A Road Less Traveled

12:45pm read the little clock on the dashboard. David glanced at it as he jumped into the car, and fired up the engine. The car was filled to the brim, and ready for a long drive to Phoenix, AZ.


As David placed his phone on the dash, and opened the driving directions, one of David's neighbors walked up next to the car and waved through the glass. David looked up and waved back at Mary, who was walking her dogs around the neighborhood.


"Are you going on a trip?" Mary asked, as David rolled down his window.
"I am," David replied, "heading down to Phoenix, AZ for Spring Training."
"That sounds fun," Mary replied, "have a safe trip."
"Thanks," David answered.


Mary continued walking as David rolled the window up, and pressed play on his playlist.


At 8pm, Phoenix, AZ was 2 hours away. However, David was in no condition to make the journey. Through blurry eyes, David spotted a blue sign, on the side of the road. "Rest stop," it said, and David felt obliged to follow it.


Pulling off of the highway, David followed the sign down a side road, to a parking lot. In the parking lot, there were a few other travelers, taking a break from their journeys. As he pulled into one of the empty spots, David let out a sigh of relief. Soon after putting his car into park, David fell fast asleep.


Inside a dream, David was on his way to Phoenix, AZ with his sister, Sara. They left late in the evening and drove through the night. Around 1am both of them were too tired to go on. Sara pulled the car into a little motel on the side of the road, and the both pilled out. The motel was in the middle of nowhere, but it was built up like a little roadside attraction.


As they entered the building, an hour passed before David's eyes. He found himself on a bar stool of a hotel bar, with a glass of whiskey in his hands. To the right of the bar was a little gift shop. As David looked toward the shop, he spotted his sister weaving through the isles of merchandise.


Two more hours passed before David's eyes. As David glanced down at his watch, a restlessness stirred in his soul. He looked up to see Sara coming towards him with the same restlessness. They rushed out of the motel to find that their car had been ransacked. Shattered glass surrounded their empty car.


David started to panic. Reaching in his pocket, he took out his car keys, and put them in the ignition. As he brushed the glass from his seat, blood flowed from his hands, and oiled the steering wheel. The car started up with a shutter, but quickly roared to life. As Sara jumped in the passenger seat, David looked back at the motel in shock. The motel was gone. They were in the middle of nowhere.


David awoke with a jolt and yelled. His face was white with shock.