Suddenly, there was an earthquake. I felt everything shaking, including myself. Instinctively, I raised my hands to cover my head, trying to shield myself from whatever was happening.
Sir…
Sir…
A voice echoed in the distance, pulling me back from the depths of my thoughts. My vision slowly adjusted as I blinked, realizing that I was still inside the car. The lingering weight of the past clung to me, making it hard to distinguish between memory and reality.
I took a deep breath and looked forward, expecting to see Max in the driver's seat, but he wasn't there. Confused, I turned my head, and that's when I saw him, standing outside the car, looking at me with concern.
"Sir, are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine worry.
I could see the faint reflection of my face in the car window, eyes heavy, lost in thought. I exhaled slowly, realizing I must have been stuck in my own mind longer than I thought.
I wiped my face with both hands, trying to shake off the lingering haze of my thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Max, who was standing there with a tense expression.
"Yes… Yes, Max. What happened? Why did you stop?" I asked, my voice still carrying the remnants of the memories I had just relived.
Max exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. He seemed frustrated, his brows furrowed as he gestured toward the front of the car. I noticed something strange, the way people were gathered around, murmuring to each other, their eyes shifting between our vehicle and something ahead.
"Sir," Max said, his voice edged with frustration. "A guy just hit our car. He wasn't paying attention, didn't see the indicator, and crashed into us." He huffed, his hands tightening into fists. "Sir, it's completely his fault. I had nothing to do with it. Please, come out and see for yourself."
I glanced past him and saw more people forming a circle, some shaking their heads, others pointing. I sighed, feeling the weight of reality settling back in. Whatever had happened, I had no choice but to step out and face it.
As I stepped out of the car, my eyes immediately went to the damage. The crash wasn't too bad, just a dent on the front side. Nothing serious. But even as I examined it, my mind was somewhere else. I had only one thought, I needed to get home as fast as possible.
Before I could say anything, a man hurried towards me. He looked worried, almost panicked. His hands were trembling slightly as he clasped them together in a pleading gesture.
"Sir, please… I'm really sorry!" he said, his voice shaky. "I-I didn't see your car. It was my fault. I wasn't paying attention. Please, just… don't call the police! I don't have insurance, and if this goes on record, I'll be ruined!"
Max scoffed beside me, crossing his arms tightly. His frustration was clear on his face. "Ruined?" he repeated mockingly. "You think that's an excuse? You crashed into a luxury car like this, and now you're acting like a victim?"
The guy flinched at Max's words, looking at me desperately. "Sir, please… I have a family. If I have to pay for this, It will cost me two months' salary ."
Max took a step forward, his anger boiling over. "That's not our problem! You should've been careful! People like you just get away with things because others are too soft on you!"
I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my temple. I didn't have time for this. There were more important things waiting for me at home.
"Max," I said, my voice firm but calm. "Let it go."
Max turned to me, his eyes widening. "Sir, what?"
"We don't have time for this," I interrupted. "Just let it go. The car's fine. We need to get home now."
The man looked like he could cry from relief. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much! I promise I'll be more careful!"
I gave him a small nod before turning back toward the car. Max muttered something under his breath but didn't argue further. He gave the man one last glare before following me.
As we both got back into the car, Max exhaled sharply, gripping the steering wheel. "I still think you should've let me handle it properly."
I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes for a moment. "Maybe," I said. "But not today."
Max said nothing after that. He simply started the car and drove off.
As I sat there, my mind should have been focused on getting home. That was the priority. But for some reason, my thoughts drifted, no, they were pulled, back to that one incident from years ago. It came rushing back like a flood, forcing its way into my head as if I had no control over it.
Why now?
Why, after all these years, was I rethinking it?
I clenched my fists slightly, staring blankly out the window as the car moved through the city. No matter how much I tried to shake it off, that memory refused to fade. It felt as if my past was clawing its way back into my present, demanding to be acknowledged. But it was out of control and I went back again.
-
After saying those words, the kid didn't wait for a response, he just turned and ran, disappearing into the darkness outside. My breath hitched. My heart pounded so loudly that I could barely hear anything else. My hands gripped the window frame as I stood there, frozen.
*Run for your life…*
The words echoed in my head, refusing to leave. My instincts screamed at me to jump out of the window and follow that kid. But before I could move, I heard a voice.
It was Carlos.
His voice was muffled at first, like a distant echo. I could tell he was saying something, but my mind was too clouded with fear to process the words. I blinked rapidly, snapping myself out of the daze.
Then I heard his footsteps. Slow. Steady. Getting closer.
I turned around just in time to see him emerging from the kitchen, his shadow stretching long across the dimly lit room. He was coming toward me, his eyes locked onto mine.
I quickly stepped away from the window and sat back down, trying to act normal. My fingers dug into the couch, my body stiff as he approached.
His expression was unreadable, but there was something unsettling about it. Something that made the hairs on my neck stand up.
Then I saw it, his hand.
He was holding something.
And with each step he took, I could see it more clearly.