The Complete Drive-In

1

The convertible fishtailed to a stop, disappearing into the darker part of the highway, and right before it did, I caught the ghostly reflection of something in one of its mirrors, some kind of monster that faded with the car’s movement. Then the driver was out of the car and running toward Crier. I knew the moment I saw his cowboy hat that it was Steve from back at Shit Town.

I got my feet out of the glue and started over to Crier. Steve was down on his knees feeling Crier’s chest and neck. He looked up at me and said, “Dead as a rock.”

I tried to kick Steve in the face, but he caught my foot and pulled me on my butt.

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said.

I tried to get up and swarm him. He jabbed me in the chest with his palm and knocked me on my butt again.

“I didn’t see him. He shouldn’t have been standing in the highway.”

“You sonofabitch. You goddamn sonofabitch.”

Bob and Grace came over. As they neared us they slowed down, as if taking small steps would give the reality of the thing time to go away.

When they stood over us and looked down, Bob said, “Damn. One thing after another.”

“One of you get his feet,” Steve said, “and let’s get him out of the road before we get creamed by somebody.”

Grace got Crier’s feet and Steve got him under the arms and they started him off the highway. Crier’s hand fell off his chest and he dropped what he was holding.

“Put him down,” Steve said.

They lowered him to the highway and Steve picked up what Crier had dropped and put it in Crier’s shirt pocket. It poked out the top like a periscope.

They picked him up again and carried him over to the side of the road, and Steve went and got in his car and pulled it over to our side and walked back to us. I kept thinking I’d find something on the ground to pick up and hit Steve with, but the urge was going away. There didn’t seem to be any reason to hit anyone.

Grace didn’t feel that way. She kicked Steve flush in the balls. He dropped to his knees and had a facial workout. When that was over and he got his breath back, he said, “Damn, lady.”

“It didn’t make me feel as good as I hoped,” Grace said, “but it still does a little something for me.”

Then the camper blew up.