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parking lot, we parted ways and I climbed into my car, locking the doors quickly. I placed my shaky hands on the steering wheel and sucked in deep breaths to calm down.
    What just happened?
    I must have hit my head, but... I don’t remember falling. Maybe I passed out. I rubbed my hands over my head, searching for the point of impact. I felt no sore spot. I lifted up my shirt and inspected my stomach. Not a scratch on me.
    As I pulled down my shirt, my finger caught a tear, about three inches wide. It was a clean slice with no other snags surrounding it. I inspected the tear but found nothing else, no blood or dirt. I looked out toward the alley and stared intensely at its opening, not sure what I expected to see. After several minutes of staring at nothing, I started the engine and drove home in a trance.
    I arrived home quicker than I should have and rushed inside to safety. I walked straight into the bedroom and sat on my bed. Mitchell was just getting out of the shower and proceeded to tell me all about his hike as he dressed. He didn’t notice my shaking hands, distressed expression or torn shirt… typical.
    My brain didn’t comprehend his words. I couldn’t think of anything except the image of that man lying dead in the alley. I only stole a glance of the side of his face through his hair, but he was fairly young, maybe early twenties. The pleading tone in his voice sounded afraid, not vicious.
    Mitchell babbled on for another minute then offered to make dinner in exchange for my dishwashing duties. I agreed to his proposal and decided not to tell him about my detour to Luigi’s. I wasn’t sure what actually happened, let alone felt comfortable enough to explain it without sounding loony. I let it go and tried to forget that it ever occurred.

Chapter 2
     
     
    As the last of the water drained from the sink, I gazed out the kitchen window into the dimly lit courtyard. A few dozen stars sprinkled the night’s sky as supple gray clouds slowly drifted across the moon. It was a full moon and the crickets were singing their sweet symphony. It was already past my bedtime, but I wasn’t quite ready for tomorrow to come yet. I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. I curled onto the couch and grabbed my computer, checking my email, and then flipping on the television. Nothing on, of course. It was the beginning of summer and all of my favorite shows were over for the season, leaving me with not many options to escape reality.
    I flipped from boring channel to boring channel. Before I knew it, an hour flew by and I decided, reluctantly, that I should go to sleep. Mitchell was already sprawled across the bed reading a magazine. The alarm clock was scheduled to scream in less than six hours, so I quickly kissed him goodnight and rolled over, facing the outside of the bed. Sighing, he caught my subtle hint and turned off the light.
    I closed my eyes. I felt in a slump. The party and alley incident left me mentally exhausted. My head swam with a list of things I needed to do. With an overwhelming list of projects at summer school and Mom’s house, there was always something left undone. Although I was usually content, I couldn’t help but think about the events in my life that led me here.
    In high school, I wasn’t interested in partying. I focused all my free time on either studying or hanging out with Mitchell. Now that high school was over and I was in my second year of college, I should be making lifetime memories and experiencing new things. But I still spent most of my free time studying, working, or checking on Mom. Then throw in a few hours of Mitchell and me watching TV before bed. I sort of envied some of my old high school friends who didn’t go to college. Their daily stress was what to wear tonight or which party to attend. Yeah, ten years from now they will probably be working at some retail store folding clothes for minimum wage, but still… my youth was passing by too fast with nothing