Accident

It was a game that we enjoyed
Playing
Talking excitedly as we
Trekked through the woods
Forgetting the lives we lead
In the concrete jungle
Filled with drugs, abuse, hopelessness,
Poverty, alcohol, guns

A night where the moon
Was almost completely black
And pockets filled
With
Twenty dollar bills
We met where the railroad tracks
Crossed a river

Our busy chatter faded to silence, losing its
Life
As I pulled out the jar
The sound of teenage hands shoving bills
Into the glass container
And the river rushing between us

My voice spoke loud and clear,
Speaking the only guideline,

"Last one off the tracks takes all."

The crickets began their orchestra once again
As our Nike's and Van's left safe ground
Crossing to the center of the narrow
And
Daunting bridge
Lined up like ducks and waiting

Off in the distance, a horn went off
And I watched as the first ripple of uncertainty
Shuddered through the group
Red breathed shakily as Blue Eyes swallowed nervously
Seconds later, Freckles bailed, the tiny possibility of
Death
Being too much
Bad Boy smoked a cigarette and
Makeup cast a look at the money pot

The horn sounded again
The tracks began to vibrate ever so slightly
As the crickets went quiet
Stoner shook his head, cussing, before
Running back to safe ground
Lion looked at me for reassurance
While
Blondie stared at the sky

The ground began to shake and the train
Was in sight
Bright lights from a distance off
Blue Eyes ducked out with a too loud laugh
And I felt the milliseconds counting down
Smiling
When Lion and Makeup quickly escaped

Ten seconds
The vibration of the metal seeping from my toes to my bones
To my fingers and lips

Seven seconds
The lights suddenly straight on from where I was
Blinding me
At
The
Worst of times
Throwing off my estimate of its proximity

Six seconds
Closing my eyes as I heard two splashes from below, someone choosing to jump off the 50 foot bridge
Rather than see the face of the
Grim Reaper
My blood pounding and rushing in my head
Every surface of my body trembling
Waiting for the last sound of someone
Hitting the water

Two seconds
Ringing in my ears as the noise deafens me
Floating
Hearing people scream behind me
Bathed in light as the horn going off
Thunders into my heart

One second
Splash