Street Lights

A night of fun ends when you get lost inside your head after making a few dumb choices.

The car engine hums a dull rate of acceleration while the passengers remain silent keeping their thoughts to themselves. With no other cars along this seemingly endless stretch of road looking up at the street lamps overhead seems to be the only way to see the road ahead. Each fleeting flash of dull yellow and white light dimly shining on a small island forming the visible surroundings. Each moment flying past with the speed of the car induces a hypnotic rhythm. Street light to darkness streetlight to darkness over and over. Music plays softly, the song seems to be familiar yet I do not know the words. Like a forgotten memory that you think you once knew, the songs name seems to elude me.

The music brings back memories of the party that we were just at. My neck and body are still sore from dancing like an idiot. What happened at the party comes back to me with each new flash of light from a street light. Images of smiling faces and laughter pass behind my eyes. One to many shots and a few games of beer pong, followed by a trip to the living room to where the music is pounding to the beat inside my skull. A beautiful girl I didn’t talk to because I lacked the courage. Then stumbling out of the party to the car were I waited for the designated driver and a few friends. A few shouts and bouts of laughter signal the arrival of my friends.

Whispers and the jangling of keys followed by the click of the doors unlocking. I fall into the back seat while my two friends question the designated driver if he is sober enough. The dark night sky stops moving and I look up towards the street light. That’s funny I don’t remember the moon being so close to the street light. It looks like the Cheshire Cats’ smile hanging there with the pitch black night sky as the back drop. The street light flickered on above me humming with electricity as the light flashes yellow light bright for a moment then dimmed. It’s been a while since I heard any music or noise other than the street lights hum much less any noise coming from the car. I must be asleep since obviously this is a dream. Why else would I not be able to hear any noise. Wait what was that. Did someone just call my name? Ok maybe I should just close my eyes and wake up just like I usually do when I am stuck in a dream like this. Have I ever been stuck in a dream like this? Okay, okay just stay calm and relax. Focus on breathing and try to wake up. Closing my eyes I feel my lungs rise with each breath. Inhale, exhale, and repeat while focusing on waking up.

When I open my eyes again I haven’t seemed to move. I am laying underneath the street light with my view fixed up towards the night sky. I can’t seem to move but this all seems a little different. I try to look down towards my feet and I see my clothes have been traded for a light blue gown. When did I…

The street lights begin to move on their own. The scene moves by as if I was still in a car. The rhythm of light and dark repeats again. I exit the light of one street light to enter the darkness then a flash of dull yellow covers me again. I look up to the street lights and they begin to change shape. They become longer and the humming turns to a dull buzz crackling along as the lights pass by one after another. I can’t seem to remember how long I have been here for. Just why am I laying down? What happened to the car and everyone inside it? Did I do something wrong? I begin to look around and see the dark night sky has been replaced by white ceiling overhead. I try to move my neck and body but I seem to be unable to lift even a finger. What happened?

Please tell me everything is all right! Why can’t I f*****g move? Why is my voice not working either? Okay, okay slow down. I am calm I am calm. Who am I kidding no I’m not and now I can barely breathe. What’s in the hell is going on. I…

Can’t…

Breathe…

Wait what is the light doing? Is it pulsing? Why is it turning red? Oh god please just close your eyes and focus on breathing d****t! Work you stupid lungs! A course of electricity rushes through my body causing me to cough and wheeze. Fluid rushes out of my lungs and out my throat. Blood splatters across my lips and onto the gurney. Wait how do I know it’s a gurney? I can actually hear again. The wheels of the gurney roll along while voices chatter around me while I have no memories of how I got here.

Everything goes black again.

I wake up to the sound of a heart monitor beeping. I look around the dimly light room to see a mess of cables attached to my body. The memories flood into my barely conscious mind with a tidal wave of grief. I relive the car crash with each moment that I remember stretching on for almost an eternity. The driver made a left turn into on-coming traffic as a speeding car plowed into the left side of the vehicle. The car rolled over to many times to count into a ditch but I was thrown from the car before it rolled into the ditch. We must have been going so f*****g fast.

I somehow ended up underneath a street light, did I crawl to it? I remember a few people running to where I was asking if I was ok. I don’t remember the police or ambulance showing up but soon I was in the hospital still delirious from the crash and under the influence of alcohol. I don’t know if anyone else made it. My life as I know it ended last night all because I wanted to have a good time with my friends. What kind of a sick joke is this?       

Author's Note

Ignore grammar problems, plot holes, and run on sentences. Still self editing the story so there are definitely going to be a few issues since it is still a work in progress.