So I started this state job and began having a scary recurring dream.
In the dream, I was in the passenger seat of a truck. The driver was shadow, the road and surrounding area was shadow. Every night I had this dream I would try to figure out where I was but would get distracted by this eerie, distant glow... Then I would finally have the ability to look away and when I did, we crashed. Always woke up right on impact.
This dream made me nervous at work because we only drove around in trucks. Most of the time there were 4 of us in the truck, but when my boss had to drive me some place alone I would get really scared.
Through that job, I reconnected with an old friend from high school. He was taking care of his father and needed help keeping up with their house. He offered to pay me to clean and I accepted. I didn't have a drivers license then, so he had to drive me there and back... In his truck.
One night, he asked if I would mind going to Wal-Mart with him to help him pick out Christmas presents for his niece and nephew. I agreed and we went. Got the gifts fairly quickly and started heading back to his place.
We took a back road instead of the main road. He was going about 70mph and it was late so it was dark out. One of the presents fell off the back seat when we went through a curvy section of road and he asked if I could reach back and secure it.
I unbuckled, put the present back up on the seat, and turned back to face forward. As I was turning, over the hillside was a big bright flame from one of the local gas wells. I said to him, "Damn, I wonder how people sleep with that bright ass light coming through their windows." He turned and looked at the light for a second and said, "I have no clue."
He turned his head back to the road before I did, suddenly he shouts, "WHAT..." I turn my head and see the back of a manure spreader, "THE FU...."
I don't remember the impact. I instantly blacked out. Broke my hand on the dash, broke 4 ribs, broke my sternum in half, went through the windshield, hit the crumpled hood of the truck and bounced back into the truck.
The shit spreader had no lights or reflectors on the back. We were the fourth car to do this on that particular road. The farm had been told MANY MANY times they can't drive something with no lights on that road at night. Got a small settlement in the end.
My sternum never healed properly, still get random chest pains from it being out of whack. I have slight issues with memory now. Also wound up with a permanent bump/knot on my forehead from hitting the windshield and then the hood. You can sort of see it in this picture. I try to avoid taking pictures that show it because I think it's really ugly.
So kids, take it from me, KEEP YOUR SEAT BELT ON!!!