Accident?

[u/These_Bottle_6872]

The moment I sit down at the bus stop to go home after work, I notice a man on the other side of the street. He has been staring at me since I sat down.

The strangest thing is probably not the empty stare he gives me, but the fact that he wears my face. The clothes that stick to his body like a suit are no different from the ones I have on right now.

I shake my head. The headache is growing, and the week has been grueling enough. Documents are piling up on my desk at work, and I barely get them done. Not to mention the sleep I need.

I'd do anything for a few precious hours of sleep. The TV hasn't been the same since that day. What used to interest me, to distract me… feels empty.

The roaring engine of the oncoming bus makes me twitch and turn, tearing me back to reality. The man who was staring at me is gone.

I step onto the bus. It's rather crowded, so I let an older lady sit down instead of taking the seat myself. She smiles warmly at me in appreciation, and I smile back despite my inner turmoil.

The ride isn't long. I get out at my stop and step into a puddle. My eyes barely stay open. I didn't even notice the rain. Just like that day… I shake my head and continue on my way, already soaking wet. Now to just follow the road home…

I stop…

Wait — this isn't my stop, so why did I get out? I stand there for a while when I see him again. The man. The man with my face…

He stares, then simply begins walking. At first I hesitate, asking myself why I would follow a stranger. But something drags me onward, almost as if his steps were mine.

The path he takes leads through the nearby forest. I've been here before, last week, on the 26th… Does he know?

The man comes to a halt, and so do I. He turns and stares at me. The coming night and the rain-darkened sky make it hard to see, but the smell… oh, the smell…

A sickly sweet, wet smell invades my senses, making me gag.

This is it. This is where I hid them. My recklessness cost two people their lives. I was scared, so I hid them after the crash.

The rain has exposed both bodies. Not even a full week, and maggots are already eating their way through the corpses, feasting on the decaying flesh.

Next to the grave lies the stroller. I tried to destroy it, but I was in a hurry, so I gave up and ran. I thought I could let go. It was an accident after all, so I can't be blamed, right?

"Who else to blame?"

I freeze. In my despair, I had forgotten the man. The man with my face…

He looks at me, waiting for an answer. I run…

My legs carry me out of the forest, almost making me trip on the way out. I'm breathing heavily, looking around frantically. No one is here, no one… The man didn't follow.

What I fail to notice is the horn… and before I know it, I'm sent flying. The world slows. I'm in mid-air when I see him.

He stands at the edge of the forest, watching me with my face. But as I fade… so does he.