A tire spun, the one not furrowed by speed and thrust. Smoke wheezed from the buckled steel hood. Engine guts, half-erupted and splattered with oil, steamed in glossy, iridescent blackness. Beside his twitching foot lay an unwrapped breakfast sandwich. The smells of sausage, cologne, and sharp copper ghosted the car, floated out the broken windows, past the craggy blades. If his eyes worked, they would still see McDonald’s in his rear-view mirror. They had looked, in fact, cost him precious reaction time. That, plus a novice driver’s penchant for overzealous turning.
A deer in the road. Nothing had ever been so surprising. A deer. Right there. Where a second before had been open road.
He took the wheel too hard over and flipped the Subaru his parents gave him for his sixteenth birthday. Dumb luck his side hit the pole. The last thing John saw was wood grain, dark and deep like the lines on his mother’s eyes. And some rusty staples. A triangle-shaped scrap still clinging to one. He had time to recognize Death. First his skull hit the glass window, then the telephone pole.
John’s focus had been behind him, on McDonald’s drive-through. Even as he fished in the bag for the breakfast sandwich, he glanced behind and conjured her. Emma had said, “For you,” kissed it, and dropped it in the bag. “Pay me later.” She winked. The feathery touch of her hand as they passed the bag would be the last physical thrill John would know. As he gazed dreamily in his rear-view mirror, it was her face he saw, her lips against the paper wrapping.
John couldn’t wait to devour that sandwich. But when the unbending glass and wood splinters entered him, it was Death who laughed and opened his arms for a sweet embrace.
This flash fiction was inspired by the weekly Microcosms prompt/contest.
KL Griffiths 
Damn that’s some good writing
Thanks tons! 🙂
I can’t “like” this, but…. whoa.
Sad, I know. I live in fear of this. Have a 17-year-old who thinks he’s impervious to death.
As do I.
Whoa okay that was… wow. Great imagery.
Thanks, Nthato. Glad to see you’re back from hiatus. 🙂
A very long hiatus but I’m glad I’m back. By the way haven’t forgotten about beta reading your story. Should have it back to you later in the week 🙂
No worries. Take your time and thank you. I owe you big. 🙂
Too close again. Too many Johns in my life.
I wrote a novel around a lovely young man who was in Boy Scouts with my boys who died on his way home from school. Here’s the reveal segment:
Sad, but riveting piece. Thanks for sharing. This is inspired by a young man, so charming and maverick he seemed unable to die. At least to me back then.
Such powerful, descriptive writing!
Thanks, Margarisa. 🙂
You’re welcome, Kelly.
You had me completely mesmerized with this one. Excellent!
Yay! Mesmerizing is my favorite. (Spoken like Elf) Thanks, Brian.
Wow… this was wow! So amazing your writing inspires me to keep pushing myself to grow and evolve in mine! Thanks for this powerful story.
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Loved it then still got a crush on this piece now.
Doing something right…now to figure it out. lol
This is a cracking story, Kelly. Just so like your style . Keep them rumbling on. 😎
Your beast played nice with this one! Great writing 😊