Rest Stop ahead

The truck rode rough. Kard bounced more often than he would have liked. The constant rattling of the dashboard distracted him. He decided it was too difficult to read the map. He'd go by recollection. It would be easy to recall the lines and the places he needed to turn.

Unable to read the signs, he followed the road until he reached a highway. He didn't quite catch the number. Maybe 141 or 114. That seemed right, so he continued. The road went on forever and none of the exits looked right. Finding himself lost, he decided it was time to turn around.

The trip back took less time then he remembered. He needed to find his way. It was time to take out the map. He tried to flip on the interior light. No response. The hollowed out area where a bulb should have been had broken glass and plastic. “Busted out,” he explained.

He drove for a bit longer, he couldn't tell how long, when he figured the road was going nowhere. Unfamiliar stretches of road trampled on his memory. Some spots looked like he'd just passed it a mile back.

One lonely stretch of road did look familiar. He thought something was coming back to him; some scene in his life that would give him a landmark to set him on the right road. He spotted the Saturn where he'd left it. The body of Mr. Prisoc was still laying in the ditch. “Going in circles?” He didn't see how that was possible, but crazier things had happened.

Kard wheeled over Mr. Prico's leg, and stopped the truck. Wanting to look at the map, again. He put the truck in park. “I'll use the headlights,” and snatched the map. It caught in a worn piece of the seat and tore the paper. It didn't rip completely in two, at first. It wasn't until he had enough of the frustration of life's little ways. The little ways that brought him down. Maps should not tear. They should be there for him, as he needed the maps. The lights should work, as well on the inside as they do on the outside. Life it not fair. That's why those people had died. Life's little problems getting in the way. His frustration fueled his anger, making him fail at keeping his temper, making him frustrated.

He yanked the map open, and that finished the job of tearing it into to uneven pieces. He brought the pieces into headlights in front of his truck. He noted the highways again, and he was on the wrong road. He had to go back a couple miles and make two turns. “That's all it'll take,” he reflected.

Back in his truck and on his way to find Timmy's, the never ending bounce of Mr. Prisoc's pickup, made him think of times he'd be at the playground. Most of the other children ignored him. It was Lisa that had seen he was cold. She let him borrow her jacket. She was nice.

Not paying attention to the road, a sign post came rushing toward him. He turned a hard right to avoid the dusty median. He didn't notice the police car sitting at the stop sign nearby, but the police had seen him. That police officer tried to contact him. Thinking this officer may be able to help a driver in need, he slammed on his breaks a little too hard.

There was a voice that was trying to tell him something. It was not all that clear, but it had an authority about it Kard found very attractive. “Hello, there.” Kard spoke aloud, and sent his tendrils out to investigate. He learned of he was the object of a man hunt. The officer was an esper, and now the officer knew about Kard. The officer knew more, and had that meant he had to know. “Yes, and what can you tell me?”

Kard sent tendrils into the officer and searched the mind that was helpless. He rummaged and found a great many things about the past year, and other unimportant things about the officers friends and family. It was the last few hours Kard wanted to know about, and he finally dug up his prize.

He drained the memories from this, officer, epser, and Psi-cop. As an after thought, Kard realized the esper's life was very tasty, and finished him off.

He laid his head back for a second, but before it could hit the headrest, a horn blared behind him. The officer had landed on his horn.

“Well, I can't sleep here. Besides I'm good for a hours, I think,” he said to himself.

He stepped on the gas, hung a left, and entered the on ramp to the next highway he came across. It stretched for several miles, and curved a few times until it came to a major interchange, and soon he was on a major highway. He had forgotten about his destination, for now, and drove with his lids getting heavy.

The world seem to spin for a second and he popped open his eyes. “Can't sleep now. I'm driving,” he said to the truck, hands waving as if the truck needed to hear what was going on in his head.

A sign said “Rest Stop, Next Right.” So, he took the exit.