The gas pump clicked. It was another late night at work and the last thing I wanted to do was get gas. The only thing I wanted to do less was run out of gas on the way home. That would surely be the shittier situation. I closed the gas tank and got in the car. I drove out of the station towards the freeway. If I went 10 over the speed limit the whole way I would be home in 35 minutes. It was a Wednesday night and no cops would be out on a Wednesday.

I switched lanes to get around the few cars that were in my way. There wasn’t any traffic. I didn’t know why people went so fucking slow when no one was around. It wasn’t a race, I just didn’t want to be away from home any longer than needed.

The smell of the exhaust hit me in the face. In front of me, an old decrepit pickup truck was blocking my way. It was shit brown with shades of rust. Smoke billowed out of the exhaust pipe and flew into my windshield.

“Jesus Christ.”

I switched lanes to go around the shit truck. The truck switched lanes to stay in front of me.

“Are you fucking with me right now?”

I switched lanes again and sped up. The pick-up increased speed to match me and switched lanes. I had never run into someone like this on my way home before. Assholes generally existed during the busy hours on the roads. Not late at night. This was a special night owl asshole. I rode his ass and turned on my brights. He sped up to get away from me and I saw my opening. I switched lanes and accelerated. His old ass truck couldn’t keep up with me. I blew by him, flipping him off as I did. I looked over to see the dickheads face but his cab was too dark. Actually, it was pitch black. I forgot about the truck as I made up my lost time. I was off the freeway and almost home.

My neighborhood was quiet. I slicked down the roads and turned onto the street my apartment complex was on. The road was blocked. In my way, facing me, was the old brown shit can of a pick-up truck from the freeway. It idled in the dark for a few moments before turning on its brights.

“Fucking asshole.”

The shitty pick-up somehow tracked me down. The day sucked, now it fucking sucked. I just wanted to be home. I just wanted to pick up the broken shards of glass from my T.V. It was the last memory my future ex-wife would ever make with me. Thank god Lily was with her grandparents that weekend. The blaring high beams kept cutting into my eyes. It was time to deal with the asshole.

I revved my engine and got the same action back. We were wasting time playing chicken. I didn’t have time for that. I put the car in reverse and backed up into the lane. I drove off and just decided to go around. If I went fast enough he wouldn’t be able to cut me off again. He wasn’t trying to anyways though. He was coming up behind me fast. He was right on my ass. I swerved to the side as he tried to take me out. He barely missed me as I slammed on the breaks. He cut in front of me as my tires screeched and rubber burned. I turned down another road and headed for home. I’d outrun him for sure this time.

I made it to my apartment complex and hit the clicker for the parking garage. The gate closed behind me as I parked my car. The moment I got out I could hear the shit can rumble. I could smell the exhaust. The pick-up truck turned to face the gate and flooded the garage with light, shining out the normal lighting.

“Too slow, dick head!”

I flipped him off again and went to the elevator.

Rumble. Rumble. The shit cans rumble. I don’t know how long I had been asleep for but I could hear the pickup idling outside. Was this guy really just waiting for me? Why hadn’t anyone called the cops on him yet? My eyes hurt even though they are closed. It feels like the sun is on them. I open them and turn away. The brights punch me in the face. The pick-ups lights were pointed directly at my window. What the fuck did this guy want? I stay turned away trying to ignore the light. I realize then that this can’t be happening. I live on the 4th floor. It’s a straight drop down 4 stories to the parking lot.

I jump out of bed and face the window. This must be a nightmare. Everything about it felt real but I knew better. I walked into the lights and opened the blinds. Nothing was there. I looked down and nothing was there. I sighed. I was definitely awake. Maybe I was sleep walking. Having a waking dream or something. I was exhausted. I needed some water.

I walked into the living room. Making sure to avoid the glass on the ground. What a bad fucking day. Get left by your wife. Work a double. Deal with an asshole driver. Smell of exhaust. There was a smell of exhaust in my apartment. The rumble came next. It was coming from the hallway outside my apartment. I heard the engine rev next. This had to be a nightmare still. I went to the front door and opened it. Down the hall was the truck's lights. They were right around the corner. The two owl eyes of the headlights were plastered on the wall of the hallway.

“Wake the fuck up!”

I slapped myself. I felt it. I was awake. This couldn’t be happening. The engine revved again. Then the wheels squealed. The pick-up tore through the hallway wall and came blazing at me. It shouldn’t be up here. It wasn’t possible. But I was about to get run over. I turned and went down the hall towards the exit stairs. I knew my front door wouldn’t save me. The headlights covered me. I saw my silhouette while the pick-up closed in on me. I made it to the exit stairs and rushed through the door. I tumbled down the first set of stairs as the door closed slowly behind me. The pick-up tearing towards me like a rusted shit can bull. The door closed on it right as it reached the threshold. The impact never came. I wasn’t going to wait for it. I also wasn’t going back through that door. I went the rest of the way down the stairs.

The stairs exited out into the courtyard. I saw the parking lot. The roads. I wasn’t going to make myself that easy of a target. I just needed to make it to daytime when people would be out and the truck from hell would be forced to go back to where it spawned. The pool was surrounded by thick metal bars. And it had water. This thing sure as fuck couldn’t swim.

I jumped the bars into the pool area. I didn’t have my key. I had forgotten it in my rush to not become apartment roadkill. I stood by the pool when the exhausts growl came looking. It echoed. It honed in on me. I looked around and couldn’t see the pickup. The sound got louder. Closer.

“Where the fuck are you!?”

My silhouette answered my question. It was painted in the night sky. The headlights shining from beneath the pool water. The fucker could swim after all. The engine roared and the wheels peeled out. I felt the pick-up crush my back. My legs snapped. My body flew up and over the evil truck before splashing into the pool. My vision blurred as I laid there sinking. Drowning. Dying. The pickup was in the parking lot now. The window rolled down and an inhuman claw of a hand protruded out and flipped me off. I tried to yell fuck you too but my lungs were full of water. I tried to flip him off but my arms and hands were shattered. My eyes though, he could see my eyes. He could read my fuck you glare as I sank to the bottom of the pool.