renegade - e. munson

chapter six: haunted hayrides pt1

   NIGHTS LIKE THESE always felt like the Twilight Zone. Driving down the back roads towards nowhere in particular with the purple sky watching over us. We smoked cigarettes and blew our smoke out the window. I liked watching how the clouds blew past us and soon into nothingness. It reminded me of me.

   Bon Jovi blared on the radio making conversation scarce. Though on nights like these talking wasn't needed. Talking wasn't wanted. I just wanted to drive down the broken asphalt roads with the windows down so I could feel the speed of the wind through my hair.

   I wanted to go faster.

   The sleeping winter trees zoomed passed us. I couldn't tell them apart. They all blended into a grey smear.

   Faster and faster. The engine revved and the smear of grey showed flickers of red. A blank grey canvas with splatters of red paint displayed across the windshield.

   This is what I wanted. Right?

   I wanted faster. I wanted faster. Faster.

   I looked over to the driver and Billy stared right back at me. His hands gripped the leather steering wheel till his knuckles turned white. The electricity was back in his eyes and he was staring right at me.

   "Billy," I called out, but the wind canceled out my voice.

   On the speedometer, the arrow pointed to 100, and it was slowly climbing.

   "Billy look at the road," I begged, but he continued to look at me.

   There was no smile, no frown, no furrow on his brow. This Billy held no expression on his face. This wasn't my Billy.

   The faster and faster we went and soon I felt the air in my lungs being pulled out. I pleaded and begged but Billy's expression did not change. Those same electric eyes bore into me, sinking it's anger into my own heart.

   Rage. I tried screaming but no words came out. I tried reaching out for him but my body was pinned to the back of the seat. I tried to look away but my neck wouldn't turn.

   "Slow down," I forced out. The plea that came out of my mouth felt weak. "Slow down, Billy. Please."

   His eyes turned black and a smile curled on his lips.

   "He'll follow you everywhere," Billy said, but it wasn't Billy's voice.

   Soon the grey trees all turned red. The speedometer was at 180 now. How was that even possible?

   "You should just give up now," the monster growled.

   He finally looked away from me. I barely could turn my head to look in front of us. A giant oak tree stood in the middle of the road, different from the other red-soaked trees we zoomed passed.

   I wanted to beg him to slow down. To stop and pull this car over so I could get out. But I didn't. I didn't even attempt to. I just stared straight across just like him and waited for the car to finally crash into the big oak tree.

   I woke up in a cold sweat. The nightmares were coming back.

   I threw my comforter off me. I reached over for my glass of water and chugged it, trying to formulate the scenes my brain showed me before they were forgotten. I always remembered the big things, but the little details always seemed to escape me.

   Slowly, I got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom to wash my face. It was still dark outside and my alarm clock showed 3:01 am. I still had three more hours of sleep till I needed to wake up for school.