Lurking in the Dark

Chapter 1

His heavy eyes swell with salty tears as he yawns again. Droplets sinking into his oily skin and the crevaces on his over worked, tanned face. The country side seemed different to him in the dark, although he knew it well. He gave a sigh, a sigh of impatience, he wanted to be at home, in his warm bed holding his wife. 

He lifted his right hand off of the steering wheel and swiftly twisted his wrist. His eyes adjusted to the dim light as he read the time.

4:46 

He clutched the wheel, sighing again.

"Nearly home"

The road ahead was empty. He glanced in the rear vision mirror to see blackness.

'tap, tap split splat'

Spots of rain clung to the windscreen and his attention was drawn to the road again.

In the distance, he could see a vague four legged animal, back turned and motionless on the side of the road. A cow perhaps.

The taps of rain on the windscreen evovled into pelts, he pressed the windscreen wipers.

Staring through the metronoming squigee's, at the left shoulder of the road, the figure still stood there. He slowed to a hult allowing it to cross. It didn't move. He grinded the gears, and accelerated.

In a matter of seconds, its head flung around quicker than light, and two blazing topaz eyes ran across the asphalt...

Blackness.

He lifted his head from the steering wheel and swayed with dizziness, as he slightly swiped his fore head with his fingertips.

Blood. It drooled down his worked fingers like liquid scarlet silk.

The car was still humming, and the head lights were still beaming, but the windscreenwipers weren't on. He pressed the lever again. As the rain was pushed away, a distinct well had been indented in the bonet.

"Ffff..." he sighed, not allowing himself to swear.

Staring at the mangled bonnet in disbelief, a small twitch in the darkness caught his attention. Lightly thumping  his head against the seat and allowing it to bounce, he stared in shame.

The animal rested with its back turned to the road. It wasn't big enough to be a cow. It was lashing rain and the outside world was blured with streaks of plummeting aqua. He was tired and bleeding. He left the creature on the road to die, and headed home through the sleeping town of Mulbring.