Ring around the Rosies

She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled. Linc was going to be happy to see this, she thought. Her left foot grazed a raised stone underfoot, causing her to lose her balance.

"Wooh," she said, throwing her arms out on either side to steady her weight.

Get a grip, Sammie, she thought. Don't get to excited now. The fun hasn't even started yet.

The sound of the ambient noise buzzing about the street was escalating to a loud whir, with traffic honking, and the drone of the metal motors coming to a stand still, as suddenly as if time just halted and she was the only person breathing, living in time with the noise all around her still trapped. She looked up ahead and saw what reminded her of an accident scene, but suddenly the sense of time passing returned, as she read the lips of the drivers shouting from their vehicles, their voices lost in the traffic noise.

"There has been an accident," she said, yelling at the nearest vehicle with a window rolled down, and an angry, impatient driver in the front seat, but the attempt was of no use.

She continued toward the two nearest men in yellow reflective vests, who stood their eyeing her suspiciously. Stop staring at me, you fat pigs, she thought. They could at least say something.

She shifted her gaze to the accident scene, which she could seem more closely. What joust happened back there, she wondered finally processing that something out of the ordinary just took place. It's like time just stopped.

"Excuse me miss, but we are going to have to ask that you walk around the barriers. There has been a serous accident up ahead at the intersection."

"Okay," she said, complying with their demands. I probably shouldn't snoop anyways.

Before walking past them, she asked, "is anybody injured?" She stopped, and faced the officer again.

"I'm afraid so," the other man said, turning away to talk to the other police officer

She continued forward. I hope Linc is where I told him I'd meet him.  She noticed a dozen or more police men on the scene, and began to smile.

Just one glance, she thought, and she turned her head. The medics were lifting what looked like the outline of a man. The sheet covering the body caught a gust of wind as the medics picked him up, but they covered him again. Keeping this mans identity away from prying eyes.

"Nooo."

She uttered a scream so loud, every person with authoritative positions snapped their heads in her direction. She sunk to her knees, salty tears running down her face. The policeman who instructed her to move along dashes to her side, asking her if she was alright. Three other men rushed to her side, surrounding her with jumpy, questioning conversation.

"What happened here?"

"Sir, I don't know. She hasn't said a word," the first cop at her side said.

"Shhh, quiet. Ma'am," he said, pausing to listen to the persistent cries. "What is the matter?"

She looked up to meet his curious, worrisome gaze, and reached down to feel her jacket pocket. The little red box was missing.

"I, uh...," she said, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "That man they just put on the stretcher was my boyfriend."

The chatter within the circle they formed around her had ceased. "Ma'am, I'm sorry. He was walking along the street and was struck by oncoming traffic."

The tears started rolling down her cheeks, completely forgetting her missing box, and giving into her grief. She dropped her head down, chin slumping on her chest, and there beside one of the police men's foot lay the little box. Before she could throw herself at the man's feet to distract them from noticing, the man reached down and plucked it from his feet.

"No," she said, crying out softly, reaching with her hand, but the man gripped the front of the box, and lifted its cover, ignoring her sudden gesture.

"Sir, it looks like some type of narcotic."

The police officer beside him glanced over at the box, only taking his eyes off of the woman for a few seconds. He let out a sigh, reached for his handcuffs, and took a hold of her outstretched arm.

"You have the right to remain silent..."

She only heard the first few words, as her gaze wandered over to the ambulance merging into traffic about five blocks up the street.