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A Short Story : A Story?

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Jealousy crept through my body when my parents told me that they were going to dinner in the Willis Tower. Who wouldn’t want to eat on an upper floor of the formerly world’s tallest building? My brother and I waved them goodbye as they pulled out of the driveway. I walked upstairs to my room and opened YouTube on my computer. Nothing seemed amiss.
•••
Glancing at the clock, I read the time — 10:30. I had been reading with WFMT playing through my radio for about an hour. The house was quiet, and the only noise came from the rustling of the branches in the wind. The phone began ringing. I picked up.
In Russian, my mother said, “We’ll be home in half an hour. Skora. We are really close.” Both my brother and I had been waiting for their arrival. I sat back down calmly and continued reading.
At 11:30, I began to worry. What was taking so long? To my relief, the phones rang again. It wasn’t them. My brother picked up. He looked fazed when he put down the phone.
“They were in a car crash,” he said.
“Who? Mom and dad?” I said disbelievingly.
“They were driving home, and a car hit them.”
“What?” I sputtered.
I was stunned. I looked around.
“That’s all I know.”
I walked back to my room and began pacing around in circles. Dad’s been hit before, I thought. It can’t be that serious. They probably just got rear-ended or something. Thoughts were racing through my brain. I felt empty. It was like something had crashed into my heart. I knew something had happened, but I had no idea what it was. I’ll see them in the morning when they get back. They’re probably exchanging insurance information. My mind was searching for an answer that could comfort me. Flipping open the book of prayers on my nightstand, I desperately tried to find and read any applicable reading or song. With an open mind, I went to sleep.
•••
I woke up the next day, and my brother was already on the phone. My parents were not home. I picked up another handset and joined the call. Feebly, my mother was telling my brother what to put in a bag so that our grandparents could pick it up and take it to the hospital. I was shocked. My parents were in the hospital! I helped my brother gather my parent’s belongings. I had a million questions, and I was absolutely

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