Sarcophagus

The Long Road

      Linda sighed as the string of tail lights came into view. Linda has already been on the road for a while and all she really wanted was to just lay down in her own bed. The two lane highway outside of city limits backed up even further behind Linda. The cool night air slowly seeped into the car, but it did little to cool her demeanor. The low hum of the car almost lulled her to sleep at the wheel. The cars creep forward again, still no clue as to what was going on.

      The smell of gas and exhaust also made its way into the car, burning Linda's nose, snapping her back to the moment. Her mind wandered again quickly though, back to the impending wedding of her daughter. She wasn't against Jenna marrying George, but she did hope that he was more than he seemed. The ongoing discussion was about the cake, a five tier wedding cake is what Jenna wanted, but it also became a huge point of contention. The windshield began to paddle with small raindrops and soon the sky opened up. Linda's windshield wipers jump to life.

      The line slowly crept along until Linda could finally see the roadblock, two police cars blocking anyone from circumventing the police presence. As the rain continued to come down the officers already donned their Pancho's. But it creeped up to the line, and the officer put out a hand and to stop.

      " Evening ma'am." The officer reading Linda.

      " Hello officer."

      " Where are we headed tonight?"

      " Just trying to get this cake home."

      The officer peaked in the back at the cake boxes, holding all five tiers of cake. Looking back at Linda he said "Alright ma'am have a good night. Be careful though, there is a very dangerous man on the loose."

      " Will do, thank you."

      The officer stepped away from the car and Linda accelerated away. Linda looked in the mirrors and made sure they were in the clear. " I think they bought it."  Linda said.

      Figure moved into the front seat, gun in hand." Good job Linda, you might just make it out of this yet." A smiled with a toothy grin.

      " I really need to get this cake home, so the sooner you let me go the better, no offense."

      " None taken, I usually don't make friends this way."

       She gripped the steering wheel tight, her mind racing for a way to escape. The country road wound off to the left and Linda's hitchhiker leaned uncomfortably close to her in the turn.  Rounding another turn a deer suddenly jumped on the highway, Linda screened as the large beast slammed into the car. The windshield exploded as the deer kicked at the two passengers in the car. Both Linda and the man were at the mercy of the deer's hooves. The car ran off the road and collided with a tree. Airbags deployed and the deer was launched off the hood of the car. The horn rang out in the crisp night air.

      A little while later Linda woke up and tried to shake her head clear. Linda pushed hard against the door and fell hard on the cold, wet pavement. Getting her bearings she stood on uneasy legs and tried to run, but her legs couldn't hold her and she fell off into the woods by the road. Just let down the embankment, now covered in mud, she regained her feet and began to move deeper into the woods. Her legs still instead so she use the trees to keep her feet as she moved on. The man awoke to the car horn blaring, his vision stained red with blood. He pushed the door open.. A lone shoe lay at the edge of the Woods.

      " Oh Linda, you can't escape, not now!"

      She froze, knowing exactly who that was, he wasn't dead after all. Linda knew she couldn't outrun him, not in her current state. So she did the only thing she could, she prepared to make a final stand.

      He scrambled into the dark wood, almost smelling her scent on the wind.

      " Linda! You can't hide!" He screamed laughing hysterically afterward.

      The sound of a twig snapping stopped in mid-step. He shot in the direction of the sound.

      " It's not polite to sneak up on people" he chastised the darkness.

      He came across a fallen tree and almost fell over it in his haste. He reached out and felt the fallen log. He just chuckled at the obstacle. Linda's it up from her hiding spot and struck him across the face with a log. Surprised, he fell to the ground, but he stood up again laughing.

      " Oh Linda, I love your games."

      She didn't hit him with a rock, it smashed him hard in the face. Blood gushed from his face, he fell again hard on the ground, but this time Linda was on top of him. She rained blows down on him. His face was wet with his own fresh blood. She drugged his limp body to the nearest tree and with his back against the tree to use his own shoelaces to tie his arms together around behind the tree. She then made her way back to the highway, and officers' lights were flashing as she crested the ridge.

      " Sir help, man tried to kill me, I tied him up against the tree down there."

      " All right man, stay here, I'm calling for backup."

      He leaned over and spoke into his radio. A few minutes later four other units showed up. An officer stayed with Linda, while the others went to investigate. She watched as their flashlights gleaned in the darkness. She glanced in the back of her car, only to see the cake splattered all over the back seat. Then it's not going to like that she thought. The officers radio sounded off," found were she tied him up, but the suspect is gone."