Short Stories

Criminal Justice Story (yet to be named)

I look down at my clenched hands and let out a huff of air. Thoughts swarm my head as I think back over what the last few days held. Everything I've come to know has vanished all because I was stupid. How could I go on knowing I have harmed a life? How could I continue to live knowing that I ruined someone's happiness? That I ruined a family? I close my eyes and watch as the memories play back like a film in a movie theater. Here we go again.
I walk out of the bar with my friends in tow. The sun shines in my eyes causing me to groan. The three of us had come to have fun after Cassie had a terrible breakup. All three of us laugh and giggle from the alcohol that is in our system. Cassie and Christie stumble on each other as they try to get to the car. I keep giggling as the sisters fall into the car. I climb into the driver seat and buckle up. "Are you sure you can driiiive?" Cassie asks drunkenly.
I giggle before replying in a shaky voice, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing." The sisters laugh again and nod. I turn on the car and pull out of the parking space. I swerve the car onto the road and try to go the speed limit so I won't be caught. The car swerves left and right as I drive down the highway, nearly hitting several oncoming cars.
"Turn down through here," Christie giggles from the back of the car. I drive the car down the street Christie pointed. The car continues to swerve left and right, in and out of the lane I'm supposed to be in. Up ahead, I can see kids playing on a sidewalk. The kids come closer and closer as we near them. I watch as the kids scream and try to run away. One little girl doesn't get away and time, and I watch as her tiny, fragile body comes in contact with car.
The haunting smack of the girl's body plays through my head as my eyes shoot open. Tears fill them as I think over everything that happened. It's all my fault that, that girl's family will never see her again, never hear her laugh, and never see her smile. They'll never get to watch her as she walks down the aisle to her awaiting fiancé. They'll never get to see any of that because I took that away from them. I took it all away by being so ignorant.
I was the one that got in the car, knowing that it was illegal. I was the one that that harmed the girl. It was all me; no one else. No one told me to get in the car. No one held a gun to my head as I made the decision to get behind the wheel.
This prison cell will be the reminder to me of what I did to deserve to be here. As time ticks by slowly, I will always have the guilt of killing the little girl and cheating her out of the life that she should've had. She should have grown up and lived her life, but she never will be able to.
I stand up and pace around the cell. Why did I have to do it? Why? I'm no better than a murderer now. I pull my hair as these questions swirl in my head. I'm going insane! I tug on my hair harder until I scream in frustration and punch the wall next to me. Pain radiates from my hand up my arm. Blood slowly drips down my hand causing me to grimace in pain. Shouldn't have done that. Pathetic. I begin to sob as my brain criticizes me even more. This is my life now. I will always doubt myself, criticize myself, and torture myself all because of the decisions I made. Every time the second hand moves on the clock, I will be thinking about the little girl I murdered by stupidity. I sit back down on my bed and put my head in my hands in hopelessness. The guilt is mine to carry now.