When I was 16 years old, my cousin Karl and I shared a passion for riding bullet bikes. He drove a beautiful Kawasaki, and I had a Honda. I looked up to him in many ways, and loved him because he was always there for me. One beautiful, clear night, he wanted to go riding. I agreed as long as we could stop for coffee on the way out. He said he would take me to a coffee house I had never been to before. Since I loved coffee even more than riding, we got geared up and headed out on the road.

About ten miles later, we stopped at a three-way intersection. We had a rule not to ride on roads that were unfamiliar to us, and I had no idea where we were. I looked at him for reassurance that he knew where we were. He gave me a smile and pointed down a winding road that looked like there was a small town at the end of it. I guessed it had to be close, so I agreed to drive further.

Before the light could turn, however, I had the strangest experience. I saw a flash of light and began to feel a sense of pressure at the back of my eyes. My entire body felt cold with chills. At that moment, I saw a premonition, and I knew it was a warning. When I closed my eyes to clear my head, it felt like I fell more deeply into this vision: I saw the road, some gravel, and I felt like something was wrong. Then I saw my cousin's helmet on the road, cracked and bloody.

I snapped out of the dream when I heard my cousin call my name. The light was green now, and he began to drive. He sped up to 55 mph, and the speed limit was 45. That's when it hit me that the wrenching feeling I was having was a dire warning. I sped up after him, calling his name. I didn't know why I was doing this, but everything told me to. He looked back at me for just a second, and as he did, I saw the patch of gravel at the far bend of the road. He slid on the few rocks before him and wiped out. I did the same and ended up a few feet away. My eyes found him through the pain my body felt.

His helmet was still on and I could see he was breathing. I found my cell phone in my pocket and called 9-11. The ambulence arrived and we made it to the hospital. He had some broken bones and internal bleeding from the accident, but it looked like he was going to be okay. We even laughed together for a few minutes before I went home for the night.

Before I awoke the next morning, I had a dream about him. He was sitting on his bike and waving at me, then he drove away into a bright light. I woke to the phone ringing. It was my mom calling to tell me that my cousin had died. Strangely, I didn't cry, and I know it was because he'd said goodbye to me.

My premonition may not have been able to save his life, but I do feel it enabled me to have a last moment with him before it was his time to go, and I'll be forever grateful for that. I love you, Karl. Rest in peace.