He fought to stay asleep. His neck hurt. His body hurt. His fingers felt puffy and numb. Hours of sleep with his forehead pressed against the steering wheel made that spot a focus of pain. How long had it been? The town was just as dark and God knows he was still tired, but dawn felt close. He scanned the horizon for any trace of light even though he had no idea which way was east. He fumbled for his cell phone to check the time - “No Service Available”.
The car slowly warmed as he sat in a gentle stupor. He looked out into the dark and tried to put together the last few days. His pre-dawn world had a lot of shapes but few edges. He flicked the plastic Pterodactyl hanging from his mirror, watching it move back and forth. During the day it had color and detail but now was just a swaying silhouette. At this moment, his empty stomach and the need to get out of this car were as close to a plan as he had.
The Olds moved out from behind the row of deserted stores. The dim, still landscape of Otter Lake and the warm glow of Candy’s Café were all he could see. The car nosed into the Cafe's empty parking lot, "Black Velvet" playing softly on the radio.
Every word of every song he sang was for you
He turned off the radio and sat in there trying to gather the will to open the door and face the cold. The vibration of the engine and the whine of the heater fan were almost hypnotic.
He peered through the windshield into the Cafe. There were no people inside, but the lights were on. Right now, all he cared about was breakfast.
The car slowly warmed as he sat in a gentle stupor. He looked out into the dark and tried to put together the last few days. His pre-dawn world had a lot of shapes but few edges. He flicked the plastic Pterodactyl hanging from his mirror, watching it move back and forth. During the day it had color and detail but now was just a swaying silhouette. At this moment, his empty stomach and the need to get out of this car were as close to a plan as he had.
The Olds moved out from behind the row of deserted stores. The dim, still landscape of Otter Lake and the warm glow of Candy’s Café were all he could see. The car nosed into the Cafe's empty parking lot, "Black Velvet" playing softly on the radio.
Every word of every song he sang was for you
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could you do?
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
He turned off the radio and sat in there trying to gather the will to open the door and face the cold. The vibration of the engine and the whine of the heater fan were almost hypnotic.
He peered through the windshield into the Cafe. There were no people inside, but the lights were on. Right now, all he cared about was breakfast.
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