bill512
03-21-2004, 4:40 PM
Scarey is running out of gas in the middle of the night, in the middle of a lonely highway, not a car or house or light in sight, in the middle of the bush, with only a pack of smokes and a windbreaker on. The car was a rental, and the guage read one eighth of a tank when the light came on, ran for two or three miles, then quit. Coasting to the soft shoulder.
He was stranded. And his name was Julian Casey. He was on business, now on his way back to the airport. He was going to spend the night there at a hotel and catch an early flight back home. But he ran out of gas. And now he was here. Rumaging through the trunk of his car. Found nothing. Not even a first aid kit.
He slammed the lid closed and was quiet. Even stopped breathing. Listening. Because there was nothing. Not the croak of a toad. Not the howl of an owl. Not anything but a distant bristling of wind through pine leaves. Deafening as all hell, and it was getting cold.
"Fuck!"
The drive was long. The walk? He took this road on the way down in the early morning the day before, and he knew. He knew what a long way it was. If he started now, at 4 miles an hour, 10 hours, forty miles, that was pretty close to the outskirts of the city. It'd be 8 the next morning.
"Fuck!'
So he grabbed his briefcase, zipped up his coat, and was off. At first a brisk walk. Angry. Looking back from time to time at that shiney comfortable buick parked off in the shoulder. Then he slowed. A speed he could maintain. Stumbled and kicked gravel out ahead of him from time to time. More distant. More withdrawan and hopeless. It was pitch black outside. Not even a moonlight. And spooky. Closing in. Closing in so close you didn't want to be there.
His posture gone, his mouth half opened in dismay, he maintained for hours that long quiet walk. That strain. Unknowing. Unbelieving. Uncaring that something was watching him. Something evil. Something so alien to him, it'd appear like it was beautiful.
"Hello."
Julian stopped. Surprised. He even screamed a little. Not even looking 10 feet ahead of himself. Then he laughed. "You scared me." "Sorry. What's your name?"
She was sitting on the shoulder. On the gravel. Facing away from the road towards the thick bush. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair tied into pony tail, and tight faded jeans. Wearing a thick coat. "Julian. Who are you?" "Me?"
She smiled, an unusaully consciencious, happy smile. Then stood brushing off her rear, and walked towards him. The expression on her face, the smile, almost seemed a weird thing. Though there was nothing weird about this woman. Still Julian found himself backing away. Slightly. She was tall.
"Yah. Who are you?" "Tina." "What are you doing out here?" "I was going to ask you that. Don't be afraid." "I'm not afraid." He said, embarassed.
His glare centered on that big smile, then turned behind him, then back, then turned again. This time pointing a finger. "I ran out of gas." "You serious?" And she laughed. "Yah." And Julian laughed too. "Kinda stupid." "You bet it is." And as she spoke it were almost as though she quietly pounced. Towards him. In close. Now she was only inches away. Smiling.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Walk with me."
"... ok."
He was stranded. And his name was Julian Casey. He was on business, now on his way back to the airport. He was going to spend the night there at a hotel and catch an early flight back home. But he ran out of gas. And now he was here. Rumaging through the trunk of his car. Found nothing. Not even a first aid kit.
He slammed the lid closed and was quiet. Even stopped breathing. Listening. Because there was nothing. Not the croak of a toad. Not the howl of an owl. Not anything but a distant bristling of wind through pine leaves. Deafening as all hell, and it was getting cold.
"Fuck!"
The drive was long. The walk? He took this road on the way down in the early morning the day before, and he knew. He knew what a long way it was. If he started now, at 4 miles an hour, 10 hours, forty miles, that was pretty close to the outskirts of the city. It'd be 8 the next morning.
"Fuck!'
So he grabbed his briefcase, zipped up his coat, and was off. At first a brisk walk. Angry. Looking back from time to time at that shiney comfortable buick parked off in the shoulder. Then he slowed. A speed he could maintain. Stumbled and kicked gravel out ahead of him from time to time. More distant. More withdrawan and hopeless. It was pitch black outside. Not even a moonlight. And spooky. Closing in. Closing in so close you didn't want to be there.
His posture gone, his mouth half opened in dismay, he maintained for hours that long quiet walk. That strain. Unknowing. Unbelieving. Uncaring that something was watching him. Something evil. Something so alien to him, it'd appear like it was beautiful.
"Hello."
Julian stopped. Surprised. He even screamed a little. Not even looking 10 feet ahead of himself. Then he laughed. "You scared me." "Sorry. What's your name?"
She was sitting on the shoulder. On the gravel. Facing away from the road towards the thick bush. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair tied into pony tail, and tight faded jeans. Wearing a thick coat. "Julian. Who are you?" "Me?"
She smiled, an unusaully consciencious, happy smile. Then stood brushing off her rear, and walked towards him. The expression on her face, the smile, almost seemed a weird thing. Though there was nothing weird about this woman. Still Julian found himself backing away. Slightly. She was tall.
"Yah. Who are you?" "Tina." "What are you doing out here?" "I was going to ask you that. Don't be afraid." "I'm not afraid." He said, embarassed.
His glare centered on that big smile, then turned behind him, then back, then turned again. This time pointing a finger. "I ran out of gas." "You serious?" And she laughed. "Yah." And Julian laughed too. "Kinda stupid." "You bet it is." And as she spoke it were almost as though she quietly pounced. Towards him. In close. Now she was only inches away. Smiling.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Walk with me."
"... ok."