12.43 AM
12:43AM, the sun set hours ago.
The clouds covered the moon and the stars.
It was a dark and cold December night,
a few days before Christmas.
The gunshots echoed in my head,
the sound wouldn’t leave.
There was four gunshots to the chest, one to the head.
I was sure one would kill him but I was angry, or scared.
Maybe both. He was innocent, he didn’t do anything.
All he said was, “Are you OK?”
12:44AM, sirens blare from multiple cars, looking for where the shots were fired.
I didn’t know what to do,
I stood there with the gun on the ground to the right of me.
I was still angry.
Not at anyone or anything but myself.
What have I done? Why aren’t I scared?
I have to hide the body.
12:45AM, I grabbed him by his feet, dragging him into the woods by the road.
I thought
Maybe he has a family,
Maybe he went to purchase Christmas gifts.
12:50AM,
I finished hiding his lifeless body.
Before hiding, I dug through his pockets.
I found a wallet.
$32. ID card. License. A picture of him, two beautiful kids with heartwarming smiles, and a wife.
12:52AM
I was still staring at the picture.
Two long minutes.
He did have children, a wife.
A family.
What have I done?
12:58AM
The sirens got closer,
There they were,
men in uniforms asked if I’ve seen anyone.
They think I’m innocent.
Should I turn myself in?
Should I find his family and tell them that their daddy and husband have gotten killed?
No. I can’t ruin my life.
But I ruined theirs.
I told the police no.
1:29AM
The police have brought me home,
I cried into the pillow laying on the couch.
I stayed still.
My mind was a mess.
What have I done?
Will this be the first and only time I killed an innocent man?