RED

"Go!"

"No, fool"Go!"

"No, fool. That way—on your right."

"Hey, you! Direct him."

"Bunch of fools."

Those were the only audible words echoing around me. Meanwhile, a man silently gestured for me to follow him. This had been going on for several minutes.

"Sit."

A voice spoke from behind me, barely above a whisper.

I hesitated, my eyes fixed on the faces before me. At that moment, I lost the ability to speak. Sweat streamed down my face. I was the only one sweating.

"Sit," the voice repeated, this time more firmly.

"Hey, have your seat," another voice said. Unlike the first, this one came from one of the people seated before me.

I swallowed hard.

Slowly, I dragged the chair across the floor, never breaking eye contact with them. I studied each face carefully, searching for the slightest clue—some hint of what was happening—but I found nothing.

"Will you stop dragging the chair and sit down, or should I drag you instead?"

The voice spoke again, this time more aggressively than before.

After a long moment of hesitation, I finally sat.

Silence fell over the room.

No one spoke.

We simply stared at one another.

I dared not look behind me or even around the room. Instead, I kept my gaze fixed on the people seated before me.

"Tell us everything that happened," a female voice said.

"We need every single detail of what happened," another voice added.

"Only you have the genuine answers," someone else said.

"Can you hear us?" the first woman asked.

"Can you hear us?"

Their voices merged into one.

"Yes!"

"Yes!" I screamed.

"Yes, I can hear you all—loud and clear. I can hear every one of you."

Silence.

A heavy, suffocating silence settled over the room once again.

They exchanged glances but said nothing.

After what felt like an eternity, the woman's voice returned, softer than before.

"Then tell us."

"Tell us everything that happened."

"Red."

"Red," she called gently.

I looked into her eyes, searching for even the slightest trace of hope. I knew that whatever came out of my mouth would change everything.

But would it save me...

...or condemn me?

“Red.”

"Can you hear me?"

I let out a slow sigh.

"I swear to tell this gathering nothing but the truth—the truth, and nothing but the truth—about what happened on Saint Ave Way."

Every eye in the room remained fixed on me.

They looked ready.

Ready to hear my story.

But was I?

Did I even remember what had happened?

What was I supposed to tell them?

The last thing I could remember was…

Open your eyes.

Open your eyes, Red.