They won’t go away.

They’re everywhere.

I’ve been running for hours, and I can’t escape the sound of sirens and blue, flashing lights behind me.

I didn’t mean to do it. It wasn’t supposed to go this far. Now, I’m stuck running, hoping I don’t use up my energy before the cops give up my trail forget about me.

Let me take you back to earlier this morning where everything went wrong.

I woke up at my usual time of eight o’clock this morning and went for a walk. It was beautiful outside. The sun was bright and the sky was void of clouds.

It was when I heard a crunching sound behind me when everything changed. My good mood, my calm smile… it all vanished when I saw my father’s face. It vanished when I saw the face of the man who walked out of my mother’s and my life three long years ago when I stood up for myself for the first time.

My father was never a good man. He never treated my mother like a queen, and he never treated me as anything more than a punching bag.

Three years ago, I had just turned fifteen when my so-called-father came home drunk again. My mother was already asleep, so he didn’t even have to try and pretend to be better than he was.

For the first time in my entire life, when he tried to hit me that night, I hit back. He hadn’t hit me in months, and the look on his face when he realized he couldn’t throw me around anymore was one of pure horror.

That was the last time I saw that man. Until this morning.

My mom and I have been great without him. She remarried a great man who finally treated her right, and I no longer had to deal with his abuse.

“Son,” my father said this morning. “How are you? I was just on my way home. I miss you and your mom, and I was wondering-“

I punched him. Hard. Harder than I hit hin the first time three years ago, and arguably harder than he ever hit me.

When I punched him, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t stop.

I didn’t stop until I could no longer hear him breathing or feel his pulse.

I killed my father with no intention of it and now, I have to pay for it.

I’ve been running since. I called the police on myself in sheer panic before realizing the mistake I made. It didn’t hit me that I screwed up so bad until they were hot on my tail.

I killed him hours ago. So many hours ago, that I’ve lost track of just HOW MANY hours ago. So many hours ago that my vision is blurry, and I can barely stand straight.

I killed him so many hours ago that I-

I hit the ground on the soft, long grass. Everything goes black.