The Midnight Hour

Running in the Dark

I sit in my car tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. The lightning outside crashes loudly but underneath the cover of the gas station everything seems still. I am the only one here and for a split second I feel safe I almost let myself slip into sleep but I can't let my guard down. The rain outside starts pouring harder and my entire car is illuminated by the lightning that struck outside of the gas station. I reach out to turn on the radio, my hand shaking uncontrollably, the music comes on and at first I can't hear it. The sound is distant and faint almost nonexistent. Suddenly the music is at it's full volume and I retract my hand quickly. I look out my window and I see headlights approaching. I take a deep breath and turn the car on, I pull out of the gas station and head down an empty road. It's late and not many people are out after ten in this town. I try to rely on my headlights to guide me but inside my car is pitch black and empty, which is how I felt. I drive carefully but with the rain and darkness I feel lost. I begin to doze off at the wheel and the car swerves, I quickly regain my composure and get a grip on the wheel. I try to stay awake by focusing on the music 'running in the dark to find East of Eden'. I tap my fingers on count for the music and suddenly two bright lights blind me. There is now a car behind me, I push on the gas even harder now. I see a narrow pathway to my right and turn quickly. I realize it is a gravel road leading to a house so I stop, wait for the car to pass and start driving again. I drive on a long stretch of road for longer than I can remember. Everything is still and serine with the quiet tapping of raindrops on my window. I keep my eyes on the void of blackness in front of me and wonder when this road will end. The rain seems to have calmed for now but I feel the sky still has more wrath in it, that it has not punished us enough for something we do not even know about. I zone out for a bit in a world of my own thoughts and creations, and when I come to the music is blaring. I hurriedly turn the radio off, and listen to the loudness of the silence. I stare at the stretch of road in front of me and see a bizarre white light. I strain my eyes to see something but the light has flown away. I look at the time on my dashboard 11:55, it is almost midnight. I look back to the black and see something moving, it seems as if there is a bird a mix between black and white it begins to flit away and I realize I am no longer concentrating on the road. I have gone into the wrong lane and again the car I tried to escape earlier is back. I try to swerve to not hit, I was not fast enough. Time slows down I see the kid in the other car, about my age, with a look of terror. I hit the side of his car and my vehicle slides on the slick road. This is the sky's punishment I can no longer control the car and it flips and the world around me spins out of control. Before I can even scream I slip out of consciousness.