Deer in the Headlights by Danielle Mamaril

Roam Free by G. Ramirez

Embers sunk through dry air like sodden confetti. He shifted out of the cramped wreck. The woods appeared like an image out of focus, a kaleidoscope of shattered bokeh. 

His memories were all blurred. He was behind the wheel just a minute ago—then there was a deer and he swerved into a sequoia.

His head didn’t send sparks of fire down his spine. Instead, the pain hummed into a dependable drum. Black spots danced around the edge of his vision, trying to tear his eyelids inside out. Nothing was broken except the silent atmosphere with his ragged breathing. The shock paralyzed his brain, yet his body moved without thought.

He slogged his way through thorn and thicket. Needles seized at his uniform but never got past the thick fabric to delicate skin. With his arm, he shielded his face from the snagging brushes.

It wasn’t until he reached the main road that his eyes adjusted to twilight. Blood blackened the pavement and bile rose in his throat. The officer careened to the silhouette, ready to face his crime.

The breeze whispered false gospel. A shadow gamboled in the corners of his vision. His head shot up—a deer galloped between the collosal trees.

Her tan face was doll-like in death. Tire tracks adorned her skin like a tattoo. The officer had seen her every day at the community college, but never offered a ride. If only he had hit the deer.

He screeched out a desperate moan, suffocating over the tears. He apologized to the young girl, sought out any viable pretext. Despite all this, the girl laid on the ground, her face flawless and inert. He blundered for her school bag—the spinal cord crackled like campfire. With shaky hands, he slashed out a spare paper and scribbled the following note:

I’m sorry.

Danielle Mamaril has published poetry and fiction since 2013 in various anthologies and literary magazines. She's a treasurer and senior editor of her school's newspaper. She grew up in Northern California where she learns the piano and plays with her adorable dogs, Peanut and Jelly.