A Midsummer Night's Nightmare (graphic)

You're in a car on a balmy summer's eve. The soft wind wafts across your pretty face and ruffles your hair. After the drinks you had on the beach, you feel as though you don't have a care in the world. Your career is really looking bright because you've managed to get close to some very powerful men (perhaps too close, but you're young and a little impetuous).

Suddenly, there's a loud crash ... no wait! That's water and it rushes in around you. It's so cold and so dark and you think "my God, this can't be happening to me." You feel the water rising quickly and as you desperately look around you realize that it's not just dark. It's pitch black and you can't see anything. The only thing you can hear is the water rushing around you. You scream out in abject terror, hoping that the sound will help the man you were with find you in the dark and rescue you. Your screams go unanswered and you realize there is just the dark, the cold water and you. The man you were with must be dead and you are trapped in this hell alone.

You have your whole life ahead of you and you are determined to live. You force yourself to think about how to survive. As the car fills with water, you scramble over the seats and follow the air, keeping your head above water as best you can. Sometimes you choke on the salty water but you manage to stay above it ... to stay alive!

It's been some time now ... seems like forever. You're not sure how long because after your desperate struggle to hang on to life, time has lost all meaning. It seems like you've been in this dark, freezing nightmare forever and you just pray that soon someone will find you and help you. You think "I can't die like this ... not now! Not so young."

All the movement has stopped now and the only sound you hear is the water rippling against your ears as you gasp for what little air is left in this tiny bubble of life. Soon, you're not really cold anymore and the terror has finally ceased. Things will be alright. You're very tired and you just need to close your eyes and sleep. With a little rest, you know you'll be able to think of something. Your head slips gently below the water and your last thoughts will remain with you forever.

You never knew that your companion got to safety almost immediately. He never told anyone about the tomb you were in until the next day. It is estimated that the air bubble you were in had enough oxygen to last for about five hours. It has been reported that there was no water in your lungs. I'm sure you are in heaven now. You paid your penance for any small sins you committed before you died.

Can one moment in time define a man's life? I think yes.