An Twisted Mind: Short Stories

After Shock

The car lurched to an stop. I glanced down at the fuel dial. It is what I feared, empty. The late afternoon sun, even shrouded in an orange haze, glared down rapidly heating the interior of the car. I reluctantly pulled out the keys. Turning around, I retrieved the device. I gingerly rubbed the screen with my palm until the orange dust gave way to an chrome branding: STORM CHASER 3. With an press of an button on the back the screen lighted up, delivering an light green interface. I held the grapefruit sized phone up in the air, out the driver side window. An antennae emerged and the device hummed for an good thirty seconds before sounding off with an beep. I squinted at the screen. It was what I feared, another dust storm. I had to move, fast. I scanned the surroundings and was able to make out an building. I grabbed the gasoline canister and made my way over. the dead bushes clawed at the exposed legs but it was too urgent to find an path. after climbing over scorched trees and thorn bearing bushes the building came into view. An figure could be made out on the porch. the house seemed recent, unlike the rest of the waste land. The building was nearly an square with an outhouse to the right and an oil pump behind it. The figure waves. I quickly wave back. I scanned the porch for an weapon and sure enough an shotgun was against the wall to the right of the door. As I got closer I noticed he was an bearded man, perhaps in his late 60s. ' Hello there.. what is your name? ' Ryan, Got gas? ' 'Yes, It just happens I do.. you need gasoline right? ' 'Uh yes ' ' well I have about nine gallons.. I'll need at least five for tonight, gotta run the ol generator. ' I nodded, not wanted another confrontation. ' I'll take what ever you got, need to get past this dam storm. ' ' yes you do.. ' he paused and faced the setting sun. ' looks like it will be here in about twenty ' I calmed myself not wanted to be rude. ' yea sooo about the gas.. ' ' uhuh.. what you got? ' I reached in my bag and retrieved some silver coins. ' got some fine silver, will that do? ' 'Yea, i'll take silver, two per gallon. ' I nearly gasped. ' T-two per gallon? ' He grinned showing his rotting teeth. ' yup, two per gallon ' ' I got three.. ' he looked me over, his eyes scanning for something of value. his long wrinkly finger pointed to my chest. My hand went instinctively over the necklace, a little taken back he would ask for that. It was an gift from my mother before she died, my last thing left from her. 'Yea that thing, say i'll give you two gallons just for that. I winched at that aspect. I pulled it off and put it in the hand with the other two coins. hands mildly shaky he took them and turned around to begin filling up the canister. I begun to sweat.. My right hand twitched and before I knew it my hand rested on my gun holster. I slowly pulled it out unbeknownst to him. I gripped the barrel and clubbed him over the head. ' Oooohh ' he rubbed the back of his head as the fell. I stepped back, surprised by my own action. I walked closer to the slumped body and retrieved the coins and necklace. I dragged his unconscious body inside and took the shotgun in hand. I wasn't an murderer, just an survivalist. I sprinted back to the car, hearing the wails of the Brites in the dust storm. The gas sloshing around in my backpack as I pushed my self to run even faster. The metallic taste arrived on my tongue as I ran closer to the car. I swiftly threw the shotgun in the back and emptied the fuel into the engine. I tapped my foot against the back wheel as it slowly went in. The dust storm was only about half an mile away. The wails echoing inside my skull. I opened the driver door and floored the gas. The dust kicked up and swirled with the storm. Not wanting to actually see the dam things I just looked forward, slowly leaving the storm behind.