The New Flesh

Danny rubbed his neck with his left hand while keeping his right hand on the steering wheel. Funny how he’d dreamed of owning his own truck, and thought it would mean freedom on the open roads. Instead he felt like he may as well been chained to the god damn thing, he had to drive so many hours to pay for it.

And now trying to keep Marcie off his back about not spending any time with her and the kids. Always something. Danny continued to massage his neck while he drove. There might as well be a balled up fist in there, his neck was so bloody tight.

Danny saw a small car coming up fast behind him. He could hear the pulsating music blaring from their stereo. Danny shook his head. Kids today. No respect for anything.

Danny thought back to when he was a teenager and his Dad beat the shit out of him every Saturday night. The old man would come crawlin’ in after the bar closed and start yelling about some thing. Any thing. No matter what Danny said or did, it’d always end up the same, with his Dad whalin’ on him like he was on fire, saying “That’ll teach ya, little punk bastard.”

The little Focus was passing him now, and Danny could see the car crammed full of teenagers, none wearing seat belts. The kid in the passenger seat had his window open wide and forced his upper body out the window. He hurled his large pop back toward Danny’s windshield.

In an instant Coke splashed all over Danny’s window. Danny instinctively pressed his foot to the brake and felt another car crash into the back of him.

Danny jumped out of his truck and rushed back to it. A young pregnant woman was crying. He motioned for her to roll down the window. “Jesus Christ, lady are you o.k.?”

She nodded. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”

She was a pretty little thing, reminded him of his mama. “I’ll get the little bastards, don’t you worry.”

“No, no. I don’t want any trouble. I’ll just call my husband.”

Danny was already running back to his truck. He felt weighed down by his heavy construction boots and flannel shirt. Danny hopped in the truck and pressed his foot down hard on the accelerator. He grabbed a blanket from the passenger side to wipe the sweat off his head.

Danny gritted his teeth and repeated his mantra. “I’ll get you, ya little bastards. I’ll get you, ya little bastards.”

Danny put his fist on his horn while car after car got out of his way to let him pass. Danny was so hot now he could hardly breathe. He spotted the Focus and drove up behind it and nudged it with his bumper. The kid on the passenger side leaned out and screamed at him. “You’re crazy!”

Danny took the large wrench beside him and hurled it out the window. It only dented the trunk. The car drove up the bridge that went over the Mack River. Danny took a deep breath and drove into the lane beside them. He swerved right into them and could hear screaming. One more time should do it. Danny ran them off the bridge into the river below.
Danny stopped his truck and ran to the edge of the river. The car was completely submerged.

Danny spit while he walked back to the truck. “That’ll teach ya, little punk bastards.”
Danny climbed back in the truck and drove on. Danny looked at his watch. He’d have to drive faster now, or he’d never meet his deadline.

"The Lesson"

Copyright: © 2009 Elizabeth Crocket
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Elizabeth writes short fiction, poetry and haiku. She has been published or has work forthcoming in Spotlight on Recovery magazine, Horror Bound, Flashes in the Dark, Micro horror, Flashshot, Every Day Fiction, Every Day Poetry, Ascent Aspirations, RKVRY online journal, Midnight Times, Word Riot, Roadrunner online journal, Shamrock online journal and more.