Squintzy B. and the Econodogs

He thought he could hear footfalls behind his own. But he was used to his feet being the only sound he heard, so he couldn't be sure. Squintsy turned, expecting to see nothing. But there they were. The Illuminati, enlightened on his mental health, come to take him back. Not long for your lobotomy now, Mr. Jones! He smiled his big weird grin and broke into a run.

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with S," Hymie began.

"What?" Darius snapped.

"That's the point. You have to guess what it is," Hymie responded.

"Fuck that," Darius muttered and leaned forward. "Are we there yet?" The Wolf glanced back at him without taking his gaze off the road.

"How can I know if we're there yet if I don't know where we're going?"

Darius sighed and flopped back in his seat. "Shit. Is that what you spied, Hymie?" Honzo asked.

"Nah... stuff all," Hymie answered, staring out the open window.

His fingers bunched into fists, crushing the dog-eared sheaf of paper. It bore crayon smudges, which formed a map, carved out during sleepless nights when his mind stirred restlessly behind his eyes. But even with the map, the search was endless. Still, Squintsy ran.

Honzo flicked at the birds feet hanging from the rearview mirror again. The Wolf saw the movement from the corner of his eye.

"Would you stop that?" Honzo snickered.

"But they're dancing! Don't deny them their last dance!"

"It's distracting," The Wolf narrowed his eyes at the endless highway.

"D'ya want me to drive?" Darius offered.

"No," The Wolf muttered.

"You can't drive for shit. We're in the middle of the frigging road," Darius complained. "What if we hit someone?"

"What if we do?" The Wolf shot back. Darius shrugged and pouted. Honzo flicked at the birds feet again. They were certainly more entertaining than fuzzy dice. "For the last time, stop it, or you can get out and walk," The Wolf said through clenched teeth.

"Tosser," Honzo mumbled and began to play with the radio dials, switching through hissing static. "D'ya want me to sing for ya?" Darius offered. "NO," The Wolf and Honzo answered emphatically. "Hey, guys..." Hymie broke his silence to interrupt their bickering. "There," he pointed. The Wolf sat up straighter behind the wheel. "There," he replied, and stamped the accelerator. The car roared as the Econodogs fell silent. The Wolf wrenched the wheel around and a cloud of dust and gravel showered the car. They spun around and began to bear down on the creatures in white. "You're gonna hit them," Darius muttered. The Wolf swerved tightly, pulling around to cut them off. The car stopped at his command and he turned to face Darius. "Trust me," he smiled for the first time that day. Hymie shook his head and opened his door. "Let's get this over with."

A wave of déjà vu washed over him. He'd seen this place before. He checked the map again. He was here. He looked up and saw twin blinding lights barreling towards him.

A silence blanketed the Econodogs. The only sound was the roar of the engine.

So, this was it. He'd found it. A small smile crossed his face, and the map drifted from his hand. The car hurtled toward him. He stretched out his hands to stop it. There was an explosion of light.

Almost four years later. The same stretch of road. Squintsy wasn't just alive: he was invincible. He sped down the road, twisting the wheel randomly, swerving on and off the asphalt, kicking up dust. He knew how it would end. He'd been seeing it in his dreams. A twisted heap of metal, with his body buried inside. It was perfect. He twisted the wheel again.

"What is he doing?" Hymie wondered, watching the car in front of them wandering across the road. The Econodogs watched the car swerve again. "He's crazy," Honzo muttered, leaning forward in his seat. "Yeah, we know," Darius laughed. The Wolf just drove, keeping Squintsy's car firmly in his sight.

Squintsy dropped the wheel and closed his eyes. He stamped down on the accelerator. Not long now... A series of small impacts rocked the car. He opened his eyes and blinked. There it was, up ahead. The guardrail, just where he knew it would be. Squintsy floored it. Up and over. It was easy as that.

The Econodogs followed the sparking heap of metal. "What if he dies?" Hymie asked, worried. "He's not going to," The Wolf stopped the car as they watched Squintsy's vehicle come to a grinding halt. They got out and approached the twisted wreck. Darius bit back a laugh. Hymie peered into the car looking for signs of life, Honzo looked for signs of blood and guts. The Wolf simply shook his head.

Feet, outside the window. Now hands, reaching in. Squintsy felt himself being pulled out of the wreckage and onto the road. He was still alive. He looked up and could now see the owners of the feet and hands. Four faces peered down at him. They looked familiar, but he wasn't sure why. "See," The Wolf said. "Not a scratch on him." "That was really bloody stupid, Squintsy," Darius laughed. "Get fucked," Squintsy muttered. The Econodogs shook their heads, and began to help him up. "C'mon, mate, let's go. We'll give you a ride home," Hymie said. Squintsy allowed himself to be half dragged by the other four to a nearby car. "What's going on?" he asked them. Honzo laughed. "Well, if we told you that, you know we'd have to kill you."

-This is from JLS.