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Chapter 01
The world is a magical place, but most of the time you have to really open your eyes to see the magic and understand what you see.
Kajsa blinks away a tear and concentrates on driving. Those words she just heard in her head were her mother's, and Kajsa believed in them for a long time, but not anymore. If the world had been a magical place, her mother would have beaten the cancer, but that wasn't the case. Instead, she died, aged 69.
Kajsa is 32 years old and is on her way to a party but she doesn't plan on drinking any alcohol because she has borrowed her father's car and has planned to drive home after the party. Kajsa lives in the city and works at a well-known computer company and she is happy with that but she hasn't got a boyfriend yet and she would rather live with a good-looking guy. Since she works and lives in the city, she hasn't got a car but she has a driver's license. That's why she is borrowing her father's car.
Kajsa has dyed her hair green but usually she has blonde hair. Kajsa is tired of being called blonde. Kajsa is short and has light blue eyes. Some people find Kajsa's eyes unpleasant to look at because they are so unnaturally light. Kajsa likes parties and she has been looking forward to this party. The party was originally supposed to be on New Year's Day but several of the participants got sick so it will be held now instead.
Kajsa's mother Monika was tall and had jet-black hair and dark brown eyes. Monika liked parties but she wouldn't have gone to this one even if she had been alive. Most of the partygoers are very young.
Kajsa's father Bertil is medium-tall and has greyish hair and greenish eyes. Bertil is 65 years old and works for a well-known flower company and he enjoys his job. Bertil hadn't been interested in going to the party. He has never liked big parties except for birthdays.
Kajsa has two sons. One is called Jack and the other is called Göran. Jack is 29 years old and has just moved out of home while Göran is 24 years old and still lives with Bertil but he has planned to move into his own place but he is comfortable with himself. Jack has dark hair while Göran has light hair. Both Jack and Göran are of medium height.
Jack works for the local traffic rescue center and often goes out to help with traffic accidents. In the past, there were more older people working for the traffic rescue center, but that has changed. Now there are many young people working there. Jack cares about his job and he has a lot to do now because it is January and there is a lot of snow. The snow and cold make the roads slippery. Many drivers drive off the road and end up in the ditch.
Göran works at McDonald's but he would rather have another job because he doesn't like it. Bertil mentioned that Göran has been late to work for several days in a row and his employer has complained. If there is no improvement, there is a high risk that Göran will be fired from his job.
Kajsa approaches the long bridge and the car's headlights illuminate the snow-covered ground. The strong headlights make the snow sparkle when they shine on the snow. Kajsa thinks all the snow is nice but she knows that the road surface can be slippery so she has to be fully concentrated on driving. But Kajsa feels more and more tired and unfocused and she doesn't understand why. Kajsa was excited and happy when she got in the car but now she feels tired and lacks energy and also has a throbbing headache.
Kajsa parks at the small rest area before the bridge and takes out her mobile phone and activates its wifi and then she turns on the car's radio and selects wifi as the sound source. Kajsa selects the music folder with tough and hard music and presses play. Fast hard rock can be heard from the car speakers and the bass is so loud that the speakers are rattling. Kajsa lowers the bass so that the speakers are not damaged and then she starts driving again. Monika had probably thought the music was soulless and hard to listen to, but she had not shown any dissatisfaction or complained about the choice of music. Bertil, on the other hand, had thought it was just noise and showed what he thought with facial expressions and loud sighs. Maybe he had told Kajsa to choose different music or he had turned off the car radio.
Kajsa starts to sing along to the song that is playing, but she doesn't have the same power in her voice as she usually does and it bothers her. Last year she saw a concert with this group and she sang herself hoarse, but she was much more alert when the concert was over than she is now. Kajsa has come up to the bridge and there is thick forest on both sides of the road. Kajsa thinks she sees movement on the right side and she looks there but doesn't see anything unusual. The car's strong headlights probably make it look like something is moving as she drives close to the edge of the road. There is a high iron fence around the forest so that no animals can get out onto the road. The tall trees flicker past on both sides and it almost looks like they are moving towards the car when they are illuminated by the car's strong headlights. Kajsa can see in the rearview mirror that she has two cars behind her and they are driving close, almost a little too close and she feels uneasy.
The road widens and the two cars overtake and they drive fast. Kajsa thinks they must be in a hurry because they are driving so fast even though it is snowy and slippery. Well, it is not her problem if they cause an accident unless she gets involved in it. Kajsa holds on tightly to the wheel and another car overtakes but it is not going as fast as the other two and the driver signals when he overtakes. The first two cars did not and Kajsa should have taken their license plates and reported them. The road narrows again and this part is the narrowest on the entire bridge.
It is starting to snow and the snowflakes are spinning in the air and dancing in the light of the headlights. There was no snow this Christmas and Kajsa thought it was depressing but it was not just Kajsa who thought so. Everything that was normal had changed. No Monika standing by the stove cooking her delicious rice porridge or dressing the Christmas tree. No Monika waking the rest of the family with breakfast in bed. No Monika joking and making up spontaneous games. Christmas was very depressing and everyone in the family wanted it to end as soon as possible. Kajsa gets tears in her eyes when she thinks about how depressing Christmas was and she blinks away her tears.
Kajsa continues to drive but something is not right. It feels as if the trees and everything outside the car are moving way too fast and she starts to brake but it doesn't help. It's almost as if the world outside the car is moving ultra-fast and Kajsa can't keep up. She has never felt like this before. Kajsa can't park on the bridge and she has to keep driving but she drives extremely slowly. The speedometer is down to 40 km per hour. After a few minutes of driving, Kajsa feels that she has control again and she increases her speed and the speedometer goes up to 80 km per hour. Actually, she can drive 110 km but since it is slippery she chooses to drive slower.
The road widens again and Kajsa breathes out. Now the hardest part of the bridge is over. Kajsa starts thinking about the party she is going to and she hopes that Martin will be there. Kajsa has a bit of a crush on Martin and she enjoys his company. It is so easy to talk to him, even about difficult things. Martin is 33 years old so there is not that much of an age difference.
Kajsa's thoughts are suddenly interrupted when she sees an animal standing on the road in front of her and it looks like a grey-white horse. The animal is so close that Kajsa knows that she will not have time to brake, but if she is lucky she may be able to swerve to the other lane to avoid colliding with the animal. Kajsa turns the steering wheel hard to the left and the car starts to swerve to the left and Kajsa hopes and hopes that this will work. The car moves closer to the horse and Kajsa notices a strange detail. It looks as if the horse has a long horn on its nose. Kajsa has never seen a horse like this except in fairy tales and there they are called unicorns. Kajsa accidentally turns the steering wheel so that the car swerves to the right and she realizes her mistake but it is too late. She will collide with the animal.
The front of the car drives into the horse's hard body and it comes to a complete stop. Kajsa's body flies up from the front seat and moves in a forward motion and she sees the windshield getting closer and closer. Kajsa is wearing a seat belt but the force when she crashes is so great that the seat belt gives way. Kajsa weighs 57 kg but the impact weight means that her body now weighs around 6000 kg. The glass in the windshield gives way and Kajsa's body is pushed forward by the increased weight. Kajsa's face hits the hood hard and her legs scrape against the broken glass from the destroyed windshield. Some of her underwear gets caught in the jagged and broken glass.
Kajsa's body continues to move forward and she has time to think a lot while she is in motion. Kajsa thinks about her mother's funeral, about all the road trips she has taken with her mother, what Bertil will say and why a unicorn was standing on the road. All thoughts happen in a split second but it feels like several minutes. Finally, Kajsa lands on the hard ground a few centimeters from the lying animal. It feels as if Kajsa's sternum breaks when she lands on the ground. The smell of gasoline is strong and Kajsa starts to crawl away from the car because she is afraid that it will explode even though such things usually only happen in movies.
Kajsa pulls herself forward with the help of her arms and they scrape against the asphalt and she would rather lie down and die but her lust for life is so strong that she continues to pull herself forward. Kajsa gets to the animal and she can see that it is bleeding from several places and she puts her head on the animal's warm bloody belly and closes her eyes and strangely enough she starts to think about when she realized that her time with her mother would be shorter than expected.
Six months earlier
Kajsa is sitting in the family kitchen and is bored. Kajsa has recently started her vacation and her first plan was to visit her parents. Kajsa has noticed that something has changed with both parents but they claim that everything is as usual but their body language is different from what it usually is. Kajsa wants to know why things have changed. Maybe she can help. Monika and Bertil are sitting with a crossword puzzle and the radio is on but no one is actively listening.
Kajsa scrolls on her mobile but there is nothing fun on Facebook or Tik-Tok. Even Instagram doesn't seem to have any fun posts. Kajsa sighs quietly and watches YouTube, but none of the videos are interesting. Monika looks up from her crossword puzzle and looks at Kajsa. Kajsa looks up from her phone and meets Monika's gaze. There's so much their looks say without them saying anything. Monika puts down the crossword puzzle.
"Kajsa, what do you say if we go on a spontaneous trip?"
"Where should we go then? Bertil probably wants us to be home by 4pm."
"We can drive to Kristianstad or why not to Helsingborg. A short trip, you and I."
"I'd love to."
"But then, let's go."
Monika has already got up from the table and is standing looking at Kajsa who is still sitting down. Kajsa gets up and giggles. It's so much fun to go on spontaneous trips with Monika. Bertil looks up from his crossword puzzle and he looks confused.
"Where are you two going?"
"Oh, just a little trip."
"Okay, I thought we were going to have lunch at, um, 4 p.m. It's grilled meat and my special potato salad." Bertil looks at his watch and it shows 10am. Monika and Kajsa have time to go on a trip and Bertil nods to himself.
Bertil returns to his crossword puzzle while Monika and Kajsa leave the villa and walk towards Bertil's car. When they get to the car, they clap their hands together and look happy. They say exactly the same thing at the same time.
"Roadtrip."
Monika and Kajsa get in the car and Kajsa turns on her phone and selects Wi-Fi. Then she selects the playlist "Roadtrips with Mom" and presses play. The playlist contains music that both Monika and Kajsa like. Kajsa has recently changed the playlist and Monika is surprised when the first song starts. That song was not on the playlist the last time they took a spontaneous trip. Monika drives towards the main highway that goes towards Malmö but she will not drive that far. There is not much traffic on the road and soon they pass Hasslö.
Bertil likes to drive but he never goes on spontaneous trips, but when he does drive it is always to a pre-determined destination. Monika, on the other hand, likes to go on spontaneous trips and see where they end up. She thinks it gives her more freedom that way. Kajsa also likes spontaneous trips.
The car passes Ronneby and then Karlshamn. Monika starts to drum the rhythm of a song on the steering wheel and Kajsa giggles. Mom really has the rhythm in her body. Bertil also has the rhythm in his body but he doesn't show it in the same way. He is more controlled but also a little more boring.
Monika glances at Kajsa and smiles in the way only she can.
"I heard you got a raise. That's always good."
"That's very nice. My boss has finally realized that even I, a girl, can have an important job that needs to be well rewarded."
"Heh, it was much harder when i was younger. We women were paid very little because we were expected to stay home and take care of the household. It's lucky that things have changed."
"My boss is okay, although he can be unfocused sometimes. Did I tell you about when he was supposed to heat up an apple pie in the microwave?"
"You mentioned it after it happened."
"He must have felt clumsy when the fire department arrived."
"It's human to fail."
"Mmm yeah."
The car passes Mörrum and the special smell that spreads there comes in through the car's ventilation and both Monika and Kajsa say eww and grimace at the smell. After an hour or so, they pass Sölvesborg and soon they cross the border into Skåne. When the car passes Eko-Hallen, Monika and Kajsa look at each other but they choose not to stop at the department store, instead Monika drives on.
The car passes a sign that says Åhus 11 and both Monika and Kajsa say the same thing.
"Yeah, lets drive to Åhus."
After a few kilometers, Monika leaves the E22 and comes to a smaller road that leads to Åhus. Åhus is not that big but there is a nice harbor and very good ice cream. The sun is shining from an almost cloudless sky and the nice holiday feeling sets in. Monika does not drive fast and neither she nor Kajsa is in a hurry. They have time to stay in Åhus for a long time if they want.
When they finally arrive in Åhus, Monika parks in a larger parking lot and she and Kajsa get out of the car and look around. They see several people walking on the cobblestones of the streets and they move in different directions but several of them move down towards the quay. Kajsa sees a large ice cream kiosk and she gets hungry for an ice cream and she points towards the kiosk and the people walking down towards the quay.
"We'll each buy an ice cream and go down to the quay. It'll be really nice."
Monika nods and looks satisfied and they go to the ice cream kiosk and each buy an ice cream. Monika chooses a large elderberry/Lemon ice cream while Kajsa chooses a large vanilla/chocolate ice cream with lots of meringues and caramel sauce. Both ice creams are only sold here and it feels exclusive in some way. They immediately start eating their ice creams as they walk down to the quay.
When they have walked a little way, they are surprised. There is a small market further along the quay but neither Monika nor Kajsa has seen any advertising for the market. Maybe it is a temporary market. There are even some rides for children and adults. The only thing Kajsa maybe would like to ride is the radio cars but when she sees the price she doesn't think it is worth the money. Kajsa and Monika look at the clothes being sold and the market sweets but they don't buy anything and move on and leave the small market behind them.
Monika has eaten half of her ice cream and Kajsa has almost eaten all of her ice cream when Monika turns to Kajsa and holds out her ice cream to her.
"Sometimes I think I can handle more than I do. You can have the rest of my ice cream, if you want, of course. I think it would be a shame to throw it away."
Kajsa is very surprised. Monika has never had any problem eating a whole ice cream and Monika didn't eat anything when they were sitting in the kitchen. Kajsa looks at Monika searchingly and only now does she see that her mother has lost weight. She didn't notice it when they were sitting in the kitchen but she sees it now and it worries her. Monika has never cared about her weight and she has always enjoyed food. Kajsa accepts the ice cream but she looks at her mother with a worried look.
"How is it? Is everything okay?"
"Well, my back hurts a lot sometimes and it feels like my appetite has changed but that's how it is when you get older."
"But you've always managed to eat every ice cream you've bought. It's a bit strange that you can't do it today. Well, how's Bertil?"
"Apart from the fact that his hands shake sometimes, everything's fine."
Kajsa nods quietly. She's seen that Bertil's hands shake sometimes. Monika and Kajsa pass an older wooden bench and Monika indicates that she wants to sit on the bench. Kajsa and Monika sit on the wooden bench and look out over the sea and the boats at the quay. They sit quietly for several minutes, letting the sun shine on them. A few squawking seagulls fly nearby. A few small birds pick up small pieces of the ice cream cones that have fallen off and landed on the ground. Suddenly, Monika points towards the boats.
"What do you say if Bertil and I were to buy ourselves a boat and sailing around and even sleep in the boat?"
"Hmm, he might like that, but in that case he would have definitely demanded that there be a TV on the boat. It would take a big boat even if there are small TV sets. I know he likes soft beds. Maybe it would be hard to find one like that."
"If you have enough food with you, you can stay in a boat for a week and just sail wherever you want. Of course, Bertil would have had to buy a TV for the boat."
"You're probably right. Well, that would be fun. I haven't been on the lake that much and neither have you."
"But things can change. Bertil and I have already talked about buying a boat and we have found a nice boat. It's not here but I can show you when we drive home."
"Oh well. There you go. I didn't know about that."
"We can have little secrets too. I heard rumors that you write on that mean and racist internet forum, whatever it's called." Monika rolls her eyes and Kajsa knows exactly what she thinks of the internet forum.
"Ah, yes. I commented on some mean posts and I wrote that I thought they should grow up." Kajsa tries to sound neutral when she answers but she is extremely bothered by what they wrote in the post. Monika probably sees through her and knows exactly what she thinks.
"What kind of response did you get then?"
"Some people thought I was a cranky old woman but no one knows who I am because everyone on the forum is anonymous."
"Göran saw the post and realized it was you."
Kajsa looks surprised and starts laughing. Of course Göran realized it was her. Kajsa hadn't even tried to hide who she was because she had used a large part of her name when she chose what to call herself. Göran hangs out on a lot of internet forums and he's smarter than many people think. It's just that he rarely shows it.
Kajsa stops laughing after a short while and it goes quiet again. Both Kajsa and Monika like it when it goes quiet but not for too long. Kajsa feels her body relax and she enjoys the sunshine and spending time with her mother. She's been waiting for this. The steady pulse of the city makes her body tense and she doesn't really enjoy life there. Kajsa enjoys her apartment but she would have liked to live closer to her parents.
Monika makes a humming sound and starts to get up and Kajsa gets up too. Suddenly Monika's face contorts in pain and she moans. Kajsa grabs her mother's hand and feels it quickly become hot and sweaty and she becomes worried.
"How is it, mother?"
"It's that damned back that's bothering me again."
"You need to get that checked out. You don't look well."
"Uh, it'll be okay. We go back to the car."
But Kajsa doesn't think it will be okay. Mom has never shown any pain before, not even when she hit her head on the corner cabinet in the kitchen so that it bled. Mom is a very strong individual who is always positive and if she happens to hurt herself she always jokes it off. That's why Kajsa gets very worried when she sees her mom's tormented face. The fact that mom couldn't eat the whole ice cream is also worrying.
A week later, Monika and Kajsa go to the hospital and a doctor feels Monika's back and takes several tests. Monika keeps saying that Kajsa doesn't need to worry. It's normal to have back pain.
Barely two weeks later, the doctor calls and asks Monika to sit down before he tells her what the test shows. Kajsa is in the kitchen when Monika receives the call and Monika chooses to put her mobile on speaker so that Bertil can also hear what the doctor says. The doctor tells her that Monika has advanced back cancer. Kajsa understood that Monika would soon die
Get up. A car could come and it could cause an even bigger accident
Kajsa's thoughts are interrupted by the voice in her head. That sounded like her mother, but she's dead. Kajsa opens her eyes and looks at the animal's bloody belly and she realizes that part of her head is lying against the animal's belly. Her head feels incredibly heavy and when Kajsa lifts her head, the whole world starts to spin. Kajsa notices that the animal's blood is black instead of red and the blood has run all the way down to Kajsa's feet.
Kajsa forces her body into a sitting position and everything is taking its toll, but she's stubborn. It almost feels like she's about to faint. Her head aches and one side of her face feels swollen and her neck feels swollen. Strangely enough, Kajsa only feels a slight pain in her chest region even though she landed so hard on the ground. Kajsa looks at her legs and notices a strange detail. Kajsa felt the glass in the broken windshield penetrate both legs and cut open a part of the skin, but the part of the leg that had been in the animal's blood is unharmed. Kajsa thinks it's an illusion and wipes the animal's blood from the leg, but she doesn't see any damage to the skin at all. That's impossible, she thinks. The part of the face that had been in the animal's blood also feels unharmed.
Kajsa starts to get up and she notices how unsteady she is but she has to get out a warning triangle to warn other drivers that there has been a car accident. Kajsa knows that Bertil has two warning triangles in the trunk of the car and she slowly makes her way there. Her legs ache but the pain in her head and neck is the worst. Kajsa opens the trunk and finds the two warning triangles and she tries to remember how close to the accident they should be but she also has to think about the braking distance of the cars now that it is slippery. Kajsa remembers that she has her mobile phone in her pocket and she takes it out and Googles how close the warning triangle should be set out and it is 100 meters but preferably 200. Kajsa is surprised that the mobile phone still works considering how hard her body landed on the ground.
Kajsa is thinking about how she can know how far 100 meters is, but then she remembers that there is an app on her phone that shows how many steps have been taken and that it should work, and she opens the app. Kajsa starts walking when the app is open and she can see that it starts counting her steps, but she chooses to show it in meters instead of centimeters. Kajsa chooses to walk 200 meters and places the warning triangle so that it is clearly visible. Actually, she would have liked to walk further, considering the braking distance of the cars, but she simply can't bear it and she goes back to the car. The world is no longer spinning as much, and she is grateful for that.
Kajsa calls the emergency services and asks to speak to Jack, and she is put through to him. Jack answers after a short while and Kajsa tells him what has happened, but she does not mention that she collided with a unicorn. Jack promises to come as soon as possible and that he will send an ambulance so that Kajsa can get to the hospital. Jack thinks she should have called 911 instead. The call ends and Kajsa walks over to the injured animal and when she looks at it she realizes that it is actually a unicorn, even though that should be impossible.
Kajsa looks at the bones that were in the unicorn's blood and she realizes that its blood healed the injuries. Kajsa gets a crazy idea. She has to save the unicorn but she wonders how. Jack might be able to help and put the animal in the vehicle he is using but Kajsa knows that there is only a small space behind the front seat. The unicorn would probably fit better in the back seat of the crashed car. Kajsa walks up to the unicorn and bends down over the animal and approaches its face. The unicorn has very big eyes and when Kajsa looks into them she almost feels like she is drowning in them. Those big eyes are so emotional and kind. The unicorn's horn is very long and Kajsa looks at it fascinated. Monika would have definitely liked this animal.
Kajsa bends down further and takes a firm hold of the unicorn's head and front legs while speaking calmly so as not to scare the animal. The unicorn doesn't seem to react when Kajsa lifts its head and front legs, but she can hear it breathing at regular intervals. Kajsa is surprised when she feels that the unicorn is not very heavy and she changes her grip so that she is holding most of its body and she starts walking towards the car. The unicorn's front and back legs drag on the ground but they are not damaged. Kajsa continues to talk to the unicorn as she approaches the back seat of the car. Kajsa gently pushes the unicorn's body in and makes sure that it is lying on the back seat. When the unicorn is inside the car, Kajsa stands and looks at the animal while thinking about who in the family will take care of it.
Kajsa is tempted to pat the unicorn's head and in the end she can't help it. The unicorn moves its head and its eyes meet Kajsa's and it feels like she's drowning in its eyes again, but she doesn't let go of its gaze, but lets herself be drowned in them. Kajsa becomes hypnotized and she lets it happen. There is a kind of inner peace in those eyes and Kajsa has sought that freedom herself but hasn't found it. In some way, those eyes remind her of her mother, but still doesn't. Kajsa doesn't know how long she stands looking into the unicorn's eyes. It feels like time has stopped.
Kajsa doesn't hear Jack's combined rescue truck and lifter arrive. These cars are new and they can both rescue and load any cars onto an open cargo area. Jack can see Kajsa but she doesn't seem to react when he arrives and he gets worried and goes over to her. Kajsa is standing looking at something in the back seat of the car but he can't see what until he gets closer. Jack calls Kajsa's name and the spell is broken. Kajsa gets scared and starts and backs away from the open car door. Jack walks towards Kajsa.
"Hey! Are you okay? It looks like there was a big crash. Actually, you should lie down because you might go into shock."
"I.. I'm okay except that my head and neck hurt terribly."
"Mmm. I can imagine that. Damn, the front of the car is completely destroyed. But why did you put the hit animal in the back seat?"
"I want Göran to try to save the animal. Its blood healed some of my wounds. It's a unicorn."
"Umm, you're probably shocked. I'll make sure a hunter kills the animal so it doesn't suffer."
"Look at it first."
There's something in Kajsa's gaze that makes Jack walk over to the open back door and stand and look at the animal in the back seat. Jack can see its long horns sticking out from its nose and knows that Kajsa is right. It definitely looks like a unicorn, but Jack can't believe his eyes at first. It's so absurd that a unicorn is lying in the back seat of the car. Kajsa stands next to Jack.
"Its blood healed some of my wounds. We have to help it."
"But I don't know how to help unicorns, and I'm sure Göran doesn't either. He barely can´t take care of himself."
"Listen, I think he would feel good helping this animal. Please."
Jack looks at Kajsa's pleading eyes and accepts her wish. The ambulance arrives and two paramedics get out of the ambulance and approach the crashed car. Kajsa looks at Jack with a worried look.
"Don't let them see the unicorn. They don't need to know it exists."
"Okay, I'll do my best. I don't know how Bertil will react when I come home with a crashed car and a unicorn."
Kajsa walks towards the paramedics while Jack goes to the rescue truck and gets a large blanket to put over the unicorn's body. Kajsa looks the paramedics in the face.
"I was the one who had a car accident."
Kajsa lets herself be led to the ambulance while Jack puts the blanket over the unicorn's body and closes the back door. Jack calls out to Kajsa.
"I'll get to the hospital as soon as I can. I'll just have to transport the car away first."
"Good."
The two paramedics open the back doors of the ambulance and pull out a long stretcher and lead Kajsa to the stretcher.
"You look a little pale. You should probably lie down. Where does it hurt?"
"It hurts most in my head and neck."
"Your neck looks swollen. Do you have any pain in your ribs and chest?"
"Umm no."
Kajsa lies down on the stretcher and one of the paramedics feels Kajsa's chest and stomach and presses against the skin.
"How does it feel when I press here?"
"Nothing special. Just your pressing."
"Hmm okay. Well, it doesn't look like you have any internal bleeding or any serious internal injuries which is good but you still need to be examined at the hospital."
"Of course."
The other paramedic pushes the stretcher into the ambulance and closes the door and Kajsa watches as Jack gets tools so he can lift the car and take it to the tow truck. The ambulance drives away and Kajsa sees the crashed car and Jack's rescue vehicle disappearing further and further away and she closes her eyes. One paramedic is bending over Kajsa and taking her blood pressure. The paramedic calls out to the driver.
"It doesn't seem to be any life-threatening injuries so we'll take the usual route to the hospital."
"That's understood."
Kajsa knows that it takes about 15 minutes to drive to the hospital from the bridge where she crashed and she relaxes and lets the paramedic help her. The paramedic standing over Kajsa clears his throat and she opens his eyes.
"Can you give me your social security number and full name?"
Kajsa gives her full name and social security number and takes out her wallet and her ID. The paramedic sees that the information is correct.
"Have you drunk any alcohol or taken any drugs?"
"No, I was on my way to a party but I wasn't going to drink any alcohol because I was going to drive home after the party. I borrowed my dad's car. I've never used any drugs."
"Okay, do you have any allergies?"
"I'm allergic to nuts."
"Do you have any relatives we can call."
"Yes, dad and my two brothers. It was my brother who came with the rescue truck so he will tell dad."
"Do you know if you fainted after the accident?"
"I have no idea."
Kajsa thinks she recognizes the paramedic and she searches her memory. It couldn't have been when she seriously injured her meniscus and had to go in the ambulance. There were two male nurses in that ambulance. It wasn't when she had a bowel obstruction and had to go in the ambulance. One of the paramedics was female but she was older than this woman. Kajsa continues to look at the paramedic and suddenly she knows when she met her.
It was when Monika collapsed in the kitchen of the family's villa and couldn't get up. It happened almost 5 months ago. The three paramedics picked Monika up and drove her to the hospital and she never came back to her villa. Bertil, Kajsa and Jack followed the ambulance because they couldn't fit in the ambulance. Göran wasn't home when it happened.
Monika couldn't get up after the incident and ended up first in a wheelchair and later bedridden because she couldn't move anymore. Kajsa visited Monika as often as she could.
Kajsa doesn't tell the paramedic that she recognizes her. She has probably forgotten about Monika. Kajsa doesn't want to talk about Monika because it hurts her inside every time. The psychological wounds inside haven't healed yet. Kajsa has nothing to say and chooses to remain silent.
The female paramedic suddenly becomes quick and pulls out two clothespin-like things that she puts on two of Kajsa's fingers while muttering quietly; I forgot to check that. There is a bleeping sound just behind Kajsa's head and she wonders what that sound is and turns her head. The female paramedic calms Kajsa down.
"It's just a monitor making a sound. Now we'll see." The paramedic looks at the monitor and gets a serious look.
"Hmm, that doesn't look so good. Your pulse is high but your blood isn't oxygenated properly. We'll be at the hosp
ital soon. A doctor will have to look at that."
Kajsa looks out through the back doors of the ambulance and even though she has driven this way often when she visited her mother when she was in the hospital, she doesn't recognize herself and is confused. Kajsa hopes the driver knows where he's going.
The world is a magical place, but most of the time you have to really open your eyes to see the magic and understand what you see.
Kajsa blinks away a tear and concentrates on driving. Those words she just heard in her head were her mother's, and Kajsa believed in them for a long time, but not anymore. If the world had been a magical place, her mother would have beaten the cancer, but that wasn't the case. Instead, she died, aged 69.
Kajsa is 32 years old and is on her way to a party but she doesn't plan on drinking any alcohol because she has borrowed her father's car and has planned to drive home after the party. Kajsa lives in the city and works at a well-known computer company and she is happy with that but she hasn't got a boyfriend yet and she would rather live with a good-looking guy. Since she works and lives in the city, she hasn't got a car but she has a driver's license. That's why she is borrowing her father's car.
Kajsa has dyed her hair green but usually she has blonde hair. Kajsa is tired of being called blonde. Kajsa is short and has light blue eyes. Some people find Kajsa's eyes unpleasant to look at because they are so unnaturally light. Kajsa likes parties and she has been looking forward to this party. The party was originally supposed to be on New Year's Day but several of the participants got sick so it will be held now instead.
Kajsa's mother Monika was tall and had jet-black hair and dark brown eyes. Monika liked parties but she wouldn't have gone to this one even if she had been alive. Most of the partygoers are very young.
Kajsa's father Bertil is medium-tall and has greyish hair and greenish eyes. Bertil is 65 years old and works for a well-known flower company and he enjoys his job. Bertil hadn't been interested in going to the party. He has never liked big parties except for birthdays.
Kajsa has two sons. One is called Jack and the other is called Göran. Jack is 29 years old and has just moved out of home while Göran is 24 years old and still lives with Bertil but he has planned to move into his own place but he is comfortable with himself. Jack has dark hair while Göran has light hair. Both Jack and Göran are of medium height.
Jack works for the local traffic rescue center and often goes out to help with traffic accidents. In the past, there were more older people working for the traffic rescue center, but that has changed. Now there are many young people working there. Jack cares about his job and he has a lot to do now because it is January and there is a lot of snow. The snow and cold make the roads slippery. Many drivers drive off the road and end up in the ditch.
Göran works at McDonald's but he would rather have another job because he doesn't like it. Bertil mentioned that Göran has been late to work for several days in a row and his employer has complained. If there is no improvement, there is a high risk that Göran will be fired from his job.
Kajsa approaches the long bridge and the car's headlights illuminate the snow-covered ground. The strong headlights make the snow sparkle when they shine on the snow. Kajsa thinks all the snow is nice but she knows that the road surface can be slippery so she has to be fully concentrated on driving. But Kajsa feels more and more tired and unfocused and she doesn't understand why. Kajsa was excited and happy when she got in the car but now she feels tired and lacks energy and also has a throbbing headache.
Kajsa parks at the small rest area before the bridge and takes out her mobile phone and activates its wifi and then she turns on the car's radio and selects wifi as the sound source. Kajsa selects the music folder with tough and hard music and presses play. Fast hard rock can be heard from the car speakers and the bass is so loud that the speakers are rattling. Kajsa lowers the bass so that the speakers are not damaged and then she starts driving again. Monika had probably thought the music was soulless and hard to listen to, but she had not shown any dissatisfaction or complained about the choice of music. Bertil, on the other hand, had thought it was just noise and showed what he thought with facial expressions and loud sighs. Maybe he had told Kajsa to choose different music or he had turned off the car radio.
Kajsa starts to sing along to the song that is playing, but she doesn't have the same power in her voice as she usually does and it bothers her. Last year she saw a concert with this group and she sang herself hoarse, but she was much more alert when the concert was over than she is now. Kajsa has come up to the bridge and there is thick forest on both sides of the road. Kajsa thinks she sees movement on the right side and she looks there but doesn't see anything unusual. The car's strong headlights probably make it look like something is moving as she drives close to the edge of the road. There is a high iron fence around the forest so that no animals can get out onto the road. The tall trees flicker past on both sides and it almost looks like they are moving towards the car when they are illuminated by the car's strong headlights. Kajsa can see in the rearview mirror that she has two cars behind her and they are driving close, almost a little too close and she feels uneasy.
The road widens and the two cars overtake and they drive fast. Kajsa thinks they must be in a hurry because they are driving so fast even though it is snowy and slippery. Well, it is not her problem if they cause an accident unless she gets involved in it. Kajsa holds on tightly to the wheel and another car overtakes but it is not going as fast as the other two and the driver signals when he overtakes. The first two cars did not and Kajsa should have taken their license plates and reported them. The road narrows again and this part is the narrowest on the entire bridge.
It is starting to snow and the snowflakes are spinning in the air and dancing in the light of the headlights. There was no snow this Christmas and Kajsa thought it was depressing but it was not just Kajsa who thought so. Everything that was normal had changed. No Monika standing by the stove cooking her delicious rice porridge or dressing the Christmas tree. No Monika waking the rest of the family with breakfast in bed. No Monika joking and making up spontaneous games. Christmas was very depressing and everyone in the family wanted it to end as soon as possible. Kajsa gets tears in her eyes when she thinks about how depressing Christmas was and she blinks away her tears.
Kajsa continues to drive but something is not right. It feels as if the trees and everything outside the car are moving way too fast and she starts to brake but it doesn't help. It's almost as if the world outside the car is moving ultra-fast and Kajsa can't keep up. She has never felt like this before. Kajsa can't park on the bridge and she has to keep driving but she drives extremely slowly. The speedometer is down to 40 km per hour. After a few minutes of driving, Kajsa feels that she has control again and she increases her speed and the speedometer goes up to 80 km per hour. Actually, she can drive 110 km but since it is slippery she chooses to drive slower.
The road widens again and Kajsa breathes out. Now the hardest part of the bridge is over. Kajsa starts thinking about the party she is going to and she hopes that Martin will be there. Kajsa has a bit of a crush on Martin and she enjoys his company. It is so easy to talk to him, even about difficult things. Martin is 33 years old so there is not that much of an age difference.
Kajsa's thoughts are suddenly interrupted when she sees an animal standing on the road in front of her and it looks like a grey-white horse. The animal is so close that Kajsa knows that she will not have time to brake, but if she is lucky she may be able to swerve to the other lane to avoid colliding with the animal. Kajsa turns the steering wheel hard to the left and the car starts to swerve to the left and Kajsa hopes and hopes that this will work. The car moves closer to the horse and Kajsa notices a strange detail. It looks as if the horse has a long horn on its nose. Kajsa has never seen a horse like this except in fairy tales and there they are called unicorns. Kajsa accidentally turns the steering wheel so that the car swerves to the right and she realizes her mistake but it is too late. She will collide with the animal.
The front of the car drives into the horse's hard body and it comes to a complete stop. Kajsa's body flies up from the front seat and moves in a forward motion and she sees the windshield getting closer and closer. Kajsa is wearing a seat belt but the force when she crashes is so great that the seat belt gives way. Kajsa weighs 57 kg but the impact weight means that her body now weighs around 6000 kg. The glass in the windshield gives way and Kajsa's body is pushed forward by the increased weight. Kajsa's face hits the hood hard and her legs scrape against the broken glass from the destroyed windshield. Some of her underwear gets caught in the jagged and broken glass.
Kajsa's body continues to move forward and she has time to think a lot while she is in motion. Kajsa thinks about her mother's funeral, about all the road trips she has taken with her mother, what Bertil will say and why a unicorn was standing on the road. All thoughts happen in a split second but it feels like several minutes. Finally, Kajsa lands on the hard ground a few centimeters from the lying animal. It feels as if Kajsa's sternum breaks when she lands on the ground. The smell of gasoline is strong and Kajsa starts to crawl away from the car because she is afraid that it will explode even though such things usually only happen in movies.
Kajsa pulls herself forward with the help of her arms and they scrape against the asphalt and she would rather lie down and die but her lust for life is so strong that she continues to pull herself forward. Kajsa gets to the animal and she can see that it is bleeding from several places and she puts her head on the animal's warm bloody belly and closes her eyes and strangely enough she starts to think about when she realized that her time with her mother would be shorter than expected.
Six months earlier
Kajsa is sitting in the family kitchen and is bored. Kajsa has recently started her vacation and her first plan was to visit her parents. Kajsa has noticed that something has changed with both parents but they claim that everything is as usual but their body language is different from what it usually is. Kajsa wants to know why things have changed. Maybe she can help. Monika and Bertil are sitting with a crossword puzzle and the radio is on but no one is actively listening.
Kajsa scrolls on her mobile but there is nothing fun on Facebook or Tik-Tok. Even Instagram doesn't seem to have any fun posts. Kajsa sighs quietly and watches YouTube, but none of the videos are interesting. Monika looks up from her crossword puzzle and looks at Kajsa. Kajsa looks up from her phone and meets Monika's gaze. There's so much their looks say without them saying anything. Monika puts down the crossword puzzle.
"Kajsa, what do you say if we go on a spontaneous trip?"
"Where should we go then? Bertil probably wants us to be home by 4pm."
"We can drive to Kristianstad or why not to Helsingborg. A short trip, you and I."
"I'd love to."
"But then, let's go."
Monika has already got up from the table and is standing looking at Kajsa who is still sitting down. Kajsa gets up and giggles. It's so much fun to go on spontaneous trips with Monika. Bertil looks up from his crossword puzzle and he looks confused.
"Where are you two going?"
"Oh, just a little trip."
"Okay, I thought we were going to have lunch at, um, 4 p.m. It's grilled meat and my special potato salad." Bertil looks at his watch and it shows 10am. Monika and Kajsa have time to go on a trip and Bertil nods to himself.
Bertil returns to his crossword puzzle while Monika and Kajsa leave the villa and walk towards Bertil's car. When they get to the car, they clap their hands together and look happy. They say exactly the same thing at the same time.
"Roadtrip."
Monika and Kajsa get in the car and Kajsa turns on her phone and selects Wi-Fi. Then she selects the playlist "Roadtrips with Mom" and presses play. The playlist contains music that both Monika and Kajsa like. Kajsa has recently changed the playlist and Monika is surprised when the first song starts. That song was not on the playlist the last time they took a spontaneous trip. Monika drives towards the main highway that goes towards Malmö but she will not drive that far. There is not much traffic on the road and soon they pass Hasslö.
Bertil likes to drive but he never goes on spontaneous trips, but when he does drive it is always to a pre-determined destination. Monika, on the other hand, likes to go on spontaneous trips and see where they end up. She thinks it gives her more freedom that way. Kajsa also likes spontaneous trips.
The car passes Ronneby and then Karlshamn. Monika starts to drum the rhythm of a song on the steering wheel and Kajsa giggles. Mom really has the rhythm in her body. Bertil also has the rhythm in his body but he doesn't show it in the same way. He is more controlled but also a little more boring.
Monika glances at Kajsa and smiles in the way only she can.
"I heard you got a raise. That's always good."
"That's very nice. My boss has finally realized that even I, a girl, can have an important job that needs to be well rewarded."
"Heh, it was much harder when i was younger. We women were paid very little because we were expected to stay home and take care of the household. It's lucky that things have changed."
"My boss is okay, although he can be unfocused sometimes. Did I tell you about when he was supposed to heat up an apple pie in the microwave?"
"You mentioned it after it happened."
"He must have felt clumsy when the fire department arrived."
"It's human to fail."
"Mmm yeah."
The car passes Mörrum and the special smell that spreads there comes in through the car's ventilation and both Monika and Kajsa say eww and grimace at the smell. After an hour or so, they pass Sölvesborg and soon they cross the border into Skåne. When the car passes Eko-Hallen, Monika and Kajsa look at each other but they choose not to stop at the department store, instead Monika drives on.
The car passes a sign that says Åhus 11 and both Monika and Kajsa say the same thing.
"Yeah, lets drive to Åhus."
After a few kilometers, Monika leaves the E22 and comes to a smaller road that leads to Åhus. Åhus is not that big but there is a nice harbor and very good ice cream. The sun is shining from an almost cloudless sky and the nice holiday feeling sets in. Monika does not drive fast and neither she nor Kajsa is in a hurry. They have time to stay in Åhus for a long time if they want.
When they finally arrive in Åhus, Monika parks in a larger parking lot and she and Kajsa get out of the car and look around. They see several people walking on the cobblestones of the streets and they move in different directions but several of them move down towards the quay. Kajsa sees a large ice cream kiosk and she gets hungry for an ice cream and she points towards the kiosk and the people walking down towards the quay.
"We'll each buy an ice cream and go down to the quay. It'll be really nice."
Monika nods and looks satisfied and they go to the ice cream kiosk and each buy an ice cream. Monika chooses a large elderberry/Lemon ice cream while Kajsa chooses a large vanilla/chocolate ice cream with lots of meringues and caramel sauce. Both ice creams are only sold here and it feels exclusive in some way. They immediately start eating their ice creams as they walk down to the quay.
When they have walked a little way, they are surprised. There is a small market further along the quay but neither Monika nor Kajsa has seen any advertising for the market. Maybe it is a temporary market. There are even some rides for children and adults. The only thing Kajsa maybe would like to ride is the radio cars but when she sees the price she doesn't think it is worth the money. Kajsa and Monika look at the clothes being sold and the market sweets but they don't buy anything and move on and leave the small market behind them.
Monika has eaten half of her ice cream and Kajsa has almost eaten all of her ice cream when Monika turns to Kajsa and holds out her ice cream to her.
"Sometimes I think I can handle more than I do. You can have the rest of my ice cream, if you want, of course. I think it would be a shame to throw it away."
Kajsa is very surprised. Monika has never had any problem eating a whole ice cream and Monika didn't eat anything when they were sitting in the kitchen. Kajsa looks at Monika searchingly and only now does she see that her mother has lost weight. She didn't notice it when they were sitting in the kitchen but she sees it now and it worries her. Monika has never cared about her weight and she has always enjoyed food. Kajsa accepts the ice cream but she looks at her mother with a worried look.
"How is it? Is everything okay?"
"Well, my back hurts a lot sometimes and it feels like my appetite has changed but that's how it is when you get older."
"But you've always managed to eat every ice cream you've bought. It's a bit strange that you can't do it today. Well, how's Bertil?"
"Apart from the fact that his hands shake sometimes, everything's fine."
Kajsa nods quietly. She's seen that Bertil's hands shake sometimes. Monika and Kajsa pass an older wooden bench and Monika indicates that she wants to sit on the bench. Kajsa and Monika sit on the wooden bench and look out over the sea and the boats at the quay. They sit quietly for several minutes, letting the sun shine on them. A few squawking seagulls fly nearby. A few small birds pick up small pieces of the ice cream cones that have fallen off and landed on the ground. Suddenly, Monika points towards the boats.
"What do you say if Bertil and I were to buy ourselves a boat and sailing around and even sleep in the boat?"
"Hmm, he might like that, but in that case he would have definitely demanded that there be a TV on the boat. It would take a big boat even if there are small TV sets. I know he likes soft beds. Maybe it would be hard to find one like that."
"If you have enough food with you, you can stay in a boat for a week and just sail wherever you want. Of course, Bertil would have had to buy a TV for the boat."
"You're probably right. Well, that would be fun. I haven't been on the lake that much and neither have you."
"But things can change. Bertil and I have already talked about buying a boat and we have found a nice boat. It's not here but I can show you when we drive home."
"Oh well. There you go. I didn't know about that."
"We can have little secrets too. I heard rumors that you write on that mean and racist internet forum, whatever it's called." Monika rolls her eyes and Kajsa knows exactly what she thinks of the internet forum.
"Ah, yes. I commented on some mean posts and I wrote that I thought they should grow up." Kajsa tries to sound neutral when she answers but she is extremely bothered by what they wrote in the post. Monika probably sees through her and knows exactly what she thinks.
"What kind of response did you get then?"
"Some people thought I was a cranky old woman but no one knows who I am because everyone on the forum is anonymous."
"Göran saw the post and realized it was you."
Kajsa looks surprised and starts laughing. Of course Göran realized it was her. Kajsa hadn't even tried to hide who she was because she had used a large part of her name when she chose what to call herself. Göran hangs out on a lot of internet forums and he's smarter than many people think. It's just that he rarely shows it.
Kajsa stops laughing after a short while and it goes quiet again. Both Kajsa and Monika like it when it goes quiet but not for too long. Kajsa feels her body relax and she enjoys the sunshine and spending time with her mother. She's been waiting for this. The steady pulse of the city makes her body tense and she doesn't really enjoy life there. Kajsa enjoys her apartment but she would have liked to live closer to her parents.
Monika makes a humming sound and starts to get up and Kajsa gets up too. Suddenly Monika's face contorts in pain and she moans. Kajsa grabs her mother's hand and feels it quickly become hot and sweaty and she becomes worried.
"How is it, mother?"
"It's that damned back that's bothering me again."
"You need to get that checked out. You don't look well."
"Uh, it'll be okay. We go back to the car."
But Kajsa doesn't think it will be okay. Mom has never shown any pain before, not even when she hit her head on the corner cabinet in the kitchen so that it bled. Mom is a very strong individual who is always positive and if she happens to hurt herself she always jokes it off. That's why Kajsa gets very worried when she sees her mom's tormented face. The fact that mom couldn't eat the whole ice cream is also worrying.
A week later, Monika and Kajsa go to the hospital and a doctor feels Monika's back and takes several tests. Monika keeps saying that Kajsa doesn't need to worry. It's normal to have back pain.
Barely two weeks later, the doctor calls and asks Monika to sit down before he tells her what the test shows. Kajsa is in the kitchen when Monika receives the call and Monika chooses to put her mobile on speaker so that Bertil can also hear what the doctor says. The doctor tells her that Monika has advanced back cancer. Kajsa understood that Monika would soon die
Get up. A car could come and it could cause an even bigger accident
Kajsa's thoughts are interrupted by the voice in her head. That sounded like her mother, but she's dead. Kajsa opens her eyes and looks at the animal's bloody belly and she realizes that part of her head is lying against the animal's belly. Her head feels incredibly heavy and when Kajsa lifts her head, the whole world starts to spin. Kajsa notices that the animal's blood is black instead of red and the blood has run all the way down to Kajsa's feet.
Kajsa forces her body into a sitting position and everything is taking its toll, but she's stubborn. It almost feels like she's about to faint. Her head aches and one side of her face feels swollen and her neck feels swollen. Strangely enough, Kajsa only feels a slight pain in her chest region even though she landed so hard on the ground. Kajsa looks at her legs and notices a strange detail. Kajsa felt the glass in the broken windshield penetrate both legs and cut open a part of the skin, but the part of the leg that had been in the animal's blood is unharmed. Kajsa thinks it's an illusion and wipes the animal's blood from the leg, but she doesn't see any damage to the skin at all. That's impossible, she thinks. The part of the face that had been in the animal's blood also feels unharmed.
Kajsa starts to get up and she notices how unsteady she is but she has to get out a warning triangle to warn other drivers that there has been a car accident. Kajsa knows that Bertil has two warning triangles in the trunk of the car and she slowly makes her way there. Her legs ache but the pain in her head and neck is the worst. Kajsa opens the trunk and finds the two warning triangles and she tries to remember how close to the accident they should be but she also has to think about the braking distance of the cars now that it is slippery. Kajsa remembers that she has her mobile phone in her pocket and she takes it out and Googles how close the warning triangle should be set out and it is 100 meters but preferably 200. Kajsa is surprised that the mobile phone still works considering how hard her body landed on the ground.
Kajsa is thinking about how she can know how far 100 meters is, but then she remembers that there is an app on her phone that shows how many steps have been taken and that it should work, and she opens the app. Kajsa starts walking when the app is open and she can see that it starts counting her steps, but she chooses to show it in meters instead of centimeters. Kajsa chooses to walk 200 meters and places the warning triangle so that it is clearly visible. Actually, she would have liked to walk further, considering the braking distance of the cars, but she simply can't bear it and she goes back to the car. The world is no longer spinning as much, and she is grateful for that.
Kajsa calls the emergency services and asks to speak to Jack, and she is put through to him. Jack answers after a short while and Kajsa tells him what has happened, but she does not mention that she collided with a unicorn. Jack promises to come as soon as possible and that he will send an ambulance so that Kajsa can get to the hospital. Jack thinks she should have called 911 instead. The call ends and Kajsa walks over to the injured animal and when she looks at it she realizes that it is actually a unicorn, even though that should be impossible.
Kajsa looks at the bones that were in the unicorn's blood and she realizes that its blood healed the injuries. Kajsa gets a crazy idea. She has to save the unicorn but she wonders how. Jack might be able to help and put the animal in the vehicle he is using but Kajsa knows that there is only a small space behind the front seat. The unicorn would probably fit better in the back seat of the crashed car. Kajsa walks up to the unicorn and bends down over the animal and approaches its face. The unicorn has very big eyes and when Kajsa looks into them she almost feels like she is drowning in them. Those big eyes are so emotional and kind. The unicorn's horn is very long and Kajsa looks at it fascinated. Monika would have definitely liked this animal.
Kajsa bends down further and takes a firm hold of the unicorn's head and front legs while speaking calmly so as not to scare the animal. The unicorn doesn't seem to react when Kajsa lifts its head and front legs, but she can hear it breathing at regular intervals. Kajsa is surprised when she feels that the unicorn is not very heavy and she changes her grip so that she is holding most of its body and she starts walking towards the car. The unicorn's front and back legs drag on the ground but they are not damaged. Kajsa continues to talk to the unicorn as she approaches the back seat of the car. Kajsa gently pushes the unicorn's body in and makes sure that it is lying on the back seat. When the unicorn is inside the car, Kajsa stands and looks at the animal while thinking about who in the family will take care of it.
Kajsa is tempted to pat the unicorn's head and in the end she can't help it. The unicorn moves its head and its eyes meet Kajsa's and it feels like she's drowning in its eyes again, but she doesn't let go of its gaze, but lets herself be drowned in them. Kajsa becomes hypnotized and she lets it happen. There is a kind of inner peace in those eyes and Kajsa has sought that freedom herself but hasn't found it. In some way, those eyes remind her of her mother, but still doesn't. Kajsa doesn't know how long she stands looking into the unicorn's eyes. It feels like time has stopped.
Kajsa doesn't hear Jack's combined rescue truck and lifter arrive. These cars are new and they can both rescue and load any cars onto an open cargo area. Jack can see Kajsa but she doesn't seem to react when he arrives and he gets worried and goes over to her. Kajsa is standing looking at something in the back seat of the car but he can't see what until he gets closer. Jack calls Kajsa's name and the spell is broken. Kajsa gets scared and starts and backs away from the open car door. Jack walks towards Kajsa.
"Hey! Are you okay? It looks like there was a big crash. Actually, you should lie down because you might go into shock."
"I.. I'm okay except that my head and neck hurt terribly."
"Mmm. I can imagine that. Damn, the front of the car is completely destroyed. But why did you put the hit animal in the back seat?"
"I want Göran to try to save the animal. Its blood healed some of my wounds. It's a unicorn."
"Umm, you're probably shocked. I'll make sure a hunter kills the animal so it doesn't suffer."
"Look at it first."
There's something in Kajsa's gaze that makes Jack walk over to the open back door and stand and look at the animal in the back seat. Jack can see its long horns sticking out from its nose and knows that Kajsa is right. It definitely looks like a unicorn, but Jack can't believe his eyes at first. It's so absurd that a unicorn is lying in the back seat of the car. Kajsa stands next to Jack.
"Its blood healed some of my wounds. We have to help it."
"But I don't know how to help unicorns, and I'm sure Göran doesn't either. He barely can´t take care of himself."
"Listen, I think he would feel good helping this animal. Please."
Jack looks at Kajsa's pleading eyes and accepts her wish. The ambulance arrives and two paramedics get out of the ambulance and approach the crashed car. Kajsa looks at Jack with a worried look.
"Don't let them see the unicorn. They don't need to know it exists."
"Okay, I'll do my best. I don't know how Bertil will react when I come home with a crashed car and a unicorn."
Kajsa walks towards the paramedics while Jack goes to the rescue truck and gets a large blanket to put over the unicorn's body. Kajsa looks the paramedics in the face.
"I was the one who had a car accident."
Kajsa lets herself be led to the ambulance while Jack puts the blanket over the unicorn's body and closes the back door. Jack calls out to Kajsa.
"I'll get to the hospital as soon as I can. I'll just have to transport the car away first."
"Good."
The two paramedics open the back doors of the ambulance and pull out a long stretcher and lead Kajsa to the stretcher.
"You look a little pale. You should probably lie down. Where does it hurt?"
"It hurts most in my head and neck."
"Your neck looks swollen. Do you have any pain in your ribs and chest?"
"Umm no."
Kajsa lies down on the stretcher and one of the paramedics feels Kajsa's chest and stomach and presses against the skin.
"How does it feel when I press here?"
"Nothing special. Just your pressing."
"Hmm okay. Well, it doesn't look like you have any internal bleeding or any serious internal injuries which is good but you still need to be examined at the hospital."
"Of course."
The other paramedic pushes the stretcher into the ambulance and closes the door and Kajsa watches as Jack gets tools so he can lift the car and take it to the tow truck. The ambulance drives away and Kajsa sees the crashed car and Jack's rescue vehicle disappearing further and further away and she closes her eyes. One paramedic is bending over Kajsa and taking her blood pressure. The paramedic calls out to the driver.
"It doesn't seem to be any life-threatening injuries so we'll take the usual route to the hospital."
"That's understood."
Kajsa knows that it takes about 15 minutes to drive to the hospital from the bridge where she crashed and she relaxes and lets the paramedic help her. The paramedic standing over Kajsa clears his throat and she opens his eyes.
"Can you give me your social security number and full name?"
Kajsa gives her full name and social security number and takes out her wallet and her ID. The paramedic sees that the information is correct.
"Have you drunk any alcohol or taken any drugs?"
"No, I was on my way to a party but I wasn't going to drink any alcohol because I was going to drive home after the party. I borrowed my dad's car. I've never used any drugs."
"Okay, do you have any allergies?"
"I'm allergic to nuts."
"Do you have any relatives we can call."
"Yes, dad and my two brothers. It was my brother who came with the rescue truck so he will tell dad."
"Do you know if you fainted after the accident?"
"I have no idea."
Kajsa thinks she recognizes the paramedic and she searches her memory. It couldn't have been when she seriously injured her meniscus and had to go in the ambulance. There were two male nurses in that ambulance. It wasn't when she had a bowel obstruction and had to go in the ambulance. One of the paramedics was female but she was older than this woman. Kajsa continues to look at the paramedic and suddenly she knows when she met her.
It was when Monika collapsed in the kitchen of the family's villa and couldn't get up. It happened almost 5 months ago. The three paramedics picked Monika up and drove her to the hospital and she never came back to her villa. Bertil, Kajsa and Jack followed the ambulance because they couldn't fit in the ambulance. Göran wasn't home when it happened.
Monika couldn't get up after the incident and ended up first in a wheelchair and later bedridden because she couldn't move anymore. Kajsa visited Monika as often as she could.
Kajsa doesn't tell the paramedic that she recognizes her. She has probably forgotten about Monika. Kajsa doesn't want to talk about Monika because it hurts her inside every time. The psychological wounds inside haven't healed yet. Kajsa has nothing to say and chooses to remain silent.
The female paramedic suddenly becomes quick and pulls out two clothespin-like things that she puts on two of Kajsa's fingers while muttering quietly; I forgot to check that. There is a bleeping sound just behind Kajsa's head and she wonders what that sound is and turns her head. The female paramedic calms Kajsa down.
"It's just a monitor making a sound. Now we'll see." The paramedic looks at the monitor and gets a serious look.
"Hmm, that doesn't look so good. Your pulse is high but your blood isn't oxygenated properly. We'll be at the hosp
ital soon. A doctor will have to look at that."
Kajsa looks out through the back doors of the ambulance and even though she has driven this way often when she visited her mother when she was in the hospital, she doesn't recognize herself and is confused. Kajsa hopes the driver knows where he's going.
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unicorn
Size 50 x 50px
File Size 17.8 kB
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