To make a long story short, both the ambulance and the police eventually found the road and us. Well, me. Like I said, only I could see Derek.

The town that neighbors Forlot had sent two officers and asked me point-blank about the event that turned out to be my worst nightmare. All the while, two men who rode in the ambulance questioned me if I was hurt in the accident.

I admitted to both the men and cops everything that went on that night. I practically spilled out my guts!

I told them to the best of my ability. I was not hurt. I did not even have minor injuries! I was also blessed that Mom and Dad's car was not damaged. Not even a dent. I went on to saying that I accidentally drove over two people.

"They looked like that they were in their teen years," I said, wrapping it up. "I had my headlights on and was driving the speed limit. I swear."

"We believe you," one of the officers reassured me. "Is that all?"

"I would like to add one more important detail. Just so you know, I am unsure if this was intentional, but I have a feeling that it was."

I paused and watched the other officer taking some notes in his small notebook. I gulped, for my theory was quite disturbing.

"As I stated earlier, I was in the right. I believe that the teens purposely saw my car or most likely, my headlights. I think that they stepped onto the street and in front of my car on purpose in order to get hit. Why would they do such an insane thing? Either they were suicidal or not right in the heads."

"Thank you, kind sir," the officer who was talking with me thanked. He bent down and rubbed his chin, examining the tires and whatever was under the car, which was basically nothing.

"You say that the two bodies were under the car and between the tires," the cop repeated what I was claiming.

"Yes, sir. I left the car, and when I came back, they were not there."

"Right." He rose back up. "Dead bodies do not get up and walk away. So there is only one explanation."

"What would that be?"

"You did not kill them. Or should I say, they did not kill themselves. They must have regained conscious and left the scene when you were not looking."

I fiddled with my fingers and looked down at my shoes. "I know that I should not feel bad. I did not mean to do it..."

"Kid..." the other cop started. "...you stayed at the scene of an accident, even after the mysterious teens went on their way. That is a good deed in of itself."

I looked back up and forced myself to smile. "Thank you."

After that ordeal, I tried to convince the men who were from the hospital that I would be fine. But they did not want to take any chances and helped me into the ambulance.

"Do not worry, Daniel," Derek whispered to me. He was floating by me. "Being at the hospital will not be that bad. It is not like that they will contact your parents."

This was one of the few times that I wished that the ghost was correct.

As soon as I was emitted to the hospital, one of the doctors who was assigned to me somehow found out about my home phone number and called my mother and father. So you can probably guess how embarrassed I was when Mom and Dad ran into the room where Derek and I were in.

"Daniel!" Mom shouted my name at the top of her lungs. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me, squeezing me in the process. "My beautiful boy." She released me and held my face in her delicate hands. "My goodness! Look at you. You are a mess."

"What happened, Daniel?" Dad demanded. "The doctor briefly told me on the phone that you were involved in a serious car accident."

I let out a heavy sigh. "I unfortunately was."

"Who hit you?" Mom said.

"When I get my hands on who ran you over with their darn car, I will make them pay," Dad added.

Hearing my own dad say that made me fear for my life. They knew that I was a well-behaved kid. I could only imagine what they would do to me. Punish me severely? Take away my favorite things and activities?

Disown me?

I knew that I could not keep this hazardous secret from them. It was not in my nature, and the same goes for lying.

"Mom. Dad. It was an accident. Nobody was meant to get hurt."

"I am not so sure about that," Dad said. "You know as well as I do that your peers are jealous of you because you always do the right thing."

Out of the blue, I snapped.

"I did the right thing and still ran them over!"

Mom and Dad were surprised by this. Their eyes widened, and Mom covered her mouth.

"You what?" Dad questioned me.

Once again, I explained the event, and frankly, my stomach churned each time that I told it.

Heh. My stomach churned like it does with politics.

"That is the truth," I finished. "The whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But I swear that it was not my fault. I had the headlights on, and—"

Dad cut me off. "Daniel." He rested a hand on my shoulder. "Do you take us as fools?"

At this point, I was sweating like crazy. "N-no, Dad. Why would you think that?"

Mom uncovered her mouth. "It is because we believe you, Daniel," she said. "We are not fools."

"You...you do?"

Dad nodded and formed a small smile. "I will tell you what. Once your doctor is okay with you leaving the hospital, you will die."