Alone in the Street

I have been walking for an hour. It's late and it's cold. I turn the corner and I know that in ten minutes I'll be home and warm in my bed.

As usual I am alone in the night. The cold has taken hold of my legs, and now it is starting to chew at my ears and cheeks. It's late, but I am still thinking of taking a warm shower before bed. I'll probably just crash, but the idea is nice.

I hear a car engine behind me. From the roar of the engine I can tell it's moving fast. Probably too fast. The humidity from the river makes the road icy in this spot. The engine roar closes in behind me, they will be passing me in a few moments.

Then panic strikes me. The engine sound is much to close. I spin around and stare directly into two headlights. I know that I am going to die.

Going to fast, the driver has lost control of the car and is now cutting across the street. If I should somehow survive the impact, the momentum of the car will crush me against the wall behind me.

They say your life flashes before your eyes the moment you die, but there is no time. Instantly I know that my life will end, but I am not scared. As every muscle locks up; I am filled with intense disappointment. I am dying tonight, alone in the street, just barely turned twenty. My life does not flash before me, instead I get a split second to look into the future that I have lost.

If I could move, I could still not get out of the way in time. All I can do is stand and wait for death. That is when the miracle happens.

The car is less than a foot away from hitting me when I see the tail end sliding sideways and sends the car into a spin. Just as I expect the impact, the headlights are jerked away as the car spins out and continues spinning down the road like a toy.

After spinning for 300 feet the car comes to a stop. As chance will have it he ends up directly facing me. Less than a second ago the car was inches from my legs, now we are separated by what seems like a mile. I can not move, the driver can not move. For several minutes the world stops completely. It is just me and the driver; staring at each other.

Finally the car slips into gear and slowly drives off. I should be angry, or happy, or something. But I feel absolutely nothing. The shock of what has just happened leaves room for nothing else. My heart is still racing, but the adrenaline is slowly letting my muscles start to shake again. I take a step and fall down. I should be dead, but I am still alive.