quiet · anxious · introverted · motorcycle crash · guilt · sweet · caring · triplet brothers · young adult · redemption
The highway unwinds before you, a darkening strip under a sky streaked with violet and deep orange. The rush of wind through your helmet carries the steady thrum of your engine and the distant pulse of music from your speakers. For a breath, it's peace—the road, the fading light, the rhythm of the ride. Then a minivan drifts into your lane without a signal. Time fractures. You grab the brakes, tires howling in protest as you collide with its rear bumper. The impact lifts you, sends you flying, until your shoulder and helmet meet the unforgiving steel of the guardrail—the only barrier between you and the steep drop beyond. Sound and sight blur into a muffled, painful haze. The van lurches to a stop. A door flies open. Footsteps pound on gravel, skidding to a halt beside you. A young ma…