The fluently endless silhouette of the forest covered the moonlit street. A brush no louder than a strong breeze lifted dried, blackened, broken leaves behind the roaring car. Red eyed taillights ahead shift the gears down to a casual stroll. The headlights in the rear view mirror are unchanging, unmoving. Uneasiness fills the air. Memory serves forth the legend of death on this desolate road. Headlights, taillights, and disappearances chilled spines, forcing shaky hands to grip the sweaty steering wheels tighter. The clutch nervously and sporadically engages. Fear enters the bloodstream like a quick cancer.

It starts at the head and disables the eyes from glancing anywhere other than the red and white bright beams of light. The neck stiffens and the eyes are forced to dart from road to reflection and back again. Taillights stop ahead. The cancer enters the spinal cord, descending to the major organs. Reflected headlights creep closer. The cancer reaches the arms, tensing the elbows and clenching fists. Mobility is reduced by more than half.

The car comes to a full stop. Clutch, first gear, brake. Scenes from sins of the past play reasons for being on dead roads. Mistresses, music, and money: guilt of crimes long since buried. Misbehaviors, hates, and loves rush by in flashes. Unmoving taillights ahead screech tires to a halt. Reflected headlights screech to a halt. Instinct grips the shift knob. Brake is down, ready to move and floor. Abandoning beliefs makes coping easier, as the cancer paralyzes the lower back, waist, and hips freeze solid joints and the knees turn to stone. Leaking pores and dry throats turn focus into a full time job.

The cancer enters the nervous system, breaking down basic physiological procedures like blinking, missing headlights, lose track of taillight attractions. Closer taillights rest no further than a semi-truck away. Tighter grips on steering bruise palms. Set to reverse, floored gas and pulled steering turn things around. Taillights shrink distant reflections.

Another forced blink. The road mirrors two headlight sets. Fear drops splash leather seats and burn bloodshot eyes. Electronic failure invites the dark.

Legend tells a story of headlights, taillights, and disappearances.

By Amber Black