The Light Turns Green

At night Charleston transforms. There are things and people you don’t see when the sun is up, in the city.

As I stick my head out of my friend’s X-Terra, I feel the salty air on my face. My hair whips across the bridge of my nose, briskly. The lights are glistening onto the water of the harbor. The bells and whistles of the train ring in my ear continually. Smoke and steam is rising from the factories on the outskirts of town. The police are patrolling every street, alley-way, and corner.

We reach a stop light. I look to my right, and I see a lady. Late 30s perhaps. She has a scar over her eye. She wears a black, halter shift dress, and black flip-flops, no purse in hand. She is standing on the corner. Waiting. A prostitute.

The light turns green.

We continue our journey to teenage nirvana. We find ourselves walking on the Ravenel Bridge, it’s 1 a.m.. The lights of the city dance in the reflection of every car window passing by, ever so brightly.

We feel invincible. We are invincible.  

My friend, staggers. My other friend goes to the X-Terra to have sex with her boyfriend. I lift up my urine covered friend, and proceed to walk the bridge. In this moment, I do not care that Ella’s pee is trickling down her leg and onto my feet. I do not care the Jamie is having a quicky with Tim. I do not care. I do not care that I could die tonight. I do not care. I am free, and this world is, oh so grand. I will never be this young again.

3 hours later…

Our parents sit in the waiting room of the E.R.. Tim is unconscious. Ella is paralyzed. Jamie fractured her neck.

I am dead.