Friday, November 19, 2021

3. Another Max & Amber



 Amber left her vehicle at the gas pump while she was getting her dinner at the gas station. It was a car with a mind of it's own. Naturally, it wouldn't start when she wanted it to. Of course, Max was on it before she could even ask. Some high school kid came out and asked if he could help. Max asked for a small wrench and the kid had one in his back pocket.

Damn, if  Max didn't stick a wrench in a mysterious place and the car started like magic. Amber sighed wondering what he did and was this going to happen in the morning? Oh, she was tired. Too tired to deal with this.

Before she knew it, Max was in the front-seat as if he was ready for a test drive. He said his shift was done and he needed a lift home. "Oh, I can walk home from your place." He nodded with a smile.

"All right," she thought she said, but she didn't know what he was up to. He had to be up to something. But he didn't say a whole lot on the way out of town. When they took a turn to Praire Mountain Road he asked. "Have you seen the six-mile light?"

"Six-mile light?" She winced as if that was a tall tale of nothing. She shook her head, no. She wasn't even sure if her grandmother ever saw it.

"Well, I saw it," He brushed his nose ever so slightly as he looked ahead. Very solemn, too. She wished he'd stop smiling so much, but of course, he couldn't when he told her about the incident. "Yeap, I was driving in the dark one late night after a school dance. I hadn't gone with anyone. Actually, it was a lot more fun, that way." He nodded. "I just danced all over that high school gym. People were stopping in their tracks. I guess I was taking up so much room, but they were playing the Village People and I was in the mood." He grinned as if he liked making a spectacle of himself.

Amber only sighed. God, no way was this idiot going to win her over.

"So you see, I was tired anyway. And it was around midnight, 'cause I talked to some dudes afterward."

"Are you sure you weren't drinking?" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"No." He looked hurt that she would assume he was a high schooler consuming alcohol. "I was an athlete back then. Although, I never really got to hold a football or anything. But I can run and I do still jog." He nodded.

She was almost home before he finally said, "Anyway, there it was, just bobbing along, this big ball of light on the top of my car hood. God, it scared me so bad." Max shook his head.

Amber couldn't help but smirk. He went on to tell her the science of this fascinating local folklore. "The weather conditions have to be just right. It has something to do with the Llano Uplift...you know, all the granite out here."

"I see." Amber nodded. 

Soon enough the car rattled over the cattle guard. She parked the car in front of the old house. When she turned off the ignition, she thought he might get out and take the wrench from its place under the hood, but he didn't.

6 comments:

  1. Well written!
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  2. Uy da miedo . muy buen fragmento. Te mandoun beso

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  3. This chapter looks very interesting! I feel myself 8n the scary film scene. But i dont think that it is a good idea that eating in the gas station.

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  4. Ooh, interesting! I love the way you wrote this: '"Six-mile light?" She winced as if that was a tall tale of nothing." And this is funny!: "Amber only sighed. God, no way was this idiot going to win her over." But the turn toward the supernatural -- or, as the case may be, the scientific -- is where things really get going. Fantastic storyline! And (in the collage) what a sweet pastel sweater! :)

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