Truck Stop

 

 

 

 

 

What I was really hoping to see lying along the edge of the road was a sandwich but instead all I noticed were bits of tire.  Not too much farther down I thought I saw a raccoon or perhaps a possum, but as I got closer that as well turned out to be just another section of tread from some unfortunate vehicle.

 

            The smart thing would have been to pack myself a lunch before I headed out, but no – that would have made sense and been too easy.  Now, miles later, I’m starved and imagining these various chunks of debris to be side dishes.

 

            I can’t remember how far ahead the next rest stop is.  I remember seeing the sign a ways back but I was fiddling with the radio as I passed the sign and I wasn’t paying enough attention to have it stick in my mind.  Now even the radio stations were far and few between.  Hungry for anything I flipped open the center console and glanced in for some gum or mints but there was nothing, just my back-up pair of sunglasses, a couple pens and a small notebook. 

 

            I looked back up just a little too late.  The 18 wheeler that had been leaving pieces of tire along the way now lay on it’s side across the road.  I had nowhere to go.  I slammed on the brakes and turned the steering wheel hard to the left.  I was going to slam into the underside of the truck and I didn’t want to do it head on.  My tires screamed as if they knew what was about to happen and the smashing impact sent the passenger windows towards me in slow motion like little glass bullets. 

 

            At the same time my body pulled hard against the seatbelt.  I heard something in my neck snap and felt a sharp pain slice down my back.  I was wondering why I had not felt any of the broken glass and I tried blinking a few times to focus on something long enough to collect my thoughts.  I could still hear my tires screeching but suddenly realized that it couldn’t be my tires, I had already come to an abrupt stop.

 

            Gradually, as my eyes once again focused I understood what it was I was seeing.  It was the large chrome grill of another 18 wheeler coming straight at me.  It was his tires I was hearing and there was no way he was ever going to stop.

 

            I was to be the sandwich.