Chapter 3: Omonious Echoes

"Miracle." That was the word Johnny and Amber would hear endlessly throughout their recovery. Nurses, Doctors, their families and friends. It was a miracle they were alive, a miracle they were uninjured, a miracle that Amber was declared medically dead one second and breathing the next, it was a cornucopia of miracles the two were thankful landed in their favor.

While the expected physical therapy for the two was over the course of several months to even exceeding a year, the both of them proved to be in far better shape than the average car crash victims. Their bodies, while sore and achy, were otherwise in the "best state we could possibly imagine for people who just went through what you did."

Johnny and Amber's families did talk to the both of them about what happened, asking why and how the two of them had ended up in such a harrowing situation. The couple, ever so in love, twisted the truth a little here and there to ensure they could continue to date. Johnny could only silently thank Amber as she stood up for him, claiming the truck had run the stop sign instead of the two of them blowing past it.

He remembered the promise he had made to himself that night, that he would never take her for granted again. The young man smiled as he watched her account the feeling of waking up in the wreckage to her parents, talking about how Johnny's hands were the first thing she felt upon waking. His thoughts were interrupted by a suit tapping his shoulder.

The overdressed character asked him to follow him, cryptically explaining that he had some questions to ask him about the crash. After taking one last elongated glance at the love of his life, he turned to follow the man, and was taken to an empty room with the lights dimmed and another two men standing in the shadows. Johnny felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, but he wasn't sure he could back out now even if he wanted to.

After being sat down, Johnny was grilled stoically about the events of that night. Basic questions at first, about why they were out so late, driving so recklessly, things Johnny had answered enough times he was practically reciting the answers. His mind started to glaze, unsure how long he had been in the dimly lit room, wondering if Amber had noticed his absence.

Once again, he was interrupted by the man in the suit, this time by a snap of his fingers. His accomplices stepped forward, placing papers on the table with places for signatures. The man elaborated that the truck Johnny and Amber had hit contained material that was extremely hazardous to the public, hence its late night transfer in what was assumed to be a secure truck. The papers then, were two fold. One to ensure that the pair would not sue for any potential health issues in exchange for a full down payment on a vehicle of their choice (within reason).

The second paper was the caveat. Johnny had to ensure that he had not made contact with any of the material that was in the truck that day. Johnny knew for a fact that he could not answer that confidently. At least, he was fairly certain. But then again, he and Amber had both recovered from a catastrophic wreck in a manner few if any other people could. Not only had they survived, but they were in better health than the day they crashed. It was unexplainable... wasn't it?

"Sign the paper Johnny." he heard a voice speak.

He looked around, expecting one of the mysterious men to be responsible for the sound, but they only stared back, unflinching. His mind had never been the sharpest, but even he knew that something wasn't right.

"Sign the paper, and you and Amber will be taken care of." The voice repeated.

Johnny couldn't be sure if he was going insane, dreaming, or simply hearing what he wanted to hear. But in that moment, he confirmed with the men that no, he and to his knowledge Amber had not made contact with anything from the truck, and that no, they would not pursue charges against them. He signed the papers, shook hands with the man who brought him there, and was escorted back to Amber's room.

When asked where he had been, Johnny could hardly get a word out before the men asked Amber to follow them. He reassured her, explaining that they were simply asking more follow up questions and that they wouldn't hurt her. The two kissed, and slowly drifted apart as the men escorted her down the hall.

Johnny sat down, unsure what to make of the voice he had heard. He called out, softly, as if it would respond. Of course there was none, and he chuckled to himself about possibly needing to see a shrink.

"I assure you Johnny, you are perfectly healthy. You and Amber are. I made sure of that personally."

Johnny wanted to leap out of his skin. He was totally alone in that room, or so he thought. Where in the hell was such a clear sounding voice coming from?

"Have peace. I will explain in time. All you need to know right now is that I am doing everything I can to ensure you two get home safely. I cannot talk for too long, lest I gain the attention of those unsightly characters you just spoke to. All I can ask of you now is to trust me."

The young man was restless. He looked around frantically, desperately to try and find the source of the voice. He probed with questions, who the voice was, how it was even speaking to him, but he received no response. He slumped back into the chair, defeated.

The words rang in his head. "All I can ask of you now is to trust me." Could he? After what he had learned from those men, this could be a side effect of the materials in the truck they had hit. But it had promised to keep him and Amber safe. And the two of them were healthier than they'd ever been, despite the circumstances. He couldn't believe any of what was happening anymore.

Johnny sat alone in the room for a moment, before speaking out that he would trust the voice, so long as he received answers when he and Amber were home.

The voice did not respond, but Johnny figured that his words had somehow reached it. He leaned his head back on the wall and closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted from the events of the past hour. As he drifted off, his mind drifted to thoughts of Amber, excited to finally go home with her soon.