Not a killer

The other night, must've been Sunday, I was driving home from work (LD). Upon the road ahead, a few curves in front of me, I spied a shambling shape. It's size was similar to that of a cat, it was crossing the road. I noticed instantly it's gait, and dismissed the idea of it being a cat, it was then confirmed to be an opossum, the most ugly of north American mammals. Wiry grey fur, thick rat-like tail, beady little eyes, and a mouth most indubitably filled with little sharp, pointy teeth.

Only a moment goes by since my noticing of it before this information has played through my skull.

I then think on roadkill, the thing will be in my lane by the time my speeding car reaches it, what should I do? My first thought is that if I run over it my car may slip in the guts and gore and I may loose control around the corner, not a good thing. My second thought, following quickly on the heels of the first, is that my car sits low enough that I most likely will kill it by just running over it (estimated 60% chance for instant fatality due to a broken back, 100% chance of eventual fatality). There are no oncoming cars at this time of night, so I swerve, only so slightly, since only a second has passed since I first noticed the thing I still have enough distance that a slight course change will save a life. And indeed a second later I sailed by leaving the thing to spread it's rabies and offspring as it is wont to do.

In these collections of seconds, perhaps 5 in all, I found out that I am not a killer. My brain sometimes works in strange/disturbing ways, perhaps I just view the world from a different angle than most. But instinctively saving the ugliest animal known to man from certain death teaches me something about myself. Despite all that may run through my overactive imagination, and eventually spill out the causeway that is my mouth, I am still good, just chaotic-good ;)