Shattered Illusions Love Lies and Redemption (Lizetta and Remington) novel Chapter 1046

The violent impact of the crash knocked Lizetta out cold. When she finally regained a sliver of consciousness, the cabin was echoing with Remington's hoarse, desperate screams. He was calling her name over and over again, begging her to wake up. His broken, fractured voice pleaded for a response, laced with a raw terror she had never heard from him before. Lizetta bit her tongue hard, the sharp pain forcing her mind to clear. "Remi..." she whispered, but her voice was impossibly weak. She had no idea where the phone had landed. The connection died completely. Lizetta looked around. Water surrounded her on all sides. The cabin was rapidly flooding, and the rushing sound of the rising water, combined with her own ragged breathing, made it feel like the rest of the world had been completely cut off. She unbuckled her seatbelt and hit the unlock button, but the doors wouldn't budge. She tried to roll down the windows, only to discover that the car's entire electrical system was dead. Frowning, she scrambled to find a safety hammer, but it was obvious that whoever orchestrated this didn't intend to leave her a single chance of survival. The water had already submerged more than half the cabin. Lizetta frantically pulled out the headrest, trying to use the metal prongs to smash the glass. She tried every possible method to escape, but nothing worked. The water poured in too fast. She swallowed several mouthfuls of the murky lake water, her strength rapidly draining. Waiting until the cabin was completely full to equalize the pressure, she braced herself and shoved against the door with everything she had. Once again, she failed. The doors were jammed shut. With her last breath of air depleted, the car began sinking rapidly. Completely submerged, the lack of oxygen caused her vision to go black and blurry. Her lungs burned as if they were about to explode. She thought, I guess I won't get to wait for Remington after all. Her eyelids grew impossibly heavy. Just as her consciousness was about to slip into the endless void, she thought she saw it. Through the window, a familiar figure broke through the water, swimming toward her at incredible speed. She thought she could see the frantic terror on the man's handsome face. She wanted to look closer, to make sure it wasn't just a dying hallucination, but she couldn't. Lizetta felt as though she were sinking to the very bottom of the darkest ocean, entirely cut off from the light. Then, it felt like she had been walking for an eternity, her body impossibly heavy. Just as she was about to give up, she saw a glimmer of light and heard a sweet voice calling out. "Mommy, Mommy, I'm over here! Come catch me!" At the end of the light, a tiny silhouette bounced happily. Lizetta struggled forward, a sudden surge of strength allowing her to sprint toward the glow until she broke through the blinding light. But when she looked around, little Joy was nowhere to be seen. "Joy! Joy, where are you? Don't leave Mommy behind!" Lizetta waved her arms frantically, trying to clear the thick fog surrounding her. Suddenly, the small figure appeared behind her, pushing her forward with surprising force. "Mommy, you're so silly. How could you get lost? Daddy is worried sick. Go to him, Mommy." "Joy!" Lizetta wanted to turn around and look at her baby. She hadn't even gotten a good look at her yet. But an invisible force pulled her violently away. By the time she managed to look back, little Joy's silhouette had been completely swallowed by the dense fog. "Joy!" "Lizetta, wake up!" Her anguished cry synced perfectly with Remington's panicked shout. The hand she had been waving wildly in her nightmare was now gripped tightly in a large, warm palm. Lizetta's eyes snapped open, fully awake. And the very first thing she saw was Remington.