My contest entries

Road Trip

       The sun beat down on the yellow sand surrounding the beat up, cracking highway. Dust clouds puffed up continually behind me. My windows were sealed shut to prevent dust from entering but it was making my Jeep Rangler quite literally a hot box. Sighing, I gave up and I unzippered the window next to me. I coughed as dust swirled in.
        The steering wheel jerked hard to the left and wouldn't break back to the center. I began to spin out. Dust clouded my vision. I couldn't see a thing. The dust seemed to get brighter and brighter very quickly. Soon it was just a blinding light and I was forced to close my eyes. Everything else fell away and I found myself losing consciousness. My last thought before it all went black was at least they won't have to deal with me anymore.

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       The sun beat down on the yellow sand surrounding the beat up, cracking highway. Dust clouds puffed up continually behind me. My windows were sealed shut to prevent dust from entering but it was making my Jeep Rangler quite literally a hot box. I sighed.
      "Probably don't want to unzip a window," a voice said next to me, "at least not in the front. "
       I turned and smiled at her. "Good idea, Casserole."
        She giggled, "No one has called me that in a while."
        "What are you talking about?" I asked focusing back on the road.
        "Well, I left town remember?"
        "Oh. Duh. No one came up with that wonderful nickname?"
        "No, silly Camera."
         I giggled. "I guess I haven't been called that in a while either."
         "Well, I'm going to have to sleep soon. And I probably won't see you until the end of your road trip."
          "Yeah. You do look a little pale," I replied studying her ghostly white face and dull hair.
         "I'm okay. I'll be happy to have some rest. I'm not happy, however to hear about what's going on back in the city." She answered giving me a pointed look.
          I returned my gaze to the road. I sighed.
      "It's all just a little much for me now, so I'm leaving."
       She frowned. I admit that I don't like the idea of her leaving before me. She will one day hear that I'm gone. Forever. No one will attend the funeral except for some family that are obligated to come. She'll probably come visit the grave.
     "I know what you're thinking," she says, "and I don't like it one bit."
     "You don't know what it's like," I sigh shaking me head.
     "Constant Pain."
     "What?" I look at her. She's staring straight at me.
     "But never physical. No, they don't dare touch you, but their words beat the inside of your head. They destroy your pride. Nothing can stop them unless you stop it all. Stop everything. Stop breathing."
     I stared at her. How did she-
     "Everything you think people view you as it's not real. It's as unreal as everything you see right here."
     "What do you mean? This is real."
     "No it's not. You'll see very soon. I thought like you, right until the end. I never realized the people who cared the most. I hope you do. Before it's too late. Goodbye."
      I watched as her body began to glow, slowly at first, but then in an instant she was gone. I screamed as the steering wheel jerked hard to the left and the car began to spin out. I couldn't slow down, I couldn't brake, and as everything around me blurred in a bright light, one final gasp left my lungs.

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      My head aches with a pain I have never experienced. Physically, at least. Slowly I raised it from the position it held against the steering wheel.
         I sucked in breath as dried blood attempted to keep my forehead stuck on the steering wheel. I slowly placed my hands on the wheel to steady myself. I took shaky breaths. Dust still crowded around the car.
     I took inventory of myself. Nothing seemed broken, my head hurt, but only the skin appeared split. My car appeared okay from the inside. Dust covered it though.
      "Are you alright?" a worried man asked standing next to my car.
       I gazed at the passenger seat.
       "I will be."