NEXT OFF RAMP

Off to the left the east side of the undivided highway was a tall empty sign housing 

beneath it in large whitepainted capital letters  NEXT OFF RAMP

 

the child sitting in the back seat  precocious  was immediately enamoured by the gutted sign

I want to go there

Where

There  That sign

I want to go there

Sweetheart  thats nothing

I want to go there Wont you please take me there It cant be far It says next off ramp

Here  HERE  HERE THISRAMP

the car hurtled past the off ramp

the driver  the man  was unsympathetic  to her cries to the tears the tears now struggling in her eyes  tears confused  emotions confused

she never asked for anything

she wasnt her mother

but he wasnt her father and she had nothing to offer him

not like her mother

not that privately he hadnt subtly allude to her mother that she was  coming of age     prepubescent pubescent
her paps swelling like coming flower blossoms  she must see that her daughter is her spitting image  he imagines her when she was her daughters same age  how she confessed to him that when she was she was distracted by her sexual inklings  quiet ardent desire

this young girl was a wick of her mothers waiting to be lighted and he coyly suggested that he might be the perfect wood match to light her trembling twisting beeswax candle

and rather than being appalled she recognised how very alike she and her daughter were

she had exploded into sex thoughtlessly
perhaps if her mother had thought

her daughter probably would too

he was such a kind man  a fulfilling man  timeless  patient          it didnt seem                         unnatural

why should she be ruined by a know-nothing boy who would only fumble at her clothing Take her in a rush and cum

she wouldnt have an orgasm with that kind of boy

he verily guaranteed   he would take her gently slowly  deliberately  as when he took her
then her little girl could have that experience she was denied   isnt that what a mother is supposed to do  give her daughter what she wanted but never got or was provided so late that the sweetness was tinged by a bitter edge

the girl fixed on the dark roots at the back of her mothers head

 

she dyed it blonde because he liked blondes

I never ask for anything

I want to go   please

Please take the next off ramp

                                                 Please

Baby  Its the remains of a crappy old fast food sign  Nothing more

You dont know

Im not driving

You can make him stop if you wanted to

Him HIM How many times have I told you to call him by his proper name  Frank  How many times  You call him Frank  You should ask Frank would you please stop for me
You owe him that respect

Respect   I dont have to call him anything I dont owe him anything You sleep with him You have sex with him Not me

Frank turned his head and glared past the headrest at her

                                                                                                You little bitch

Well take the next exit and Ill show you what that empty rusted sign advertises

she laughed as if suddenly breathing helium  thin  highpitched   unhinged

then flung herself at him tearing at his pale blue eyes with her fingernails

there was a horrific scream

it wasnt the girl

the car barreled into oncoming traffic and was crushed and exploded in black orange flames under the wheels of a huge piggyback tractor trailer pulling a load of scrap metal 

a hard way to find their way to her NEXT OFF RAMP

   

1536,  Thursday,  13  8. 15

2306,  Thursday,  13  8. 15