Light Among the Shadows

My hands gripped the steering wheel as I drove in
a trance. Where I was going, I had no idea. All I
knew was that I had to get away.
The distortions of darkness rushed past me, the haze of
taillights in the distance glowing like embers in the night. My
whole body was stiff, and a persistent ache radiated throughout
my lower back. The hours had blended into a blur of gas
stations, motel rooms and prepackaged food hastily bought in
convenience stores. It all tasted the same, bland and dry,
nothing more than an anchor to hold down the emptiness
clawing around inside.
On the passenger seat, my phone flashed its eager blue light
once more. Dozens of missed calls, text messages, and
voicemail alerts littered the screen. All from John. Reaching
over, I turned it off. The thought of listening to them filled me
with dread.
What I had done was extreme, but like a wild animal stuck
in a trap, I knew the only way to survive was to relinquish a
limb. Leaving was the last frantic vestige of my attempt to keep
on living, despite there being nothing left to live for. I was
hollowed out. Only tender bruised bone remained as I followed
the endless white line of the highway.