FicWad

It seemed as if the road would never end, and neither would the isolation. Not once in the past couple of days had I seen a single person, or even so much as a vehicle. Normally, I wouldn’t mind being alone, considering that that’s how I‘ve spent the majority of my life. Lately though, it’d be nice to see a familiar face, or any face for that matter.
For a brief moment, I direct my attention from driving to the vast terrain. And like always, there’s not much to see except for miles upon miles of desert, and of course the occasional cactus. While observing, I begin to feel my engine repeatedly stall and stutter. Looking down at the meter, I see that the needle is slightly dipping and steadily drawing closer to the magnified “E”. After mentally cursing myself for not stopping earlier, I slam the heel of my boot onto the gas pedal. As the force of my boot kicks in, I feel my tires spin out while a cloud of dust forms and directly showers my face. Hopefully, I’d find a gas station soon. Sadly, there’s no chance in hell that I could get that lucky.
As the miles of heated asphalt dared to continue, I began to feel my hope fade and my heart begin to sink. The needle that was once merely drifting above the “E” was now resting dead center. I knew I couldn’t go much further, sooner or later, my bike would eventually give out. Pulling over onto the shoulder, I take a moment to rummage through my bag for some water. After a few minutes of searching, I come to find that the clear plastic bottle is empty. Reaching further, I discover that the bottom of my bag, along with everything else, is completely soaked. My maps, my money, and all of my ammo is completely ruined. I honestly can’t believe this. Could things possibly get any worse? I mean, I have no supplies, no gas, or even money to pay for gas, and I'm running out of time. I should have already been in Phoenix.
Only a mere second from abandoning all hope, I notice something not too far off in the distance. It's too far to determine what it really is, so I reach back into my bag and retrieve my binoculars. After wiping off the lenses, I bring the binoculars to eye level and scan the horizon. In the distance, about 15 to 20 miles away, I notice a diner to the left, and a gas station to the right! Overwhelmed with joy, I quickly stuff the binoculars back into my bag and leap onto my bike. Completely aware of the fact that I’m exceeding my limits, I undo the kick stand and cautiously pull off the shoulder and back onto the highway. As my bike begins to pick up speed, I slam on the accelerator and watch as the miles rapidly diminish.
Feeling the wind on my face, and the warmth of the sun, I can't help but smile as the figure in the distance becomes more apparent. As I continue to race down the barren highway, I begin to smell something odd, almost toxic. Looking back I see that it's my tire, which is now smoking. But before I can even place my foot on the break, the unbelievable happens. The tire becomes engulfed in flames, and piece by piece, the tire detaches itself from the rim. As the bike begins to swerve, I tightly grasp the handles and unsuccessfully try to regain my balance. Glancing back I see sparks flying as the bare rim drags across the hot asphalt. When I return my attention to the front, I barely have the chance to focus before the breaks lock. The sudden stop and the weight of the bike throws me under and sends me into a spiraling motion that seems endless. With every tumble I hear metal tear, bones break, and glass shatter. When I finally come to a stop, I can hardly move.
My breath is coming in short gasps, and my heart is beating so fast that I thought it was going to burst through my chest. When I try to turn my head, every muscle in my body screams in response. Suddenly I feel a wave of nausea that causes my eyes to roll into the back of my head. And when I try to sit up, I feel a sharp pain that brings tears to my eyes. Looking down, I see a single shard of glass wedged in my side. Wincing my eyes shut, I take hold of the shard and every so slowly remove it from my side. The pain was unlike anything that I had ever felt before. The tears I fought so hard to keep in check began to stroll down my cheeks. Once the glass was removed, I untied the bandana that I kept around my neck and pressed it to my side. Within a few minutes, the bandana was completely soaked with my blood. What would I do now? All my hopes, all my chances- gone up in flames, much like my bike. It takes all my will and my remaining strength to stand. Less than a mile away is the gas station. If I could make it that far, I could get help. Maybe I could hitch a ride? Maybe they’d lend me a hand. Who knows?
With each step my body cries in agony. Black splotches began to cloud the corners of my vision. Before I can manage another step, I lose my balance and stumble to the heated asphalt. I cough and it feels as if my lungs are made of steel. “I ca…can…can’t. I stutter as my world is enclosed in total darkness.
My body feels as light as a feather. It’s as if I am suddenly oblivious to the pain that was suffocating me moments ago. Suddenly, it feels as if my body is being lifted and transported from my state of bliss. I feel a set of arms cradling me. My instant reaction is to pull away, but I can’t. My limbs are numb and absolutely useless at this point.
“Is she breathing?” Says a mature, yet youthful male voice.
“Barely....she’s unconscious though.” Replies another voice.
That’s the last thing I hear before I slip away once more.
When I open my eyes, the first thing I see is a sky filled with dozens of twinkling stars.
“Where am I?” I hear myself mumble.
I try to sit up, but when I do, my vision begins to blur and I feel a sharp pain above my ribcage.
“Hey…you’re safe. You’ve been in an accident. Just be still.” When my eyes flutter open again, the first thing I see is a pair of hazel eyes. Suddenly I feel winded and unable to catch my breath.
My instincts kick in and I reach for the gun that would normally be at my hip. When I discover that it’s gone, I clench my fist and prepare for a possible confrontation.
“Who are you?!”
“Hey…we’re not gonna hurt you…just calm down.” He says as he grasp my clenched fists. His touch sends a wave of warmth and contentment throughout my body, which causes my face to flush a shade of red as bright as his hair.
“You’ve been in an accident. We found you….you were barely breathing…” His voice is filled with concern. He continues to walk towards me, and I feel myself relax. Suddenly, my head begins to pound and my vision blurs again. I feel my world tumbling and before I know it I’m descending downwards. I feel those familiar arms embrace me. He pulls me to his chest before settling to the ground. I can’t help but shift closer towards him. His scent is alluring, and tinged with the familiar scent of cigarette smoke.
“You okay?” He says as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I….I…” I can hardly finish my sentence before he lifts me into his arms and carries me to one of the unoccupied sleeping bags. As I look around, I notice a few other sleeping bags.
“Just rest okay? You’ve had a rough day. Trust me.”
Before I know it, I can barely keep my eyes open. My eyes flutter once more before I drift off into a dreamless sleep.