Page 18 - Demo

2030-JONE
II Dilemma on the Long Trek Home
Intermittent traffic moved like molasses as the flam- ing, charring van moved erratically north. The driver, Tom, was frantically trying to get it under control while searching for a place to ditch. He felt like he was constantly swallowing his heart, hoping to avoid the law and being coerced to explain his awk- ward predicament. His eyes burned with the sweat now freely flowing from every pore exacerbated by the fire raging in the rear of the van. He strained his neck muscles looking to his left and right to see how much of the van was being consumed.
“The gas tank,” he thought. “Damn, how long was it going to be before it blew? Look quick. You may not be as lucky as they are in the movies.”
After going down a main road, he knew he had to abandon the vehicle quickly or risk attracting unwanted attention. He made a quick right turn only because it was easier with no wheels and the van naturally leaned that way now. With the wheels sparking and quickly wearing out, he felt only seconds remained before an explosion. An alley blurred by.
That’s it,” he thought.
At the same instant, the van slammed into the right rear of a truck hitting the sidewalk and bursting into a drugstore. Tom tried to leave the van in a hurry, but his thigh now came alive with pain he had forgotten. His chest was also sore from the un- avoidable forced impact with the steering wheel. He got out of