Countless squares of shattered glass were scattered across the asphalt. Like seeds thrown to barren earth where they can never take root. Under her feet the glass ground against the pavement and cut into her flesh.

Where was her shoe?

Wind whistled in her ears, but she couldn’t feel it on her face. Everything was loud, roaring, screaming, but she couldn’t make any of it out. Cupping her hand to her ear, she found it wet and sticky. She pulled her hand back and stared at it.

Color was smeared across her fingers. It alternated bright red or rich brown in the flashing lights. She looked up toward the blue and red lights, holding her hand over her eyes and squinting into the brightness. All of a sudden she felt very, very dizzy.

Out of the light, a figure strode toward her, catching her as she felt her knees give out.

“Ma’am? You’ve been in a car accident. Are you alright? Do you know where you are?”

The face of a handsome man looked down at her, she smiled then tried to brush the hair out of her face, leaving behind a smear of blood.

“I can’t find my shoe.”

Memphis Note
For several years, the intersection of Riverdale and Winchester was the most dangerous intersection in the state for car accidents. The large number of traffic lights, the broad streets, and the dozens of turnins to the retail establishments meant you never knew where danger was going to come from. Accidents were happening at least once a day, many of them injury accidents. In recent years, the number of wrecks has decreased due to most of the key stores moving to safer areas of the city, causing a decrease in the area’s traffic.

He stood alone in the the dark, guitar slung over his back.

“Ain’t been the straightest road I walked, I know,” he said to no one in particular.

Twisting around, he rolled the guitar into his hands and strummed an open chord.

“Been a lot of struggle and scraping to get along that road. Skinned knees were something I lived with.”

He plucked each string in order, tuning by ear. “But, I made progress most days. Which is something I thank God for, ‘cause I know most folks in my place ain’t that lucky.”

“And I know – ” he began before striking a sour note that interrupted his train of thought. “Ah, hell. Hang on.” Biting down on his lip, and tilting his head over, he played the note until he got it just right.

Satisfied, he returned to talking. “I know that some days I fell off that road. Fell off into a bottle or into a ditch of my own stubbornness. But, I always got back up.”

“Alright, I’m ready.”

The stage lights came up, and he stepped up to the mic.

“I just wanna say thanks to all ya’ll for stickin’ with me.”

The crowed roared back in approval.

Memphis Note
No real reference here, just an homage to all the musicians that have come up from the birthplace of rock and roll. Ok, well, maybe in my head I’m seeing Ben Nichols of Lucero giving that speech.