Chapter 1
Ch.1 Misty Morning
Erica Beltran had always found peace in the early morning hours, the sound of her shoes hitting the damp pavement just before sunrise was a welcome rhythm. A steady beat her heart could sync to, clearing her mind of any anxiety or stress.
The mist that clouded the park was a welcome cold; Erica preferred it to warmth, it was austere, manageable, unlike the all consuming fever of heat.
Her breath came in labored puffs, heart beating loud in her ears. Just ahead, about ten feet away, another woman jogged the same path. Erica wondered if she’d seen this woman before, wondered how many times they’d crossed paths and never noticed during these early runs.
There was a curve in the sidewalk ahead that shrouded the other woman in the mist that held the park captive. Just as Erica lost sight of her-a loud shriek of rubber against asphalt erupted from behind.
As Erica turned, mid step, towards the harrowing sound, a black truck careened past, clipping the elbow she held out for balance and shoving her aside. Erica’s vision blurred as her body hit the ground hard, and a sickening thud rang out through the shroud.
Erica could feel her right arm go numb, and a ringing pierced her ears as the mist seemed to part revealing the scene in front of her. The truck was stopped halfway on the sidewalk, and a lifeless body lay beneath it- it was the woman from earlier.
Erica’s stomach lurched as she realized the terrible scene was just ten feet away. The woman’s lifeless body sent a chill through her, her chest tightening as air left her lungs in strangled, whistling gasps. She desperately tried to push herself up, her body protesting in pain as she reached for her cellphone, her injured arm held close. Erica hobbled towards the truck trying to see if there was someone inside who needed help.
*“911 what’s your emergency?”*
Erica’s voice trembled with emotion as she relayed the horrific scene, dissociation taking hold through the next few hours of police and paramedics, and the treatment of her now broken elbow.
It was only when she arrived home that she finally broke from her rumination, crumpling to the ground amidst her and her sister’s shoes at the front entrance, crying herself to sleep.
……
The first thing Erica noticed when she awoke was the smell of her sister’s heinously acidic coffee blend and the feel of the red velvet of their living room couch smooshed into the side of her face. As she sat up, her elbow bloomed in painful heat, and the memories of the accident from the day before came flooding back like a punch in the gut. Erica’s stomach lurched, and she immediately ran for the nearest restroom to heave into the toilet.
“Erica? You’re finally awake. Are you okay?” Lainey’s voice grew louder as she rushed down the hall toward her shaking younger sister, crouched over the toilet bowl.
“I think so,” Erica groaned, sweat and saliva dripping nauseatingly from her face, a stark contrast to her reply.
“Bryan and I got home pretty late last night and found you sleeping on our shoes. You’ve been working yourself too hard, haven’t you? No job is worth this.”
Lainey crouched beside Erica, her manicured pink nails scratching at the sick girl’s scalp in an attempt to be comforting but only succeeding in overstimulating her senses, forcing more bile from her stomach.
“I—oh god, work! I never even made it there... yesterday? How long did I sleep?” Erica sat straight up, her face a ghastly sight that made Lainey avert her eyes.
“Well, Bryan and I got home around... 3 a.m. and it’s about 11 a.m. now,” Lainey trailed off, brushing her cropped bangs to the side unconsciously. Erica could see faded glitter around her sister’s brown eyes and immediately felt embarrassed at the prospect of being manhandled by a drunk Lainey and her oaf of a boyfriend.
“Urgh...” Erica groaned and slumped against the side of the bathtub. “There was an accident during my run yesterday. The driver had a heart attack and killed a woman on the sidewalk in front of me. They hit me too and broke my arm.” Erica weakly waved her arm in its sling and winced.
“Oh my god, Erica, are you okay? I noticed the sling but just thought you sprained your wrist at work or something. That’s crazy!”
Erica nodded, her expression weary, and patted the pockets of the jacket she was still wearing from the day before. “I have to call my boss. Where’s my phone?”
“It must be in the couch where you were sleeping. Why don’t you get cleaned up and go to bed? I’ll call Rebecca for you and explain the whole thing. Just get some rest.” Lainey gave Erica a pitying look and rushed from the bathroom, not giving Erica a chance to refuse. All things considered, it was a relief.
Once she was alone, the image of the jogger’s broken body on the pavement flashed in Erica’s mind suddenly, and she lurched forward to heave once more into the toilet.
