I pulled into my driveway and put the car in park. The car idled for a second waiting for my brain and body to get enough strength to turn the key. The car went from an annoying but quiet hum to silence. My body relaxed allowing me to finally have some peace and quiet.

After a few minutes, I opened the door and with a grunt, I took a deep breath and closed the door with a satisfying clunk.

I stepped back and inspected the front left wheel well, then with a slow deliberate walk, I checked to see if there were any imperfections. I thought I saw a minor scratch along the rear bumper but I was mistaken. Once I finished my inspection I took labored steps to the front door to notice that a petal on a rose had disappeared. But I decided it was better to not think about it. While I stood unlocking my door the thought of the petal just wouldn’t budge. The lock clicked and the door swung open effortlessly. I wiped my shoes on the mat and then walked inside.

‘Where the hell could it have gone?’ I said quietly to myself

‘I didn’t touch it I don’t think. Maybe it was the wind. Maybe it was something that I did weeks ago and I didn’t notice until now.’

In deep contemplation, I almost forgot to take off my shoes. Then with a jolt, I stopped myself before taking another step and methodically untied them, took them off, re-tied them, and walked upstairs to put them in my closet.

I was staring down at my feet the whole time I was walking upstairs. I didn’t know why this thought was bothering me so much. God, why does this happen? Why can’t it just be a fucking flower?

I was getting angry at this thought and anger only worsened my resolve to figure out the mystery. I went to my bedroom on the top floor and sat down in my chair. I rocked back and forth for a second but decided to stand up and pace around. I grabbed at my fingers nervously fidgeting wondering why the FUCK can’t I REMEMBER.

I collapsed to the floor exhausted from all of the energy that I just spent.

Then looking at me from under my bed wrapped in a tarp was my wife. And I remembered. She wanted to help by cleaning up a dead leaf she found on top of it. I didn’t like that so I killed her. I broke her nose and then threw her head against the post of our bed. With her face mutilated her eyes were the only things left. That perfect piercing shade of blue.

‘Ok, sir I’m going to need you to stay there. Do you understand?’ The 911 operator said

‘Don’t worry I figured it out and just wanted to tell someone.’

I hung up the phone with sirens glaring in the background and smiled.