‘Too Fast’ by Douglas Maxwell

Ali has been killed in a car crash and has ended up in heaven, a heaven that is the
garden from ‘In the Night-Garden’. She is here talking to her friend who was in the
car with her and who has survived, Jake. They weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend but
they quite fancy each other and have probably kissed.

ALI Nah. You’re not going to kill yourself or something. I’m asking you not to. It
wasn’t your fault man. I was driving, the other guy was overtaking in a crazy place...
Something will happen. Something good. Just wait.
You’re not a bad guy. I’m not into bad guys. I liked you ‘cos you were funny in
Physics and you were sweet to my little brother and your jeans look great. You’re not
bad. And anyway there’s no rule, I don’t think, everyone can change. If you want it
bad enough.

And if that sounds like it’s from Hollyoaks then its because it is from Hollyoaks! Oh
my god! That’s something else I like about you, you’re totally into Hollyoaks even
though it’s desperate and sad.
There’s another world right underneath. Like a vibration or something. Hey, see
when the car flipped? Did time kind of...totally slow down? Well, that’s what it’s like.
It’s only when you get things at real-time speed – at this speed – that you realise
everything’s been going too fast. Too fast to see. I think we knew it was there, felt it
was there, this other world, but we just couldn’t see it. It was zooming by – right
In front of our nose. Even photographs are travelling at the speed of light Jake, so
what chance do we have? You can feel it though, like a vibration, but you can’t see it.
You can’t see anything except the vapour trails of stuff that’s long gone. Well, when
the car flipped we got to see the world as it really is. Didn’t we? And where I am now
I see it all the time. And it’s simple and it’s beautiful and...yeah, I’m fine. And I’m
there under everything, inside everything. I’m not gone, Jake. You’re just moving too
fast to see me.

Mate, you’re going to leave me now.

Because it’s time to go.