Retracing my Steps - The Green Light

'Thump', I recall shuddering to that sickening sound of body meeting pavement, bones cracking under the pressure of tire. I jerk the wheel and pull over on the side of the road. I push open the door and climb out to see the damage that was done. My hands turn clammy at the sight of a bloody man. His eyes were open, but he wasn't breathing. The man was dead. My breathing grows heavier as I place two hands behind my head.

Tears of shock and pain come to my eyes, "Oh my god, oh my god!" I should've been paying attention. Not a single soul was out at this late an hour. I check my watch to see it's a little past 3 in the morning. Where did he come from? I cautiously approach the body and examine the wounds. The wet blood pooling around a hole in his shirt indicated a bullet struck him. This man was already dying far before I hit him with the car. I was scared that wouldn't hold up in court. I glance up at the green light that hasn't changed since I ran over the man.

I try to focus on a plan, but my surroundings blur around me. It must have been the drinks at the party. I shouldn't even have been behind the wheel. The next thing I know, a surge of nausea overtakes me, and I run to the nearest garbage can to throw up. I stumble backward and fall, hitting my head against the sidewalk. My eyes caught one more glimpse of the glimmering green traffic light above me until I was out cold.

* * *

I woke up in the passenger seat of a green Chevy truck. My best friend was driving in the front seat. He pulls into the parking lot of the next bar we were going to get buzzed in.

"Are you ready, bud?" He asks, giving me a wink. "If you're lucky, Wonda will be there! Then you can forget all about how your ex broke your heart."

"I don't know," I hesitate.

Our conversation is interrupted when a loud, 'BANG! BANG!' goes off in the distance. My heart escalates as the intrusion of memories flood. "That's the gunshot!" I shout, gripping my best friend's arm. Brett glances over to see where the noise came from, raising his eyes when he saw an old beat up car zipping down the road. 'BANG! BANG!' Brett chuckles and pats my shoulder, while slowly releasing my death grip on his sleeve.

"Calm down, Jake! It's just a noisy old car speeding down the road. Nobody's shooting anyone,"

He is stunned when I react angrily to his reassurance. "Brett, you may not believe me, but I saw a dead man on the road. He was shot, and I ran him over. I don't want to go to prison."

"Whoa, whoa!" Brett announces, waving his hands out. "Who said anything about prison? You're sure you only had two beers, and nothing else,"

"It's not the beer, I swear," I say.

Brett opens the door and steps out. "Come on, let's go in! Wonda and I are gonna get you to relax! You've been overworking yourself for the last three weeks!"

My hand grazes the handle of the passenger door. I was already here. Did I go back in time? I rub my forehead when a headache hits. I'm so confused and disorientated. I pass out on the chair and I hear Brett calling my name, shaking my arm. "Jake! JAKE! Wake up buddy! We're worried sick!"

~ ~ ~

My eyes open and I panic to see Brett kneeling over me. Wonda is by his side. I feel self-conscious, smelling the booze and vomit running down my tattered red shirt. I see the sun rising in the distance. The pink hue in the sky and the damp atmosphere gives me an inkling there'll be a storm later. I go to sit up, but Brett holds me down.

"Jake, relax and lie down! The medics said you hit your head pretty hard. They want to make sure your injuries aren't any worse,"

"I felt like I was dying," I mutter in a raspy voice.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Wonda asks with worry.

"No, no I'm not okay. I ran over that man. He was shot!" I blurt out.

Brett and Wonda look around with confusion. "What man? You're the only body we saw lying on the ground. And thank god you weren't shot!" Brett replies.

I jerk my head over, and grit my teeth when I feel a sharp pain on the back of my head. My eyes blur over the scene of the crime that seemed like a nightmare or a ghost. They were right. There was no body where my car had caused the thump.

"My car hit a body. I swear to you guys! You have to believe me!" I start shouting.

It takes both Brett and Wonda to hold me down. Medics rush over to restrain me as well. "Jake!" Wonda cries. "Please don't make this worse for yourself. You were already drinking a lot last night, and you were behind the wheel. It's clear some damage was done to your car. You veered off to the side of the road."

"I know!" I groan. "But a murder was committed here last night. I wasn't too drunk to remember seeing a bullet wound."

Brett sighs. I look over at him. "You have to believe me, Brett! We've been friends since high-school. You know I wouldn't make something like this up."

"We can talk about this later! When you're treated." Brett states.

I close my eyes as I'm strapped to a backboard and they are carrying me toward an ambulance. The sight of a lifeless man with blood leaking out of his body was cemented in my mind. There was a murder committed on this street last night, and I was going to prove it.

I open my eyes and memories resurface when I see the hanging green traffic light swaying in the gentle breeze. It changes to yellow, and then red. I chuckle to myself as I close my eyes. So the green light finally changed.