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DIRTY AMERICAN DREAM
"Masks and deception part two"

The sun has disappeared from the sky and I’m feeling dizzy. Everything’s blurry—especially the tail lights of Bronwen’s motorcycle up ahead. I’m still feeling sluggish—like better than half way into a case sluggish. I’m maintaining. The Challenger’s running full tilt boogie and my knuckles are pale white.

My face is already tight and sore. I can feel teeth marks in my nose.

Behind me is that goddamn Gullwing. Keeping pace ala Mario Andretti. My heart’s racing the rap of the engine. We’re layin’ down rubber—Challenger and I.

“Keep up killer. Keep up.”

It’s at times like these that things come into perspective. One minute you’re faced with a boring day playing video games and you’re boggled by your life’s issues. Dryden why, fuck Gemini, and Johnny the Hero. The mask, the wedding rings, and even Havoc swirl around in my head and get me exhausted. It’s only when I’m faced with the edge of this life that all that shit seems so goddamn petty. So petty infact that calm washes over me in waves.

I loosen up my grip on the steering wheel. My cell phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Fucker!” It’s Dominique, “Pull over and let’s TALK!”

“Uhhh, wrong number.” I hang up the phone.

The cell phone rings again almost immediately and I toss it out the window. I feather the brakes and zip around a corner, but Bronwen zips ahead. We’re pushing one-twenty. The Gullwing swerves in my rearview mirror, narrowly avoiding on coming traffic. I slap it into high gear and let it rip. I pull up beside Bronwen.

“Hey! Can’t we just talk!”

“I don’t have anything to say to you!” Bronwen hollers!

“Yes you do!” I retort.

“Truck.”

“What?”

“Truck!”

I look up ahead to see the grille of a Freightliner about to head on. I swerve the Challenger off the road and narrowly avoid he Semi. The Challenger rips through mailboxes as it tears back onto the road.

“Fucken bonkers!” I look to my right and see that goddamn Gullwing. It veers left and slams into the side of the Challenger, “My fucken car, you bitch!” I’m still drooling a little bit.

“I wanna sex you UP!” She screams swerving right, then left again.

This time I floor the super charged engine of the Challenger and waste the fucken Gullwing. It swerves spinning circles before stopping dead in the center of the road.

“Yeah! Take that!”

The distance between Bronwen and I closes. Her hair is whipping back behind her as she shoots down the road. One with the Triumph. I swoon. My wife, my future, my legacy. A car comes from out of nowhere and I swerve off the road and the Challenger skids to a stop through a fence.

“Fuck.” I lean my head on the steering wheel.

The Challenger’s seen better days. It quits—way better days. I fling the door open and step out, my body barely wants to move. I see black spots jumping into my vision. I double up and vomit.

“Sick.” I spit.

Bronwen pulls up on her motorcycle.

“Yer dyin’ now?” She walks to me, “What the fuck is going on Shane? Who the fuck is that—woman.”

Apprehension, check.

“Who is she—really.”

“Lady Nine. Till’s fuck toy. She’s part of him or something.”

“Part of him?”

I look up at her, her eyes dart down from eye contact. I pull myself up on the side of the car.

“He’s inside her, he directs her. She’s his puppet. She wants you.”

“Me. Why was she sitting on yer pecker?”

“Fucken drugs.” I cough.

“Don’t blame this on ye pot—bozo.” She blows a hair out of her eye and grimace, “Ugh I can’t even look at you pig.”

“Me a pig?” I vomit some more. “Fuck, I feel like I’m dying.”

“Feigning death is beneath you.”

“I’m serious. D-E-A-D dead.”

“Die then, pig.” Bronwen turns to her bike, “This road ends leads to the highway right?”

“No. You can’t leave. You have to why the fuck demon bitch wants you so bad.” I come up behind her and spin her around, “Tell me.”

“Shane.” She looks away but I force her to look me in the eyes, “What was that, a week, maybe two, and you’ve already cheated on me? Wut, my tits don’t do it for you?” She pushes her tits up and lets ‘em bounce.

I marvel at them, “No, she used some kinda voodoo on me.” I look her in the eyes, “What did Till do to you?”

“Nothing.” She snorts.

“Did he fuck you?” I shudder.

“NO!” She pushes me back, I almost fall over, “He almost did and that’s yer fucken fault too by the way.”

“Whew.” I go back to her.

“Back off, you smell like twat and vomit. Vomit-twat.” She holds her nose.

“Ick. No. Well, maybe yes but… We’ve gotta stop Dominique. Then I’ll shower.”

“How do you plan on stopping her?”

“Use you as bait, ya know, draw her out.” I smirk.

“Yer fucken crazed.” She sighs, “He grabbed me.” She admits.

“On the TIT? That fucker!” I blast.

“No!” She sighs an annoyed one, “He grabbed my arm just before I popped him in the noggin.”

“And then he grabbed your ass?! I’ll kill that asshole again if I have to.” I make fists.

“What are you on?” Bronwen laughs.

“I don’t know.”

Everything starts fading in and out of darkness. I step forward for a hug.

“Lets make up.” I sputter.

“Shane?” she asks as I fall into her arms, “Feeling weak there buddy?”

She moves me over to the car and sets me down on the hood.

“Water would kick ass right now.”

Bronwen looks up the road and spot something that makes her eyes grow wide. She grabs me and tosses me into the Challenger.

“We’ve got to get out of here.” Bronwen shoves in beside me but I grab her, plopping her into the passenger seat.

“I’m totally good to drive.” I smirk, firing up the Challenger.

“Shane this is a real bad idea.”

I slap the Challenger into reverse and hit the gas. The Gullwing roars up behind us. The bitch is chicken though and swerves out of the way as I Rockford turn the shit onto the highway, I let the tires spin as I tear away, leaving the Gullwing in the dust.
“So when he grabbed your arm, what happened after that?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I was grossed out by that bastard’s meat hooks being on me. But that’s the only time he made contact with him. It felt….Electric…”

“Staticy?” I jest.

“Electric.” She continues, “I can’t explain it any way other than that.”

Rain begins to pour.

“Figure out a way.” I groan, eyes on the road ahead.

The Gullwing comes flying up from behind and slams into the back of the Challenger! The car goes out of control. Before I know it, we’re spinning. All I can see is sky then the road, repeat, until we slam in a powerpole.

I black out.
 

 

 

[FLIP SIDE]