Glass Dick was the best name ever for it, since you always wanted more and you kept sucking. Light and suck, light and suck, hold it deep, try not to exhale any smoke. The game was always the same, could the bubble be cleared before the wheels hit the rumble strip. 99% of the time he won, but there are those 1% times that can yank the wheel hard drive you straight off the road.
"MARTIN!!!!" Elli screamed.
The rumble strip hitting the driver side tires snapped him to and he grabbed the steering wheel, throwing it to the left in an attempt to haul the semi truck back onto the road. The Zippo lighter fell to the floor boards, still alight, the pipe grasped solidly in his hand wafted little smoke trails from the carb hole as he moved the wheel.
"MARTIN! STOP!" Elli's voice was a screech and filled the cab of the truck.
The swift throw of the steering wheel caused the tires to catch the edge of the asphalt, resulting in the sudden redirection of the truck. Now instead of moving back onto the highway, the tires and asphalt deflected the truck off the highway, directly towards the forest and ravine. The trailer loaded with chemicals swiftly broke loose of the semi as its contortions and twisting reverberated through the frame structure.
Methamphetamine has a way of directing the attention of the user in ways that can be unpredictable and random. The finite details that he saw were so important and meaningful for the momentary piece of a second, each piece providing more detail, expanding on the proceeding. The moment to moment passage of time seemed to flow by like the steady procession of a swamp, depleted of movement and nearly still. The only sensation to belie the seeming stalling of time was the constant motion in his vision.
The trees careened towards the truck, the tires belched smoke from their intersection with the asphalt below. Elli's screams could be heard between the screeching of the tires. The amazing color of the bark of the trees that were approaching so very fast, but came in flashes as the truck barrel rolled along the roadside, seemed to paint a menagerie before his eyes. The moment of impact was one that flashed in an instant.
The dull green of the trees made a distinct impression through the lens of the helmet. Normally the trees seemed so green and vibrant, but the heat shield's tinted lens caused the trees to look copper and dulled. The only difference was the glow of the fire that illuminated the scene. Slowly he moved towards the engulfed vehicle, the water firing from the nozzle, the steam blowing off the heated metal and filled the air.
"Jerry." The ear piece exploded in his ear. "The trailer's about to go!"
"Yeah, I see it. Let's just get this out."
The flames from the truck were trying to catch the bushes which would mean a shit storm. Jerry pushed the nozzle in the direction of the flames and watched as the steam blew up into clouds around him. The glow of the fire subsided as the steam over took it. The steam surrounded and enveloped him like the warm comforting embrace of the womb.
"Thank god!" he thought turning his attention towards the engulfed trailer, "the truck's out."
The sudden flash of light seemed like an aberration in his vision, illuminating the steam vapors around him momentarily before the dark returned.
"Jerry! Jerry!" The screams were closer than he remembered anyone being and not in his helmet ear piece.
"Jerry! Holy Shit! You're okay... Let's get you out of here!"
"What the...." he stammered.
The passage of gravel on a roadway passing below him as he was carried from the scene was his last memory before losing consciousness.
"We're going to the show damnit. I'm not paying this much money to skip out on the show cuz you are too fucking high. 3 hours is so far to drive. It's Sacramento for fuck's sake." Elli's anger and frustration had begun to show.
"Stop being so pretentious bitch." Blair slung the comment at Elli like a wet, soggy, rag doll.
"Pretentious?! Fuck off! You and your nods are gonna make us miss the fucking MILLENNIUM!" Elli yelled.
The lack of intensity in Blair's reply gave Elli all the information she needed. Tonight she was on her own and that was that.
"THIS is how my life goes. No one to count on but yourself girl!" The mantra repeated in her head. "Why would I miss the millennium celebration for her dumb ass."
"Elli, call Joe and get him over here..."
"Joe? Really?! You're stuck to the toilet. You can't be high enough to think he would drive cross town to get here, just for that. You don't need Joe, you need Martin. Last thing you need is more dope."
"Fuck off, get him here. I'm horny." Elli was leaning against the wall, trying not to look at the toilet and the mess of a human slumped in front of her.
"Stuff it bitch." Blair drawled.
Elli stared at her phone, wishing anyone would text back.
"Just go. I'm fine...."
"Really?" Elli thought, "You can't even stand."
Elli turned to walk out of the bathroom when her phone began to ring and her eyes lit up when she read "Martin calling" on the preview screen.
"Martin! Where are you?" Elli's excitement could not be contained.
"On my way to town. I've got a load on but it's not due till after new years. You lookin?" Martin asked.
"Hell yeah, I'm always lookin! You pick me up?"
"Sure. Normal spot. I'll be there in an hour." Martin ended the call and Elli turned to Blair, "Martin is coming to pick me up."
Blair sat motionless on the toilet, her head and shoulder pressed against the wall, her breathing slowed and Elli knew she was nodded out again.
Elli opened her handbag and withdrew a bubble pipe, heated it carefully, inhaled as much of the grayish white smoke as her lungs could handle and blew out the remains at the mirror in front of her.
"At least this new years will be better with Martin than last few years with that junkie Blair." Elli thought as she walked from the bathroom. The rising wave of euphoria and little flashes of light in the corners of her eyes told her the high was coming, and fast. The bubble still grasped in her hand, her jaw beginning to tighten and the rush becoming more intense, Elli headed straight for their meeting spot to wait impatiently for the arrival of Martin.
This is my entry for the Creative Writing Challenge - Task #8 - Mix and Create put on by @steemfluencer. The details of the task are:
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Time | #1.0 - Back Pain |
Expectations | #2.0 - Weeds |
Patience | #3.0 - Pests - Gophers |
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