A Flick of the Wrist
Nicholas's heart fluttered in his chest, though he seemed not to notice. It always seemed to be pumping hard these days. He was alone on the road, just as he liked it, though tonight it might have been better if he weren't. His hands gripped the hard plastic wheel, like the thick branches of the gnarled, old trees lining the side of the road. All he saw of them was a grey blur flying past the window as his headlights illuminated the path. His eyes flicked this way and that. All it would take is one, swift flick of the wrist, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet. Just a few more moments. Sweat began to bead his forehead and he felt his palms slip a little on the wheel and held on tighter.
The road seemed to stretch on forever, with nothing but the dull light of the moon and the sound of his tyres rolling against loose gravel to keep him company. The trees closed around him, extending their twisted claws towards the moon, as if to grab it and strangle it where it hung. Nicholas slowed the car to a crawl, though he wasn't entirely sure why. After some minutes, he pulled it over to the side of the road and cut the power, leaving himself in total darkness. Prying his rigid, white fingers from the wheel, pausing to stare at them. He leaned back in his seat to look at his reflection in the rear-view mirror- it barely resembled him anymore. The stubble, the greasy, unwashed hair, the dark, purple shadows around his eyes that made him look as if he'd just gone ten rounds. Most of all, it was the thin film of sweat that made him look ghostly and like he had a fever both at the same time.
Wave after wave of emotion suddenly washed over him and he burst into silent tears. He pressed balled fists into his forehead, praying for the tears to stop and pounded the steering wheel. The sound of the horn's angry honk brought him back to reality. A slow breeze had begun to blow through the trees and Nicholas groaned, wiping away the crust of salt from his cheeks with shaking fingers before re-starting the car. It made a low, rattling sound with heat blasting through the fans, for no other reason than it was a faulty car. He rolled down the windows, hoping the night air would relieve the tight feeling in his chest. He glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard- three thirty-six am- and sighed, shifting the car into gear and setting off along the road again.
The trees began to clear and then disappeared altogether as he came to a one-lane bridge, spanning a wide, calm river. His heart jumped again, the light from the moon bouncing off of the tiny waves the currents in the river were causing. All it would take is one sharp jerk of the wrist-
ns3.144.47.192da2
然後按「加至主畫面」