Flash Fiction

FASTER

by

Alexandra Thompson
 

"Faster," she said. "Go faster!"

Martin took his hand off her knee and gripped the steering wheel. He pressed the pedal steadily until she felt herself pushed back into the seat. After a few seconds, he let up on the gas. "Cops on the highway around here."

He put his hand back on her knee. "Is the lake okay?"

A yellow sports car with New York license plates passed them and she strained her eyes watching until the break lights faded into the blackness up ahead.

"How much money do you have?" she asked.

"Twenty bucks and my paycheck."

She studied her reflection in the side window. He gave her knee an impatient squeeze.

"Kath? You want to go to the lake?"

She turned towards him, leaning against her door. "What if we just kept on going."

"What do you mean?"

She leaned over, put her hand on top of his where it rested on the steering wheel. "What if we just kept on going?"

He laughed in little jerks, his body nervous. "Oh, right. Great idea, Kath. Super. Really." He laughed again and shook his head.

She turned back toward her reflection. Her hair hung thin, framing her face. She could see tiny crows feet at the corners of her eyes, the lines around her mouth from a frown it carried more often than not.

"Marty, what if we just left. Started over in New York or someplace. We could get jobs. I mean it."

His glare bounced from the windshield to her and back again. "You crazy, Kath?"

"No Marty. Think about it. How much do we need? You've got this car, and we could earn enough for a little apartment."

Martin gazed steadily at the highway ahead of them.

"You gonna leave him by himself now in that wheelchair? Can't do that to your own daddy."

He drove off the highway at the Lake Power exit. They drove in silence until he switched on the radio.

At the lake, he turned off the ignition and popped open the trunk.

"I'll get the blanket," he said, tentatively touching her knee again.

He spread the blanket out over the pine needles and drew her down to him. "Hey Kath, you know I love you, don't you?"

She nodded, her gaze drifting out to where the moonlight stretched across the lake. He was breathing fast, pulling at the buttons of her blouse.

"Hey babe, it'll be okay. I love you, Kath, you know I do."

He pushed her down gently and unzipped her jeans, moaning as he slid his hand inside her panties.

"God, I'm ready babe." He rolled on top of her and entered.

She squeezed her eyes shut as he grunted and pushed.

"Faster," she said. "Go faster."

####

Alexandra is a writer living in Vienna. She has been published in Carve Magazine among others, and was a nominee for the 2001 Pushcart Prize.

Alexandra can be reached at:lexy2@popmail.com.