Woman in red

The woman in red It didn’t happen on a dark, gloomy night or a breezy evening. As a matter of fact, it all started on a sunny Monday morning ,just like any other . I was in my car, sipping coffee while talking to my older brother, Mark. We were debating where to visit,for our cousin’s graduation . “I’ll come to your place tommy , but make sure not to forget to tidy my room up,unlike always . My fiancée is also coming this time!” he said naggingly I never got to meet her so I was curious and intrigued ,I was told she was pregnant with a baby girl, at that time . “I go by Tom now, you know that. But alright , I’ll make sure not to embarrass you” I replied . I turned my phone off and drifted my gaze toward my coworker, Terry, who looked fixated on something , or in this case, someone. He was staring at Mercedes , a tall woman with wavy, luscious, long ginger-red hair . That day, she wore a large wine-red blouse over black loose pants. On her wrist was a Rolex watch that looked a little too wide for her. A pair of sunglasses covered her face as she walked toward her car each step with confidence. When she noticed Terry’s eyes on her, she slid her glasses up, revealing her dark blue eyes. “Do you boys need something?” she asked, clearly annoyed, her southern accent sharp. “No, but would you like a ride?” Terry responded anxious , trying pathetically to sound like a gentleman. “Well, if I did, I wouldn’t have this car, now would I?” she said mockingly as she opened her car door. Funny enough, she drove a Mercedes,how ironic. Later, as Terry was driving me back home, he turned to me with a smug smirk which I knew for a fact wasn’t a good sign. “What?” I asked with a slight face of worry . “When was the last time we got a drink?” He asked as his car slowed down. “ Never since You know I’m not into that. Besides, you can’t handle alcohol.”I said quickly . “Come on.!” I hesitated, but eventually agreed against my better judgment . At some point, I doze off . But that didn’t stop Terry from grabbing a couple of beers without me . I woke up suddenly to shouting noises. When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw none other then Terry yelling at a jet-black Mercedes. It took me a moment to process, but I realized it was her car. “You stubborn woman! Why won’t you just stop? I know you want it badly too!” he shouted, as he chugged on another bottle . He said ,it was apparent now that he was drunk, and In that moment, I didn’t recognize Terry. There was rage in his eyes, an expression like something straight out of a horror show, the kind a serial killer would make , he didn’t even look human, it wasn’t like anything I have ever seen before. I tried to calm him down, but he wouldn’t budge . Terry began following her home, but when she realized it, she tried to shake him off, making random sudden turns, hoping he’d give up eventually but he unfortunately never did. she’d finally had enough. She pulled over, stormed out, and screamed at him: “What the hell do you want from me, you pervert?!” We all were alone in a dark road ,around us were woods and barely a few road lights . Her voice was shaky, but it carried the weight of someone who who had enough . I tried to get Terry to let me hold the weel and calm down , but he wouldn’t listen to a word I said . What happened next , ruined both my life and hers. He suddenly slammed the brakes, hitting her. She fell, striking her head hard on the ground , blood flowing to what was her beautiful ginger hair, we used to jock before that she was a woman in red because of her entrepreneurial skills and striking personality, she was a brilliant businesswoman ,with many talents and we honestly believe that her potential would take her to the red carpet ,but now she was truly in red and the closest thing she ever got to the red carpet sadly was laying in a pool full of dripping blood . In that instant, both Terry and I panicked. He wanted to flee, but I jumped out of the car, rushing to her side . I’ll never forget the look on her face,frightened, terrified. She coughed blood and mumbled, “Help me , you better not let me die.” She ,Breathing heavily ,trying to grasp as much air as possible ,slowly pointed with a bloody trembling finger toward her car, it was truly a disturbing sight. “Call 911 , I beg you,” she whispered, with tears dripping out of her eyes ,before closing them. I ran to her car and grabbed her phone. When I turned it on, her wallpaper froze me in place. She was holding a positive pregnancy test, standing beside her husband. And worse,her spouse was someone I knew very well . I shut the phone off, got back into the car, and said in a cold matter , “Go.” The next few nights were restless. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw her terrified face, her family photos, her pleas for safety . My mind couldn’t stop the same questions from popping “What if I saved her? Would her baby be breathing ? They didn’t deserve this. How am I going to look at him now?” I stayed stuck on my sofa, staring at the wall, going back and forth through the stages of grief. First I tried convincing myself it never happened. Then I blamed Terry, ignoring that my faults were bigger. Then wondered if there was still a way to fix it I fell then finally into depression I never got out and moved into acceptance to be honest . Time passed. Both my brother were supposed to visit, but I completely forgot until the doorbell rang. I checked myself out in my bathroom vanity , barely being able recognising the man staring back. Bloodshot eyes, messy hair, untrimmed beard. I looked like a homeless man,like the very “ piece of trash” I used to make fun of. I opened the door slowly , but was met with the shock of my life ,my skin crawled. Shivers ran through my spine, sweat dripped down my face. My eyes widened as I stared at them.. and at her. Right next to them stood a woman , a woman I could never forget ,from her walk, to her stance, to her voice, to her fire red hair flowing in the breeze, to her piercing blue eyes. It was Mercedes. Sweet, dear Mercedes. A large bandage covered parts of her head, with mark arm on her shoulder, on that day she wore a soft pink sweater with blue wide jeans , her hair was in a bun , with a gold necklace on her neck . I felt a mix of flowing emotions,fear that she’d tell my brother or authorities , but mostly relief that she was alive and well . “You look terrible,” Mark joked . At dinner, Mercedes and I remained silent. I couldn’t tell if she remembered. Maybe she thought I’d called the cops. Maybe she forgot everything. Afterward, I stood up to clean the dishes, as i couldn’t take it anymore, the anxiousness and fear were getting to me ,but she stopped me. “No ! I’ll do it with Marcus. Don’t you worry,” she said with a sweet comforting smile. or so I tought . My doubt and guilt developed . Did she think I saved her? Did she not know the truth? I must tell her , I almost cost her and her baby lives. Just then, my phone rang. It was Terry. I’d been avoiding his calls like the plague since the accident, but something in me made me answer. “Hey Tom,” he said, panicked he took a deep breath and with an anxious tone said the most startling words that someone could utter . “She died at the hospital last night . Police are starting an investigation. What do we do now!? ” The phone slipped from my hand falling into the living room floor . My eyes went slowly toward the kitchen. I tried to get up but I wouldn’t, I couldn’t, my body refused to obey .The then horrifying and haunting questions came into my my mind . I was petrified unable to move , my skin began to crawl , I felt my heartbeat stop “ If Mercedes is dead… then who is standing next to my brother, washing today’s dishes.”