t leave me!” she exclaimed. He had never heard her like this. He bent down and looked in at her. He made eye contact and forced a smile.
    “Don’t worry ma’am, you’re not going to get rid of me that easy. I’m checking to make sure there’s no gas leak. This car is pretty wrecked, I won’t lie. I just want to make sure there’s no fire hazard ok?” Miss Cindy nodded.
    He quickly made an inspection of the wreck and heard in the distance an ambulance and fire truck. Hurry, hurry, hurry.
    He bent down and reached for Miss Cindy’s hand again. She took it eagerly but her grip was weak. She was losing too much blood. They had to hurry. He leaned to the side and radioed in to the station again.
    “This is Stone. We’re going to need the jaws out here on Miller Road. The cars mangled, and a survivor inside.”
    “10-4 copy that. Will dispatch jaws out there, Stone.” Eli let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and turned his focus on Miss Cindy.
    “Were you the only one in the car?”
    She nodded, swinging the blood flow into her eyes. She gasped and fidgeted around frightened.
    “Its okay, Miss Cindy. I’ve got some tissues in here. I’ll get it. Don’t worry. You are going to be just fine.”
    He reached in his pocket with his free hand and brought out a handkerchief. He gingerly dabbed at her face.
    “Eli, if I don't make it...” Cindy started, but Eli cut her off.
    “Now don’t be talking like that, Miss Cindy. You’re going to be just fine.”
    “Listen boy, if I don’t make it, you need to tell Bonnie you're sorry for what you did and you get things right with her,” Cindy started coughing. The smoked was getting thicker. Eli’s eyes stung. His heart skipped a beat at the mention of Bonnie’s name.
    “You were a dumb kid, but I know that you two are something special,” Miss Cindy started coughing and Eli dabbed at her face again. She looked him in the eye and awkwardly smiled.
    “Promise me Eli, you'll rectify things ok? You got to make it alright.”
    “I promise I’ll do what I can, Cindy. I miss her. I miss her a lot.”
    “I know you do, honey.” In the distance the sirens grew louder. Hurry, hurry, hurry, he silently prayed.
    “Everything is going to be fine, Miss Cindy.”
    “It will be once you stop being a dummy. Both of you.” He heard the teasing in Ms. Cindy’s voice.
    “No, no I was talking about you,” Eli laughed despite himself.
    Within the next minutes the