Times I've died, I've been sure of it, under water for too many minutes, rescuers peered in to see if survival was on my side, if anyone could be under water for so long. And I would be dead, if it were not for first submersion, then a resurfacing of my car and a bubble rising giving me breath, for just a while, until the rescuers showed up: a bubble where there should have been none, after I'd concluded that my time had come, and no longer able to hold my breath. I cursed that I would die an undignified death with, gasoline, in a slurry, with twigs in my mouth, and could not even cry out. 

In that instant I breathed in and that bubble came up to rescue me and although I can not remember that moment; that this bubble gave me new life, a chance, a new beginning. I took a breath sure that my lungs were going to fill with water. The I heard one of my rescuers saying:

"Can you get out?"

I didn't know. Broken glass was all over me, my seat belt held me in my seat, there was blood every where, and I moved slightly to try and feel if there were broken bones.

"Can you hear me?" My questioner insisted.

I could hear him but could not see him, didn't know if I could move, then I noticed the water in the car was moving up my chest.

My bubble is going away; I would be back underwater. It looked like I would have to get out soon, or drown.

Chapter Two

I decided I had to get out glancing at my side window. No way out there but first I had to get my seat belt off. I moved around trying to free my self, then deciding that the side window was not possible, yet the front window, now shattered with glass chards surrounding it, was my best way out.
I shimmyed a little feeling the glass all around me cutting into my skin, indeed I felt bits of it in my eyes and my ears.

The voice outside became more insistant, seeing the water rise as I did. I pushed forward feeling my body slide over the broken glass as I shought to free myself, feeling the glass cutting into my body, into my sides.

Halfway out, [I don't know how I managed this,] when I felt two hands pulling at me helping me out of the front window. He was on a surf board out side my window, having paddled over to me, talking to me, encourging me get out of that car, seeing that I and the car were sinking, that time was short and that I would be sinking out of his grasp quickly.

Breathing heavily, I felt myself with his help, slipping out of the car and he put me on his paddle board, pushing the board with me on it, toward the shore.
I was out, bloody but out.
It was dark but I could see who else was there with him. three people. Once on shore, they examined me trying to access my injuries and I heard a bubbling sound, glancing over to see the car sinking out of sight below the water.  
It could have been me inside gasping my last breath.

On shore, one rescuer said: "Do you know who is the President of the United States?" I nodded, yes I did.
"Tell me," he said.
" Robert Kennedy," I said.
"What time is it now," he said.
"After ten," I responded.
My sense of the absurd surfaced: "If you two don't know the answers to these questions, I may have to request better rescurers."

They laughed.
One said: "Someone saw him go in and gave us a call. Not a minute too soon."
A bright light suddenly loomed over all of us, immuminating the three of us and others on the shore. The muddly water in the scurry glowed. There was a helicopter looking to land on the freeway, it was to take me to the hospital. My first thought was my blood was everywhere, and it would surely mess up their heliocopter.
Secondly it hurt, hurt a lot to move and I grimmaced and put my hand out as they attempted to move me. 
"Wait, I said, "give me a minute."

They paused, one saying "Take your time, but time is short, we have to get you to ER."
The slow trek to the helicopter, with me on the stretcher-board, took a long time, felt like cursing and crying. The pain was getting worse.
Lifting me first onto the shore, then accross the highway and the slow lift onto the helicopter took a long time, and settling into the bunk there the loud whirr of the copter blades, hurt my ears, and my stomach turned as I realized we were air borne.

To Be Continued.