The Red Light

Bing Bing Bing

The car reminds me to buckle up.

My life is "precious". I need to protect it.

I grip the steering wheel, shifting in my seat.

Bing Bing Bing

I sigh, it's a small thing to do;

buckling yourself in.

Gravity's pull feels stronger than my motivation.

Click

I put the keys in the ignition.

If only I had a button to jolt me to life.

Maybe then the sunshine would return to my veins.

Tick Tack Tick Tack

The rhythm echos into my consciousness.

The gap has closed. I barely notice.

"Focus," my brain screams to me.

Tick Tack Tick Tack

Inhaling sharply, I force my eyes to do their job.

Another gap in the road approaches.

My foot manages to come off the break this time.

Shoooooooo

Cold air pumps into the car.

Can it ground me? Seems unlikely.

My fingers dig deeper into the steering wheel.

Screech

Deaccelerating, the red blur is hypnotizing.

Everything around it is stalled motionless.

Its edges blur. My eyes sting. I'm crying.

Nothing

Logically, I know these things are happening.

I can't feel them. I can't force a thought.

I'm overtaken by the fog of the red light.

Nothing

Everything else has faded to nonexistence.

"Come Back," a voice in my head urges, suggesting

"maybe if you look away from the light."

Nothing

The starring contest continues without my consent.

Will I ever wake up? Maybe this is reality.

My body is glued in place.

Beep Beep

The light goes green.

I release the brake. Sound returns in full.

Blinking away the red, I move forward.