The Lies That Bind

Two Weeks Before

      It all happened in a blink of an eye. No warning. No danger in sight.

     By the time the headlights blared around the corner of the pitch-black, two-lane highway, it was too late.

     The screeching of tires and the crunching of metal cut through my karaoke party for one. Pieces of windshield glass flew through the summer air like confetti, while one naughty shard scraped just above my right penciled brown eyebrow.

     My head slammed into the steering wheel, signaling the airbag to blow up, sending my mind further into the land of confusion.
The lethal impact harshly pushed my car off the road into the inky, greenish ditch. I screamed in terror, stomping on the brake as my jello body jolted forward. I could feel my heart pounding in my throat and the booze churning in my stomach.

      My headlights flickered like a dying flashlight as I sat back in shock, replaying the horrific display of events.

      I vaguely remembered being at Mason's house, dancing and throwing down shots like they were water. I'd never been one to drink, and my parents would've killed me if they found out, but I had a reputation to earn. One that involved becoming cool. A last chance effort to prove that I belonged and to finally achieve the attention of Mason West.

      Mason was the hottest guy in my senior class. You know, the typical bad boy persona with drool worthy abs and the sparkle of mystery in their eyes. My gosh, he was drop-dead gorgeous.

      All throughout high school, Mason was known for throwing the wildest of parties. So I heard. They became so iconic that people started calling him King of the West. As dumb as the school's infatuation with him was, and the many times I told myself to stay clear, jealousy still burrowed under my skin. Devouring my insides.

      Everybody went, weekend after weekend, and I felt like the only one excluded. In the past, I would've rolled my eyes at the idea of attending a crazy party hosted by a lover boy. But eventually the temptation became too robust for me to resist.

      I wouldn't call myself a bad girl who went around breaking rules and flirting with every guy I saw. I was an honor roll student who in their free time enjoyed volunteering at the animal shelter. My parents always saw me as their little angel. Draped in innocence. I could never do wrong.

      However, after tonight, everything will change.

      Their remarks weren't what made me tremble the most at the moment. Rather, it rooted from the rebellious energy that pumped through my veins and slowly deteriorated my innocent surface. A high that I never wanted to fall from. I loved it. Almost too much.

     But that electrifying sensation would've been nonexistent if I didn't go out of my way to pursue the attention of Mason West. And it was a trip. A challenging, but jaw dropping adventure.

      In the most simplest of terms, I dressed in similar attire to that of a trashy and stupid stripper. A desperate woman who allowed herself to be seen as an object rather than a person. Definitely not the highlight of my life, but I couldn't think of anything else that would woo him over. Squeaky clean Keira stood no chance.

      Once he saw me standing nonchalantly outside the boys locker room a week ago, he fell so hard that I didn't even have to stumble through my weak attempt at swooning him.

     Invite to the party: check.

     Little did I know that attending the party came at a hefty price.

     I pushed the puffy airbag out of my already suffocating space and unlocked the driver's side door of my red pearl Nissan Juke with shaky hands.

     As my black ankle strap heels touched the dark blades of brush, I smoothed out my silver satin mini dress and subconsciously observed the eerily quiet landscape. Oddly enough, I hadn't heard a single car pass. I felt like I was stranded on a foreign planet with no one to hear me scream. However, that wasn't entirely true. Whoever sat in the other car would certainly provide more company than I could currently endure.

     I stumbled a few steps from my car to analyze the wreckage. It was hard to tell the severity of it all with only the headlights of my car facing in the opposite direction to illuminate the scenery. All I could make out was the warped shadow of metal sitting almost abandoned in the middle of the road.

     Did the individual leave? Were they injured? Dead? All these thoughts swirled in my mind as if a tornado collided with my brain. Not to mention the cut above my eyebrow was beginning to throb. There was no way the accident could've been that bad. We hit hard, but not enough for it to be...deadly. They were probably just in as much shock as I, sitting and waiting for one of us to exit their car to collect insurance information.

     But what if they weren't? What if...no. I refused to go there. They were alright. A few minor cuts and bruises at most, like me.
You'd be stupid to say that alcohol didn't chemically alter your brain or encourage irrational behavior. I knew that all too well, now. At least that was the only logical reason I could give for staggering back to my car and driving away.

      Whatever prompted such a choice, I still did the unthinkable. A ribbon of guilt and evil intertwined snug around my throat. An accessory bound to me for life.

      However, the universe had other plans. A haunting that would bless me in the most unusual, yet beautiful way.