The Ride of a Life Time
Lucas sat in his dark, cherry red 69 Road Runner eyeing the skimpily dress blonde standing in the middle of the road. She was chewing bubble gum and straightening out her tiny mini skirt. The purr of his idling engine sent vibrations all the way up the soft, black leather seats. It was soothing and calmed his growing tensions.
His left hand gripped the chain linked steering wheeling firmly, while his right rested eagerly on the glossy eight ball shifter, waiting to ignite his powerful four speed transmission and awaken the 425 horses hidden beneath his hood.
Lucas glanced over to his right at the jet black 67 Camero beside him. It was a beautiful car and would look nice in his growing collection.
The Camero roared as its owner hoped to intimidate him. Lucas grinned as his eyes locked onto Zack’s. Foolish rich kid, Lucas mused. Mommy and daddy bought you a nice expensive muscle car to show off to your friends. He doubt Zack even knew what he had under the hood or how such a car would handle at the speeds they would reach. It was something he was counting on.
Without taking his eyes off Zack’s he pressed down on the gas pedal and the Road Runners 426 Hemi thundered alive with absolute authority, drowning out the Camero. Zack’s eyes widened nervously and Lucas almost laughed aloud. Foolish rich kid, he thought to himself again. This would be easy.
A soft hand rested atop his right and he turned his attention to the gorgeous, petite red head beside him. Her long fiery hair was wild and curly matching her untamed spirit.
“You are gonna smoke his punk ass baby.” Tina purred her bright, jade eyes alive with excitement at the thought of the coming race.
Lucas smiled almost getting lost in those vivid eyes. “Of course I am babe, I never lose.”
Tina leaned over exposing her busty cleavage, it nearly spilled out of her tight black tank top. She grinned as his eyes spilled down lustfully. “And when you win I will give you a better prize then that rich kid’s car.” She leaned in closer and pressed her velvety, cherry red lips hard against his. Their tongues danced in a fever of hunger filled passion for what seemed like an entirety.
Tina pulled back her eyes more alive than ever now. “Let’s do this baby!”
Lucas straightened himself and leaned back in his seat, the taste of her lips still on his, his heart pounding and his pants tightening. Fuck he loved that girl.
The blonde moved in-between the front of both cars, her bright pink bra held high in one hand now. Her perky breasts visible under her black mesh tank top. “You boys ready?” She yelled.
The eager growl of two powerful engines was her answer.
“READY! SET! GO!” She cried out jumping up and down waving her bra wildly. Both drivers punched down on the gas, their tires squealing fervently to life. Thick waxen smoke fanned out from the wheel wells as both cars roared past leaving thick rubber patches in their place.
Lucas’s arms and legs worked in perfect union as he slammed the car into second and put the gas pedal to the floor. The Road Runners duel four-barreled carburetors roared in respond and their speed climbed rapidly.
“Fuck ya baby, faster!” Tina screamed in ecstasy her hands gripping the dashboard as the corner came into view.
Lucas glanced over and just by the way the Camero suddenly sped up knew Zack had pushed it into the third before the corner. He grinned as the rich kid pulled ahead thinking he had gained an advantage. But Lucas had driven this course before and knew his car. He pushed the gas petal harder and watched as they climbed past 70 miles an hour, red lining it as the corner drew closer and closer.
Lucas looked over at Tina, her eyes were burning with a mix of panic and exhilaration. Fuck he loved that girl. He lifted his foot from the gas and tapped the breaks gently slowing the powerful vehicle.
“Hold on babe!” Lucas said cranking the wheel. The tires squealed and the back end of the car drifted effortlessly around the tight corner. His hands worked feverishly adjusting the wheel and then gave the muscle car gas once more pulling it out of the bend and thundering down the straight stretch.
He looked in his rear view mirror and chuckled as Zack barely gained control of his Camero before he went into the ditch, foolish rich kid. Lucas punched down on the gas and slammed it into third and watched the gauge climb over 100. The race was as good as his, the Camero would never catch up now.
“Baby I am getting so fucking hot!” Tina cried out. “Take it all the way baby! Let’s win this!”
Lucas plunged the eight ball shifter into fourth and put the pedal to the floor. The 440 engine howled with pride as it climbed passed 150 in seconds. He could see the finish line ahead and the crowd that had gathered to witness the race. Another car easily added to his collection. When would these punks learn, it wasn’t all about the car, but the driver.
“I fucking love you Tina!” Lucas said turning to look at her.
A deafening bang ripped through the cab of the car as one of the front tires exploded throwing thick rub strips up over the hood to smash into the windshield. The Road Runner pulled violently to the side, Lucas tried to pull it back, but he couldn’t, the force was to strong and it happened too fast.
The wheel was torn from his grip. The world spun out of control and the sound of metal on concrete was absolute. The car rolled and flipped like a piece of lost newspaper in the wind. Lucas could feel each and every jarring crunch as it rattled all the way to his core threatening to rip his merge bones and flesh apart. The biting sting of glass and metal tore at his skin in a hundred places at once. He heard Tina scream then all went black.
Lucas gasped as if he had been holding his breath forever. His knuckles burned white from his gripped the steering wheel. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw the blonde removing her pink bra getting ready to start the race.
“What the hell?” He muttered looking around urgently. But nothing was wrong, everything was exactly as it had been, the car was perfectly intact and so was he. Fear gripped him as he remembered the scream and he looked over to Tina but there she sat in the passenger seat.
“Are you okay babe?”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” She replied her head down and her tone meek.
“I... I don’t know... something strange just happened.” He said. “I don’t know how to describe it but something... are you sure you’re okay?”
“Don’t worry about it Lucas, you got a race to win.” She said still not looking up.
He turned his attention forward again the sound of the Camero roared beside him. He shook his head trying to gain his concentration back. Slips were on the line not just money or bragging rights. Everything was fine, whatever had happened wasn’t real and didn’t matter. “I can do this.”
“You boys ready?” The perky blonde yelled lifting her bra into the air.
“Win this time baby.” Tina whispered.
“What was that?” He asked but when the bra started waving around he slammed down on the gas and tore down the road, neck and neck with Zack’s Camero.
Lucas’s eye’s shot open the sound of ripping metal and shattering glass still echoing in his mind. Both hands were gripping the chain steering wheel again his finger nails digging themselves into his palms. His heart was pounding violently in his chest, his breathing hard and laboured. “What the fuck is happening?” He gasped as memories of the crash flood back to him over and over.
Lacus looked over and Zack was staring at him smugly, revving the Cameros 302 small block eagerly.
“Breath baby,’ Tina told him, “you need to concentrate if you are gonna win this.”
“What?” Lucas mumbled, Tina’s tone was weird. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine baby.” She replied her eyes staring forward, her red locks hiding her face.
“Are you sure?” He asked, his nerves still rattled at the visions that seemed to be plaguing him tonight.
“Just win this baby then you can go—home.” The word seemed forced.
“I think something’s wrong.” He replied.
“Just race baby.”
“READY! SET! GO!” The blonde yelled and thick, ashen smoke filled the air as both cars rocketed off down the abandoned roadway.
The smell of burning fuel and smoke filled his nostrils he coughed and his eyes shot open again. The blonde was standing idling in front of his car chewing her bubblegum waiting to start the race.
“What the hell is happening to me?” Lucas muttered putting the car into park and running his shaking hands through his sweaty, short, brown hair. “I am going crazy or something.” He blinked several times wondering each time that he opened them what would happen.
“I can’t keep doing this.” Tina whimpered.
“What did you say?” He turned his attention to her. Her legs were up and she was hugging them tightly like a terrified child. “Are you crying? Look at me Tina what is it?”
“You have to win or you’re never going to make it home again.” She wept.
Lucas looked at her queerly. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. Why are you crying Tina?”
Tina looked out the windshield. “The race is going to start again soon.”
Lucas followed and saw the blonde had her bra off and was moving towards the cars again. “I don’t think I should race, something is wrong. Wait what do you mean the race is going to start ‘again’.”
He turned back to her, her face was hidden beneath her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. “You know what I am seeing don’t you?”
Tina moved her hands away from her face. Her mascara mingled with her tears and left dark lines down her rosy cheek. “Yes, I know what you have seen. I have lived it a thousand times or more now.” She sobbed.
“I don’t understand, why is this happening?” He heard the roar of Zack’s Camero and knew the race would start at any moment. “What do you know Tina?”
“You have to race if you want to go home Lucas.” Her face twisted with turmoil.
“No, not if I am going to crash again.”
“READY!”
“You have to!” She begged him.
“SET!”
“Why?”
“GO!”
Tina shifted the eight ball into first and pushed his leg down on the accelerator.
“What the hell are you doing?” He cried out angrily.
“Don’t you get it?” She cried. “The accident has already happened.”
Lucas shifted the car into second out of habit her words cutting through him. “Does that mean we’re dead?” His face paled and he felt sick to his stomach.
“No, you’re alive Lucas. You just need to—wake up.”
“How?” He tapped the breaks and took the corner like he had a thousand times before.
“You just have to finish the race.” Tears streamed down her face and she fought through each word as if it were a lie.
“But I can’t win, the tire always blows out.”
“You don’t have to win, you just have to finish.”
Lucas looked over to her. “What about you? Do you wake up too?”
Tina turned away refusing to look at him.
“What happens to you Tina?” He asked again louder knots building deep within.
“I’m... I’m already dead...”
“No!” Lucas screamed slamming on the breaks and the Road Runner skidded to a shuddering halt. “No, no that can’t be true! You’re not dead, please god no, don’t say that.” Tears stung his eyes and he pulled her around to face him. “Tell me it’s not true babe.”
“I can’t, because it is,” she whimpered, “I died in the crash.”
The sound of Zack’s Camero thundered by them. Tina’s eyes followed it all the way to the finish line a battle of torment plain across her face.
“What is it?” Lucas asked her seeing her dismay.
“Do you love me?”
“Of course I do, with all my heart.”
She swallowed back a lump in her throat an unseen battle waging within her. “There is a way we can be together.”
“How?” He asked eagerly.
Her eyes went to the polished chrome handle. “Just open the door and step out.”
Lucas turned to look at the door handle confused. “How will that help?” Then it hit him. “If I give up the race and step out... I’ll... I’ll die too won’t I?”
Fresh tears stung Tina’s eyes as she nodded. “Yes.”
Lucas looked forward to the finish line and then to the handle and then back to Tina. “I won’t let you go. I don’t want to live without you.” He leaned in and kissed her soft red lips and opened the car door.
“I will wait for you baby, forever.” Tina whispered. “I am sorry.”
Lucas stepped out and a blinding white light flashed.

“TINA!” Lucas cried as he lurched upwards.
“Settle down son!” A doctor said holding his shoulders and pushing him back down upon the bed.
“What’s happening?” Lucas mumbled as waves of pain flooded through him. The room spun uncontrollably and he was sure he would be sick.
“It’s okay son, its okay. You were in a car accident. It was bad we thought we were going to lose you there for awhile.”
Lucas looked around the hospital room confused. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, where is Tina?”
The doctor grimaced. “I am sorry son, but the girl you were with didn’t make it.”
Lucas’s face twisted in horror. “No! No this wasn’t how is was suppose to happen! I got out of the car, I was suppose to die too! We were to be together, this is all wrong damn it! Let me die.” He cried. “Just let me die...”
“Nurse, nurse!” The doctor called. “We are going to have to sedate him.”