Rawpocalypse

20 - Morning Commute - Part 2

A lively cocker spaniel leapt unexpectedly onto James Snyder's lap, making him jerk violently at the wheel, nearly sending his tiny Chevy Spark into a tailspin.

James gingerly lifted Daisy's sharp claws from his groin area, coming the closest every to scolding the speckled pooch. "Now, now. Stay in your own seat. Daddy has to drive."

Daisy whimpered, lowering sulkily to the seat cushion.

"I know," he said, sympathizing. "I wish I could take you to work with me, too."

She gazed up with dark, droopy eyes.

"Don't give me that look. The kennel isn't that bad. And it's better than leaving you caged up at home."

Daisy had no response.

The densely populated woods hugged the two-lane road, strangling the light from the gray early morning sky. The headlights flooded the scene with a golden glow.

A moment later, the sky reappeared and with it came the orange lights of the interstate overpass. The rumble of semis overhead perked Daisy's ears as the vehicle cruised quietly beneath the heavy traffic.

"It's just trucks," said James, stroking her soft fur.

Without warning, a dark figure darted from the tree-line and staggered into the path of his headlights.

James slammed the brakes, grabbing the wheel with both hands, choked by his seatbelt. Daisy tumbled helplessly off the passenger seat, her paws grappling for a grip on nothing but air. With a yelp, she disappeared into the shadows at the floor.

A headless giant toppled onto the hood with a thud, cut down at the knees by the Chevy's low bumper. When the car finally came to an abrupt stop, the dark giant slid forward and disappeared in front of the vehicle.

Heart racing, James locked his door feverishly, then dropped the vehicle into reverse. Daisy bounded onto the seat, barking and clawing at the dash.

The car slowly backed away from the scene of impact. A dark beast writhed in the center of the road like an injured snake. Daisy raised her front paws onto the dash and growled viciously through the front glass.

Horrifically, the headless creature bent at the waist, lifting its upper torso into the bright headlight beams. James blinked frantically, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him. Within the giant's breast, a face and a pair of beady eyes stared back at him.

"Calm down, Daisy," said James. "It's a man."

He reached for the door-handle, then froze in fearful hesitation. An instantly later, he followed through and pushed open the door. "Wait here."

Daisy didn't listen. The moment James rose from his seat, she scurried past his legs onto the black pavement.

"Are you all right?" James shouted over the top of his open door.

A muffled outburst came from the man in the road. "Does it look like I'm all right?"

James rushed around his door, leaving it wide open in the center of the road. As he quickly approached the stranger, Daisy trotted alongside him, growling at a steady purr. The man in the highway was bound in black fabric, wrapped tightly in ropes. A rip in the material exposed his face and neck through a gaping flap.

Theories flashed in front James; a drug deal gone bad, a gang bang, a mob rub. None were something he cared to tangle with. So, he didn't ask.

"Get these ropes off me," the man said.

James eyed the knots cautiously. "M-maybe we should let the doctors remove them at the hospital."

"Hospital? I don't need a hospital. I need the police. I need my lawyer. I need to talk to a fucking reporter."