beware:

something is in the water, folks.

after work last night, i decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood. i needed some time to myself. i needed to process all the shit that has been happening.

it was dark out. 7pm. full moon. so i've got my disc man on and i'm listening to tony lucca. i make the turn around to a little clearing and damn. the view of the moon over the woods is breathtaking. so i park it right where i'm standing on the edge of the sidewalk and just stare.

don't really know how long i sat there, but at least 3 dog walkers passed me. i couldn't hear them trying to say hello, so i just said that i was sorry, but have a nice night.

then i was compelled to get up and start walking again. i passed a street light and right as i came up to the next... the light went out. a faster song came on, and i started to quicken my pace.

i turned the corner onto the main road out in front of the development, and maybe 10 steps after, my phone started to vibrate. i removed one of my headphones. but right before i went to answer the phone... i heard a huge crash.

i turned around.

no more than 20 feet away from me was a white BMW, up in the field next to the corner, with its front axle broken and tires flung to either side. at the corner was a red car with the front bumper hanging off of it.

i hung up on my phone call and dialed 911. the driver of the BMW got out of the car, but the passenger in the front couldn't move. the driver and two passengers of the red car got out and hurried towards the BMW.

the woman driving the red car was in the left lane... but decided last minute to turn right.

... right into the BMW in her blind spot.

minutes later 3 fire trucks, and ambulance and 8 cop cars rolled up. the flood lights... the sirens... the blinking red and blue... there were no less than 30 people on the scene.

i was approached, but couldn't really say anything. i didn't really "witness" the accident. i just heard it. but i helped the cops get the drivers together, and get info about the area. i also told the fire fighters about the BMW engine making some funny noises and so i turned off the car. they told me if i hadn't that it would have caught on fire.

i watched them carry the BMW passenger out on a stretcher... and the driver of the red car go into hysterics about how she was just trying to pick up her friend to go to church.

i ran the rest of the way home.



as i ran i couldn't help but think about the timing. the moon. the light going out. the faster song coming on. the phone call that allowed me to hear the crash. if i had been going any slower or sat any longer... i could have been right in the path of the car.

it missed me by 15 seconds.