The man she buried is back, and knocking at the front door. The sound of the wind chimes told her that a big storm was coming. “Bang! Bang!” The fist shook the glass panels in the white oak door. Sarah had turned every light off in the living room and it only lit up when the lightning cracked through the sky. The door knob wiggled and jiggled a few times. There was another very loud “Bang!” that sounded on the door, almost like it had been kicked. Sarah crouched down behind the couch and waited in the deafening silence. Her body shook with fear. Her eyes darted back and forth through the darkness as she listened carefully. She could hear what sounded like a distant voice calling her name. The hairs on her arms stood up and her flesh was prickled with goosebumps.


Her mind started spinning. Her head throbbed as tears trickled down her face. She began to spin out. How could he have come back? She was sure he was dead when she buried him in the woods. She thought about earlier that night. They had gone to a backyard BBQ at their friend’s house. Stanley had way too much to drink…he always had way too much to drink, so she took his keys and told him she was driving. He argued with her as his speech slurred out something about it being a new car. He loved that dark blue Chevelle more than her. He nagged at her about driving carefully and watching where she was going, telling her over and over to stop, he was fine to drive.


She remembered the deer running out in front of the car. She remembered the fight afterwards when the car was wrapped around a tree, with the deer in the windshield. He was so mad at her for wrecking his car. He didn't even care that they were both injured. It was like he didn't feel the broken left arm that dangled at his side. He didn't care about the glass that was wedged in his forehead or the blood dripping down from his nose and oozing from the corner of his mouth. He didn't seem to realize his legs were mangled from the dashboard being crunched against them. How had he stood there like nothing was wrong but his crashed car? How had he stood there at all, with his legs looking the way they did? Blood dripped from Sarah's face too. Had it come from her eyes or her head? She remembered feeling woozy and trying with no luck to understand what he was saying to her. Then he came at her. His right arm was extended in her direction. Was he going to try to choke her? Over a car?!


Sarah grabbed a nearby branch that was broken and had a sharp pointed end. Holding it in front of her, she charged in his direction. The shock and confusion on his face stunned her as she felt the squelch as the branch punctured the soft gut tissue. He stared at her with disappointed eyes as he struggled to stand, wrapping his good hand around the protruding object in his belly. Blood started to trickle out around the opening and saturated his red, black and white plaid shirt. His eyes went dull and he fell to his knees staring into the dark night at nothing. He crumpled in front of her.


Nervously, Sarah walked toward the body of the big Native American man whom she has shared her life with for the past year. His silky black, now tangled hair, fell over his face. His hair was what had originally attracted her to him. That and his voice. His voice was smokey and cool. She remembered loving this man. Being held in his big, warm arms. Kissing his soft full lips. What had happened to them? “Stanley?” She whispered quietly. “Stanley?” She repeated again. She touched his shoulder. He didn't move. She shook him gently and his large body fell over. Yes, he was dead. His eyes stared blankly up at her, his face twisted in pain.


She remembered how hard it was to drag him through the woods and how even more tedious it was to dig the shallow grave with her hands, nearby flat rocks and sticks. She had to take many breaks. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her dirt stained hands. That's why her hands hurt so badly. That's why they were splintered and bleeding with cuts. That's why they were so dirty with blood, sweat, and mud.


Lightning flashed as the thunder roared lighting up the sky outside, revealing a large shadow on the porch silhouetted through the shear white curtains. Then the sky went black again and rain began to pour. The figure was gone. Sarah peaked over the couch at the window where she'd just seen the shadow and noticed that her hands were still stained with dirt and blood. Slowly she pulled them away from the couch, flattened them and stared in confusion. She had taken a shower when she arrived home. She had been covered in blood and dirt. And her hair was still dripping wet. More flashes of lightning, but strange…there were red flashes, blue flashes, and white flashes. Her eyes started to feel heavy and the water from her hair seemed to fill them. She tried to wipe them with her dirty hand to clear her vision.


Fear overcame her when she realized that she wasn't in the house at all. She was outside, laying on the ground. Her body started aching and she could hear voices. So many voices shouting, but she couldn't tell what any of them were saying. Rain drenched her skin, and her violet blouse clung to her body. She tried to move her mouth, but it was sticky. She ran her swollen tongue over the inside and tasted something metallic. She was so thirsty. She allowed her head to fall to the side. Shadows danced around her and she focused on a small light on the ground. Lying next to her was…Stanley? He laid broken on the muddy path. His left arm twisted in an awkward position. His legs were mangled, twisting in different directions and a detached antler protruded from his stomach. There was blood everywhere. His eyes were blank. Two police officers walked over with a black sheet and covered him. Sarah began to sob.


A young woman with shoulder length, blonde hair pulled up in a tight ponytail, wearing a paramedic uniform and a bright yellow poncho came over and kneeled down beside her. Soon another woman with short brunette hair joined her co-worker. Sarah was lifted onto a stiff backboard and strapped on. “Ma'am, we're going to take you to the hospital. You were in a horrible car accident. You're lucky to be alive, but you're not out of the woods yet. You hit your head and have a severe concussion. I'm so sorry about your friend. He didn't make it.” Sarah looked out of the corner of her eye. There was the car, with a dead deer smashed into the windshield. She was lucky to be alive. How could anyone survive something like that? Sarah’s eyes filled with tears. She blinked them a few times and pitiful cries started coming from somewhere deep inside her. She closed them tightly and wept as she was loaded into the ambulance.