STOP

The moonlight tower shone from up above. Justin was drunk. It was 4:00 am as he walked out of the party. Everyone was already heading home. Stumbling down 22nd Street he wondered if he could make it back to his dorm in one piece. It’s just a short walk from here to my place, he thought. He smiled to himself, as the buzzing in his ears still continued. Justin swaggered down the street until he felt something coming up his throat.

“No, I can’t make it!” He saw a stop sign up ahead. It’s telling me to stop. Justin stopped as he neared the sign. The bold red seemed to be commanding him. He clutched the pole as his head whirled. It ok, there are bushes at the base of the sign, he thought. Justin lurched forward and vomited.

6:54, she was late for work again. Marissa jumped in her car and turned the defrost to full blast in order to remove the winter from her windows. The radio hummed and started with a shout. She turned the volume down.

“More ice and snow,” she mumbled to herself and sighed. What was going on with Austin weather? Just then the traffic update came on. I-35 was backed up again. Great just what I need, another delay, she thought. At this rate, I’m bound to get fired.

She pulled out of her spot and rushed down the street, determined to try to make it to work as quickly as possible. Marissa decided to cut through West Campus in order to make it to the highway, less lights that way. Its just a stupid part time job at a coffee shop anyway—why did she care so much? As she sped through the intersections she thought to herself, maybe its better I get fired. She would definitely have more time for school.

Keyshia slammed the door shut. Last night had been exhausting and never ending. She needed to go out and run. Just her and the pavement. She didn’t want to think about the fight she had with her boyfriend last night. It was too emotionally draining. What was she doing? Why was she even in this relationship? The semester hadn’t even started yet. She thought she would’ve been happy to see him after coming back from the break. But here they were fighting again. She didn’t care, she didn’t want to face it.

Keyshia started running. Tears started rolling down her face. I’m just going to run away, she thought. She ran harder and harder down Nueces, until her mind grew blank. She turned the corner down 22nd past the long steel gray of the moonlight tower. It still wasn’t daylight yet. The lights still burned dimly. She grabbed the pole panting. She looked up at light but her gaze was averted by the sign. Stop. One way. There is only one way she realized. She would have to stop and think. She couldn’t just run away from her problems anymore. Just then she looked down at her tennis shoes.

“Ew disgusting, someone threw up here—and now its on my new shoes!” she exclaimed. She decided to cross over to the other side of Nueces and go back home.

Marissa fumbled with the dials, growing annoyed at hearing the traffic report. She turned the corner rolling past the stop sign unaware of Keyshia crossing the street.

Marissa looked up and turned the wheel to the right trying to avoid the jogger. The car swerved missing Keyshia. It hit the stop sign with a thud. Marissa reeled back and looked at her car. Now it would cost money to get it fixed and she’d be fired. If only she had stopped. The moonlight tower shone from above.