Eric

My Short Story

It was dusk on the hilly road called roller coaster road, where my house is located. My
friend Eric and his girlfriend Tori came to visit. After we said our goodbyes they took off
with our other friend Trevor. Not a minute later Trevor was pounding on my door. I
noticed right away the intensity of his knock. He was screaming when I opened the door,
I could hardly make out what he was saying, but I could make out accident, Eric, and
bad. I didn’t ask any questions, right away I ran to my car and flew out of my driveway.

I slowed down over the first big knoll only to see Eric’s truck smashed from hitting a
haybine. His girlfriend was already out of the truck and was screaming at me to do
something. I drowned out everything she was saying, I just ran past her and looked for
Eric. He wasn’t out of the truck and I didn’t hear him yelling or making any noise at all.
Eric was in his truck silent. I jumped on top of the truck and pulled and pulled at the bent
metal to get my friend out of the heap of smashed glass and metal. I had no luck, even
with my adrenalin pumping I wasn’t superman.

I jumped down and tried talking to him. I was frantic, I didn’t know whether to scream at
him, stay calm, or cry. I stayed calm with a little intensity in my voice. I asked him to
answer a few questions, the first was are you ok? He mumbled with gurgling in his throat.
I couldn’t make out what he said. I asked him to say my name. He tried still gurgling and
mumbled. At least he was conscious I thought to myself. Yet I knew from working years
as a certified nursing assistant, that his lung was punctured from the gurgling in his hard,
squeaking breathing. He then tried to move the front seat as he was smashed in the back.
I told him to hold still, I could hear the ambulance on its way.
The team came in and cut Eric out with the jaws of life. I walked next to him as he was
wheeled up the hill to the ambulance. They put him in and drove him to the hospital. I
noticed Trevor at the top of the hill, still in shock not knowing what to do, Tori was being
put into the second ambulance that arrived. I jumped in my car and told Trevor to get in
and not ask me any questions , I followed as fast as I could.

When I arrived at the hospital I called some of his friends. I wasn’t sure if he would be
med flighted or stay at our hospital. When the med flight arrived I didn’t know why it
wasn’t leaving. An hour passed and it still didn’t leave. I then knew it was bad. A body
has to be stabilized before they med flight it.

Not a minute later I heard the terrifying scream of Eric’s mother Linda. It was the worst
sound that I have ever heard. I dropped my head, I didn’t want to believe it. The nurse
came out to talk to us. She told us Tori had miner cuts and bruises. Then paused, we all
held hands. She then told us Eric didn’t make it. They worked on him for an hour but he
had a punctured heart and lung. I dropped to my knees, I couldn’t cry I didn’t believe it. I
wanted to tell her she was a liar, I wanted to yell at her and tell her not to joke like that.

I couldn’t think of not calling him, not camping, not watching movies with late night Mc
Donald’s runs. I couldn’t believe we would never have another conversation. I
immediately called his phone. Just to hear his voice. He couldn’t be gone, its Eric. My
full of life, never resting, never giving up friend, had to give up.

Eric’s close friends and family lingered around the hospital still not feeling this was real.
I still hadn’t shed a tear. We all went to a friend’s house to be together. When I woke up
the next morning I was frantic. I cried from that point to the time of his wake, I cried
when I hugged his Mom and Dad and they thanked me for staying by his side so he
wasn’t alone, and cried when I watched the picture video of us. I cried myself to sleep
again and awoke not crying. I don’t think I had any tears left in me.

Eric’s close friends and I went to the funeral, ate in the church basement, and went to a
cabin our friend has. We spent the night on a boat talking and telling stories about all our
great times with Eric. After this event its hard to believe there is a God that would take
away a fantastic, friendly 22 year old, but the most amazing things have happened to
make me truly believe he is happy somewhere out there.


His family and our closest friends sat by his tree stand. Eric loved hunting. Out in this

mowed out area in the woods flew so many lightning bugs you couldn’t move with out

hitting a hundred of them. I have never seen anything like it. It just brought us a sense of

peace and relaxation. His family members would have the same dreams at night and tell

us about them. I had a dream he was holding my hand as I slept in bed and awoke feeling

my hand being held. A teacher we had in high school was on a camping trip where a

psychic approached her. She had never met this woman nor was she from our home town

to know any of us. She wanted to tell our teacher there was a young man hugging her

around the neck and kissing her on the check with one of the biggest smiles she had ever

seen. Anyone who knew Eric would know that’s him. His smile could immediately

brighten up your worst day.


Going from hating my previous faith in God to regaining it, at this point I really began to

believe he was in a better place, where he could hunt and fish everyday, and never have

to sleep. Not a day goes by I don’t think about Eric. I just remember what he taught me

from his life. Carpe Diem (seize the day). I will never lose that piece of him he left with

me.

Missing Home

Don't get me wrong I love La Crosse. Yet there is just somthing about being home on the farm with my horses and fourweelers. You can't go wrong with country air, and crisp fresh nights. The biggest thing I miss during the school weeks are the stars. Once in a while you can see some good starts here in La Crosse. Yet in Richland Center, without the big city lights and horns and hundreds of cars, you can see the brightest and dimmest stars. You can lay outside in the peace and quiet, relax and think without any interuptions.

After a busy week or two with all of my classes and homework and tests. I need to relax. I miss being home.

My Androgynous Man

What I gathered from the story is the androgynous man would be a man that almost every woman in our society desires. Has a taste for the same interests as you do. For example; a man who would take you to a ballet and enjoy it with you, not nessesarily because he enjoys it but becuase he knows you deeply enjoy it. A man that would be a tremendous father and husband. That would always put his family first. Brfore football, hunting or drinking with the guys. A man who knows how to go shopping for his whole family and enjoys doing things to help his wife. Not expect her to do the typical "woman" duties in their home. A man who believes he and his wife are equals, and share equal responsibilities in their home. Who does extra so his sweetheart can relax. Instead of a man who needs to be waited on, and acts like you're his mother. My adrogynous man would be a man who pampers his wife and enjoys doing that to the fullest.