Entry #46

The Last Mile
by Karlan T


Lenny was using all cylinders as he throttled down the highway. Like most that ran this stretch, he had a long way to go and a short time to get there. The heat of the highway radiated unbearably even at the witching hour.

He scanned the horizon under the moon, searching for the landmark that would tell him he was nearly home. The trio of plateaus was a beacon haloed by the starlit sky but the obnoxious flashing neon lights of a gas station grabbed his attention. Nothing would be better than home, but now the uncomfortable call of nature gnawed at his mind.

The journey is almost over, one last rest stop won't kill me, he decided.

Suddenly, lights flooded the air around Lenny. He panicked, glancing back to see headlights bearing down on him. Some insane instinct, beyond rationalization, compelled him to donut around and run head long into the paired beams of light.

Breaking free of the siren song, Lenny leaned into the last mile before the station. He strained to not look back. Behind, the growing thunder heightened his fear. The fear snapped his head around. A flash of reflective chrome grill was all he saw before everything went black.

The thunderous roar pulled into the gas station, rolling to a stop. Its engine idled with a guttural growl. "Damn Bugs," it muttered as it pulled Lenny from its chrome capped teeth.