OLD WOUNDS

The rain that night had been relentless. It hammered against the windshield in thick, unforgiving sheets, blurring the world beyond the glass into a distorted haze of shadows and light. The road stretched ahead like a dark ribbon, barely visible under the glow of the headlights. Inside the car, laughter filled the air. It had been a good night.

Marcus leaned back in the passenger seat, still energized from the celebration. “I’m telling you, this is just the beginning,” he said, grinning. “That deal is going to change everything.”

From the back seat, Emma smiled faintly. “You’ve been saying that all night.” “Because it’s true,” Marcus replied. “Give it a year—I’ll be running half the city.”

Lena, sitting beside him, didn’t respond. Her gaze remained fixed on the rain sliding down the window, her expression distant, almost uneasy. Daniel kept both hands firmly on the steering wheel.

“Maybe we should focus on getting home first,” he said. “The weather’s getting worse.” Marcus chuckled. “Relax, Daniel. You drive like an old man.”

Daniel didn’t answer. Emma noticed the tension immediately. She always did. Outside, thunder rolled low across the sky. The road ahead curved sharply, swallowed by darkness and trees that leaned too close, their branches swaying in the storm. For a moment, everything felt still.

Then a shape appeared in the headlights.

“Daniel!” Emma’s voice cut through the air.

A figure stood in the middle of the road. Daniel’s heart lurched. His hands jerked the wheel. The tires screamed against the wet asphalt. The car skidded sideway and then— Impact.

The sound was sickening. A dull, heavy thud that echoed through the car and into their bones. Everything went silent. The car came to a sudden stop. No one moved. Emma’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my God…”

Marcus stared straight ahead, his face drained of color. “Did we just—?”Daniel’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white.

“We need to check,” Emma said quickly, her voice shaking.

“No,” Marcus snapped. “Wait.” But Emma was already opening the door. Cold rain poured into the car as she stepped out, the storm swallowing her instantly. “Emma!” Daniel called, but she didn’t stop. Reluctantly, the others followed. The rain soaked through their clothes in seconds. A few feet behind the car, a body lay motionless on the road. Emma approached slowly, her heart pounding.

“Please… please be okay…” she whispered.

She dropped to her knees beside him. A young man. His face was pale, his eyes closed, rain mixing with the blood at his temple. Emma reached for his wrist. Nothing. Her breath hitched. “No…” she whispered. She moved her fingers to his neck, searching desperately. Her hands were trembling too much.

“I—I can’t tell”

“Move,” Marcus said, pushing past her. He crouched down and pressed his fingers firmly against the man’s neck. Seconds passed. Too many seconds. Marcus’s expression hardened. “There’s nothing,” he said. Emma shook her head violently. “No, that’s not right let me try again” She leaned closer, her ear near the man’s mouth. For a second she thought she felt something. A faint warmth. A whisper of breath. Her eyes widened.

“Wait”

But then it was gone or maybe it had never been there at all. The rain drowned everything.

“I… I don’t know,” she said, her voice breaking.

Daniel stepped forward. “Emma,” he said firmly. “Stop.” She looked up at him, desperate. “We need to call an ambulance.”

Marcus stood abruptly. “Are you insane?” Emma stared at him. “What is wrong with you? He needs help!”

“We’ve all been drinking,” Marcus said, his voice sharp. “You think the police won’t notice that?”

“So what?” Emma shot back. “We just let him die?”

Lena finally spoke. “He’s not moving,” she said quietly. Emma turned to her. “That doesn’t mean he’s dead!” Lena met her gaze. Her voice was calm too calm.

“I checked,” she said softly. “There’s no pulse.” Emma hesitated. Something in Lena’s tone unsettled her. Daniel exhaled slowly, his thoughts racing. “If we call the police,” he said, “this becomes something else.”

Emma stared at him. “It already is something else! We hit someone!” “And we’ll lose everything,” Marcus snapped. Emma felt tears sting her eyes. “This isn’t about us!” Silence fell between them. Rain pounded against the road. Daniel looked down at the body. Then back at the others. His decision came quickly.

“We don’t call anyone,” he said.

Emma’s heart dropped. “What?”

“We leave,” Daniel continued.

“No,” Emma said immediately. “No, I’m not doing that.”

“Yes, you are,” Marcus said.

“No!” Emma shouted. “This is wrong!”

Lena stepped closer. “Emma,” she said gently, “if we stay, we destroy our lives.” Emma shook her head. “We already have.”

Lena didn’t respond. Emma looked at Daniel, at Marcus, at Lena, then back at the man on the ground. Rain fell steadily over his still body. Her chest tightened painfully.

“What do we do?” she whispered.

Daniel’s voice was steady. “We move him.”

Emma stepped back, horrified. “You can’t be serious.” But no one disagreed. Minutes later, they stood at the edge of the forest. The storm had softened slightly, but the air felt heavy. The body lay between them. Unmoving. Emma’s hands shook uncontrollably.

“This is wrong,” she whispered again. No one answered. They worked in silence. Digging into the wet earth. Dragging the body. Burying the truth. At one point, as they lowered him into the ground, Emma froze. She swore she saw his fingers twitch. Her breath caught.

“Wait—did you see—?”

“Emma,” Daniel said sharply. “Stop.” She stared at the body. But it was still, completely still. Maybe it was just the rain. Or her imagination. She said nothing.

They covered him, layer by layer until there was nothing left to see, only disturbed earth and silence. When it was done, they stood there, soaked and shaking. No one spoke.

Finally, Daniel broke the silence, “We never talk about this again. ”Marcus nodded. Lena looked at the ground. Emma closed her eyes. The rain began to fall harder again, washing away footprints, washing away evidence, but not the truth. Never the truth.