Rear-View

By Rich Cole

Kurt Callan always thought of the road as his playground and treated it as such, without care.
It always gave him a feeling of euphoria. That is until one fateful day, when he was told to deliver a car to a customer.
Everything was going pretty well, he overtook the other drivers on the road and drove as he wanted. He felt on top of the world, but that same world came crashing down on him when a mysterious car began chasing him. It wasn't an ordinary vehicle, it was something more and when he discovered the identity of the being behind the wheels, he was beyond shocked.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seagull Editions
• Release date: May 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223717379

Book preview

Rear-View

© 2021 Seagull Editions s.r.l.

www.seagulleditions.com

PROLOGUE

I was tearing down the highway at an insane speed, my eyes glued to the road as though my life depended on it. I was taking deep breaths as my eyes looked crazed and I tore down the highway, not taking the time to appreciate the beauty all around me. I couldn’t even think, there was nothing I could do as at that moment. The focus was singular, I didn’t dare take my eyes off the road. I didn’t even blink. I was huffing, exhaustion ridding me of breath and my hands unable to move from the steering wheel. I wasn’t sure I could remove it even if I tried. That was how bad it was then.

Keep going, don’t stop, don’t you dare stop

I heard a voice from deep within me urging me on as I tore through the highway, not even noticing the splendid turn I made or the level of mastery I had over the car I was driving. My phone was ringing on the passenger seat beside me and I ignored it, didn’t even bother to put it on silent. I was in the zone, the road fever consumed me whole. My body felt excessively hot even though the air conditioner was turned on to the max. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and the red eyes staring back at me didn’t look like mine.

Hell, this is hell. The Devil has come.

That was how I felt and there was nothing anybody could say that could change it. I heard a car hit mine as I braced myself for the impact. I wasn’t surprised, not by a long shot because I expected it. I expected the impossible too. All I could see was the road, the endless road. Not the trees or the barns that were littered all over the place or the masts that seem to touch the sky. None of those things mattered. I didn’t care for any of those things. The zone I was in was the worst yet best of all.

Let the road fever consume you and be born anew.

I drove. I floored the accelerator and went even faster but it wasn’t enough, nothing was ever enough. I couldn’t run from the Devil behind me, I was in hell.

No matter where you go, peace would be so alien to you,  even home would reject you.

I clenched my teeth as I stared at the Devil in the rear view mirror. It was a Ford.

That was the beginning of hell.

CHAPTER I

It had been a really hectic day for me. From about six in the morning, I'd been transporting goods from one destination to the other. This should be the last, the car that I was currently driving, –a 2018 Honda Civic– was what I was going to deliver. I always enjoy conveying cars to their respective proprietors. The adrenaline rush I got from driving a new car was always intense and wonderful. I zoomed past a street and into the main road, the smell of the brand new car overwhelming my senses.

I had left the office at three o'clock in the afternoon and I should be on my way back in time for a late dinner if I was fast enough. The drive down to Peach-tree City wouldn't be more than twenty four hours or even less than that for me, although I was given forty eight hours. That is right, I was a world class driver; at least in my opinion. The concept of time did not get me worried at all. I knew how to drive so well, it was like knowing the back of my palms. Driving came as second nature to me and whenever I had the chance to show off my skill, I did.

I ran my hand through my hair, brushing it off my face, and pushed my big rimmed glasses further up the bridge of my nose. I took a left turn as I neared the expressway, wanting to get the car to its owner before the day runs out. The drive started slow at first as I was burning for adventure, especially adventure involving driving. It was like an adrenaline rush for me, I couldn’t do without it. The feeling it gave was exhilarating.

The turn I had taken earlier led me to a quite familiar shortcut, but it is rarely used by people. I was already pretty used to this road, I believe that it is going to get me where I was headed in no distant time and also experiencing the amazing speed of the car on an almost-clear road. The main reason I enjoyed driving was because it removed all restrictions from me, it made the world level in my sight.

That is right. I likened myself to deity whenever I was on the road. I felt invincible, untouchable.

I whistled as I drove along the road, enjoying the cool breeze that came in through the window. Now and then, a few cars breezed by me but I paid them no heed. The road was my zone and whoever I wanted to let loose, I did it on the road, no questions asked, no apologies given. I stared at the huge truck in front of me and knew exactly what I was going to do. It was loud and its engine was revving and making so much noise in an intimidating way but I resolved that I was not going to be fazed by such childish shenanigans. I decided there and then that I was going to overtake the huge truck in front of me.

A smile crept up to my face when I pressed my foot on the accelerator, letting out smoke from the exhaust. What I planned was to make an iconic move, a simple yet powerful move. I turned the wheel of the car to the side as I floored the accelerator and was able to overtake the huge truck right in front of me. I grinned widely when I glanced at my side mirror and watched as the driver flipped the bird at me and mouthed curses at me. I didn’t care what he was saying, I drove even faster until he was out of sight. I sighed in contentment. That was exactly what I loved about driving; the freedom it gave was astronomical. Just being on the road in such a car was making me feel honored and maybe a little bit overwhelmed.

I swerved along the road, enjoying how smooth the car moved. It was better than my lousy old model. Nevertheless, I was still able to drive as I wanted with it, but this –the car which I was currently driving– was just pure bliss. I did not want to stop driving for any reason and I decided that I was going to at least get something like it whenever I could.

I turned on my portable radio which I had placed earlier in the passenger seat. I take it almost everywhere I go. I tuned into my favorite music channel and bopped my head to the sound of "Take Me Home, Country Roads ' by John Denver that came pouring out the speakers.

The perfect type of music for the road. I was drawn into a trance as I mouthed the lyrics and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel in line with the beats. A school bus that was behind me manages to maneuver its way to the front of the car I was driving. I was incensed at such a blatant display of disrespect and I could not help the string curses that flew out of my mouth.

What the hell? I muttered and began to honk at the school bus repeatedly.  I was already in a good mood and I did not want anything to ruin it—anything at all. Least of all, a school bus full of kids.

The driver of the bus brought his arm out, waved it obviously giving me a go-ahead sign, and somewhat slowed down a bit so I could pass. I laughed as I was now in the lead. It seemed like a pretty childish antic but I didn’t see it that way, I saw it as exerting my authority on the road. The school bus driver looked pretty pissed off even if he said no words but I really didn't care. The children in the school bus stared at the car I drove until I was out of sight. That’s one thing I enjoyed about being on the road, it was easy to be the center of attention. Very easy actually.

My phone's ringtone pulled me out of my reverie and back into the real world. I looked at the caller and realized that it was my boss calling. I sighed loudly before I answered it begrudgingly, clearly not ready for his banter. He was