Moonlight Drive

“Thanks again for the lift, I really appreciate it.”

I muttered cheerfully as I climbed into my Uncle Todd’s tan-brown gas guzzler, a relic from the late 80’s. I sunk into the worn leather passenger seat and buckled in. Paper bags rustled at my feet, though it was too dark to identify them.

“Of course. Happy to drive, anytime. I live in the area, you know.”

Todd let out a half smile as he drove off of the spot he was parked on the street. The car lurched from the sudden burst of speed.

“Oh yeah? I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

I was lying of course. I knew this because Todd mentions this anytime I see him, as rare as those occasions are. I was starting to regret the call, but it’s a short drive and money always gets tight this late into the month. I’d normally call anyone else before I’d call Todd, but tonight I’d finally run dry on available help. Todd’s half-grown whiskers bristled as he grunted, halting the car at a red light. The car rocked again.

“Yeah. I’m around pretty often. You don’t get out much, do you? I never see you unless there’s a turkey on the table. Hahaha!”

Todd laughed at his own joke, but without a smile in his eyes. The light turned green and the car lurched again as he sped ahead. Another car cautiously finishing a turn at the intersection honked as we rumbled ahead.

“Haha, yeah things just tend to get pretty busy most of the time. Grandma can really cook a turkey though, yeah? Thanks again for doing this, by the way.”

Todd’s whiskers seemed to grow longer and more full. His eyes narrowed and reflected bright amber, as a light up ahead turned yellow. The car groaned as the engine roared into a higher gear. I gripped my seat.

“Like I said, I’m happy to drive, anytime.”

Todd’s mouth smiled, once again in isolation, baring his yellowing canines. I never noticed them being so long. The car jostled as it barreled through the intersection. A red light washed over us, Todd’s phony smile vanishing as it passed. We collectively fell quiet in the darkness. The car maintained its speed, rumbling down an empty street.

The sound of a strained car fan filled the silence. Todd gripped the wheel tighter as he made a sudden sharp turn. Streetlights intermittently lit the cabin, and I caught glimpses of Todd’s body language as I thought of something to say next. He was hunched over, his spinal ridges creating rifts in his sweat-soaked t-shirt cloth. His knuckle hairs seemed to consume his whole hand as they tightened around the wheel. He glanced over, his eyes still reflecting a golden hue. I averted my gaze quickly, and broke the silence.

“You can drop me off at the end of this next street on your right. Thanks again.”

It was then I noticed we were at the leftmost lane. The vehicle galloped forward, screaming past the turn. I turned my head back, expectantly, watching the corner vanish behind us.

“Ope. Sorry, I should have said something sooner.”

My voice quivered a bit. The car continued speeding down the road, passing another corner. Todd’s eyes remained fixed on the windshield. I spoke up a bit.

“That was my turn back there, sorry.”

A portion of Todd’s upper lip twitched, revealing a bloody red gum line beneath. Streetlights whirred past, Todd enlarging with each passing flash. His seat creaked under his mass, and his spinal ridges began to tear through the deer graphic on the back of his shirt. He jerked the wheel sharply, and a mechanical crack pierced my ears while the force of the turn sent my side slamming into the car door. I was now slunk against the back of my seat, making myself as small as possible.

“I GOT IT.”

Todd’s voice registered at the back of his throat, like a barely contained snarl. He turned his attention to me suddenly as the vehicle churned its way back the way we came. The engine howling as we began to pick up speed.

“I KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING. LIKE I SAID. I LIVE IN THE AREA.”

Sharp bones pierced through Todd’s fingertips, curling as they grew around the steering wheel. His beard was now shuttering throughout his face as the flicker of the streetlights revealed it. His eyes reflected vibrantly as they fixated on me, like two perfectly preserved amber fossils caught in a veiny red net.

A horn blared, headlights flooded the cabin. Todd jerked his attention forward and slammed against the breaks. The car squealed as the headlights making their way towards us averted their gaze, finally coming to a violent stop.

“ASSHOLE!”

Todd growled out what barely sounded like english, and like some hungry oversized raccoon, scurried out the door on all fours. The headlights in the other vehicle blurred out my vision, but I could hear screaming and what sounded like someone vigorously cracking open a lobster.

I hastily unbuckled my seatbelt and scrambled out the door. As soon as my feet hit the pavement they took off instinctively, carrying me into the dark.

I ran until my heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest. I stumbled to a halt, as it seemed nothing was behind me. My pocket vibrated. I pulled out my phone in the dark, and on its bright screen I read a text notification:

good seeing you. see you at thanksgiving.