“Thanks for the ride.”

  Contrary to every expectation I had for the night, Devon was seated in my passenger seat. She’d managed to leave her interior lights on in her car. Her battery died as a result. We only found out once we finally left work. Of course, by that time, the rain was turning torrential, and lightning kept the sky perpetually lit. To be fair, though, spending time with her was better than whiskey and lighting myself on fire.

  “Anytime. Happy to help.” A bolt of lightning crashed overhead, making both of us jump.

  “I still don’t get it. There wasn’t supposed to be rain all week.” She had her phone out and was looking at the radar. “But this storm is huge!” She held the phone up in front of my face.

  “I don’t think now is the right time for that, Dev.” I swerved around a large puddle in the road.

  “Yeah, good call. I’m precious goods.” I could see her eying me down out of the corner of my eye. That little grin she got when she wanted praise was smeared across her face.

  “Yup.”

  She smacked my arm. “You could at least pretend.”

  “You wouldn’t like me so much if I did.”

  “True.” She reached her hand out and placed it on mine. This one time, I let it happen, taking her little hand in mine. Once I did, she leaned back in the cracked leather of my passenger seat and sighed. “I like your authenticity.”

  I didn’t know how to respond, so we were quiet for a time. The only sound came from the thunder and rain splattering against the windshield. I knew the way to her house, having been there more than a couple of times, and neither of us wanted to talk about the elephant between us.

  “Can we talk sometime?” Her voice was soft. I guess we going to talk about it.

  “What’s there to talk about?” She let go of my hand. That wasn’t the right thing to say. “Sorry. I’m not good at this.”

  “I know.”

  “I don’t have much going for me. I’m just some chump who got kicked out of college and works a dead-end job at a burger joint. You’re you. Star student. Law school applicant. Top of your class. I don’t have anything to offer you.”

  “You don’t have to offer anything. You can just be you.”

  “That’s not enough.”

  “Isn’t that for me to decide?”

  That took me aback. I supposed she was right. I never thought of it that way.

  “At some point, you’re going to have to let someone in, Alex. It might not be me, and that’s okay, but someone out there is going to see you for the good guy you are, and it’ll be on you to not push them away. But to do that, you’re going to have to start liking yourself first. I think that’s when you’re going to find your way.” Her hand met mine again. She squeezed it like she was willing some of her confidence into me. She was nothing but confident. I soaked it up.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “I am right, dummy.”

  I laughed. She had a way with words. “You always are.”

  “Damn right I am. Now, promise you’re going to learn to like yourself. ”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good boy.”

  I pulled into her neighborhood. It was nice. The homes had the big garages and nice yards that signified money. A minute later, we were pulling up to her house. I could see a light on in the living room. It was probably her mom. I’d met both of her parents a few times, and they were great people. Devon had a fantastic relationship with her parents and still lived at home to save money for law school. From what she’d told me, she’d already saved half of her tuition through college. A part of me was envious, both for the money and the good family. Never had one of those.

  Unclicking her seatbelt, she leaned over, grabbed my beard, and pulled me in for a kiss. Her lips were soft, and she tasted good. Like coconuts. Probably her lip balm. We lingered there for a moment before pulling away.

  “Let’s talk, okay?” Her hazel eyes searched mine.

  “Okay. We’ll talk. Tomorrow?

  “Yeah, when I get off.”

  “Great. Tell your folks hi for me.”

  A crash of thunder overhead brought us back to reality. She scrunched her lips. “The storm’s getting bad. You could stay over. They wouldn’t mind. They like you.”

  I thought it over, but with her working in the morning and me having a day off, I just wanted to be home. Plus, if I stayed over, we wouldn’t sleep. “Next time.”

  “Fine. Just promise to get home safe.”

  “I will.”

  ***

  I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white as I peered through the foggy windshield of my shitty old Pathfinder. The rain had doubled in intensity and pounded on the glass. Everything outside my climate-controlled bubble had turned into a black and gray blur. Lightning flashed over me, followed immediately by the deep rumble of thunder. I could feel the thunder in my bones. My wipers whirred as fast as they could, but they were losing against the overwhelming volume of water pouring from the sky.

  I really should have stayed at Devon’s tonight.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Severe weather tonight across the state. Officials advise everyone to find shelter as soon as possible." The radio crackled between bursts of heavy static. The car was old enough that it didn’t have Bluetooth, so I was stuck with the radio. "We are currently seeing heavy rain with high winds and severe lightning across the northern half of the state. Also, dozens of reports of people going missing have begun to flood the—"

  I smacked the button on my console to shut off the annoying chatter. I knew what the weather was doing. I had my own eyes. I didn't need someone trying to tell me something I could see for myself.

  The dim headlights of my Pathfinder barely cut through the darkness of the highway. All they did was illuminate the sheets of rain covering the highway and the occasional reflective road sign. I leaned forward, straining to see the familiar landmarks that would guide me home. I'd driven this route countless times, but tonight, everything seemed off. The clock on my dashboard read 1:37 AM, far later than I'd planned to be out.

  “I just had to go home,” I grumbled, my deep baritone drowned out by another peal of thunder. A gust of wind buffeted the car, thrusting the vehicle to the right. I tightened my grip on the wheel. Taking a deep breath, I steered my car back into the center of the lane, then, several minutes later, made my way onto the exit ramp. The welcome sign of my little rural town appeared out of the gloom.

  I was almost there.

  I wasn't a nervous guy, but tonight's weather had me on edge. First, that random flash of lightning and wind at the cart. Then, the rain picked up right when I was about to get off work, and now it was insanity outside. What was going on? I scanned the horizon, and the dark outline of the trees that surrounded my little town loomed in the distance with every lightning strike. The trees looked ominous.

  I lived in a small place tucked in the woods out on the far side of town. I loved it. It was away from both the bustle of the city and the claustrophobia of the town. It was just me and my cabin. I drove on, my foot pressing the accelerator a little harder. A few minutes later. I could see the streetlights of my little downtown poking through the trees. I was close. I passed the large deer crossing sign at the edge of town, then crossed over the bridge. Three miles until I was home.

  Once I reached town, I slowed down to a crawl, not wanting to get another ticket. My old irritation bubbled up at the thought. Who gets a ticket for going seven over? The cop was an asshole. But, as I crawled my way through the flooding streets, I noticed that the downtown was a ghost town. There wasn't a single person or car out, and all the shops were closed. It made the old brick buildings feel old and desolate, giving me the chills. I made it to the single street light in town, which was violently swinging in the wind. It was red.

  I reached for my phone, hoping to check the weather forecast. I tapped at the screen with my thumb and pulled up the local radar, which showed an enormous red circle centered around my town. Then, a notification popped up:

  [Severe Weather Warning]

  [Find Shelter Immediately]

  "Yeah, no shit!" I yelled to absolutely no one. When I did, my phone's screen flickered a couple of times before going dark.

  "Fuck."

  I looked down at the pitiful charging cable sticking out of the console. It had frayed away to nothing a year ago, and I never bothered to replace it, a laziness I never regretted until exactly that moment. I tossed the useless device onto the passenger seat and sighed. Gripping the wheel with both hands, I waited for the light to change as the wind shook my car and a bolt of lightning cut through the sky above me.

  For some reason, the light never changed. I considered running it, but the camera would get me, and I couldn’t afford a ticket right now. I thought of turning right into the library parking lot to wait out the storm, but a glance told me the lot was filling up with water. No shot.

  I waited another few minutes, but when the rain got heavier and the wind picked up, I made a decision. With no way to call for help if something went wrong, I decided to run the red light, not being willing to be stuck out there longer than I needed to be. I saw the bright white flash of the ticket camera. A problem for another day.

  I drove the last few miles, but it wasn’t smooth. The streets were getting more and more flooded, and the storm picked up as I drove. Hydroplaning twice, I slowed down to ten and crawled my way home. Just as I began to pull into my little neighborhood, a strange vibration rippled through the car. The ground beneath my tires seemed to shift. I turned the wheel, but the car didn’t turn. My heart pounded in my ears. There wasn't enough water on the street to slide around at this speed.

  I pressed the accelerator, desperate to get to stable ground, but the car barely moved. It felt like I was driving on ice, the wheels struggling to grip the unstable road. Then, the car lurched. A deep, rumbling sound rose above the patter of rain and the howl of wind. The pounding in my ears got louder. I scanned the roadside, looking for somewhere safe to pull over. That's when I noticed that the right shoulder of the road was gone.

  My heart leapt out of my body.

  I hit the gas and swerved hard to the left just as the earth groaned and split open under the right side of my car. I managed to undo my seat belt and throw open the door just as my car began sliding into the sinkhole. I threw myself out and landed with a hard, wet thud on the narrow sidewalk. Pain shot through my knee as I rolled away. Then, I watched in horror as my vehicle teetered on the edge of the rapidly expanding chasm in the road. With a final metallic groan, my trusty old car disappeared into the depths, leaving me stranded.

  The ground continued to crumble under my feet. I scrambled backward, my feet slipping on the wet concrete as I tried to put distance between myself and the expanding hole. My knee hurt like hell, but I didn't have time to worry about it. Rain pelted my face. Lightning shook the sky above. The ground kept crumbling away. But, with luck, adrenaline, and no knowledge of how I did it, I found myself sitting at the edge of the ruined road, chest heaving, looking down at my dim, shitty headlights. A moment later, they flickered twice and went out forever.

  I sat, rain pelting my face, staring at the spot where my car had vanished.

  What. The. Fuck.

  Once the shock left me, I knew I had to make a decision: attempt to walk the final mile to my home or find something taller than me to sit under until the storm passed. The wind howled around me, providing a compelling argument for the former. A lightning bolt flashed above me, providing a counterargument for the latter. I didn't want to stay out in this, so I took a few steps toward home, but my knee screamed at me. I could feel it swelling, and it didn't want to bend.

  My clothes were already soaked through. But it wasn’t too cold out. I weighed my options, trying to think. My little cabin was still just under a mile away. That distance felt insurmountable with this much wind and a busted knee. I looked around. A nearby oak tree stood tall. Its thick foliage offered a promise of protection. Lightning flashed in the sky, and in that brief flash, I saw that the road ahead had a foot or more of water in it. I looked around one more time, hoping for any other option. None presented itself, so I made my decision.

  Each step was a battle against the wind, the elements, and my rapidly worsening knee. Reaching the tree, I pressed my soaked body against the sturdy tree's trunk and thanked the nature gods for oak trees. Slipping down its trunk, I huddle up at its base, enjoying the slight protection against the elements.

  I sat there for maybe a half hour, huddling up against the wind and rain as it picked up. The lightning got closer and closer, too. My knee hurt like hell, and it had swollen to the point where my pant leg was starting to stretch. A blinding flash filled my vision. Then another, and another. I couldn’t stay there.

  I reached out with my hand and braced against the tree to stand back up. Just then, a deafening crack split the air above me, and the world went completely white. Pain exploded through my left side. It felt like my right foot was shot. I was flying backward. My back hit the ground, hard. Something hot and sharp was hitting my skin. My ears were ringing, and water pelted my face.

  My hearing slowly came back, and I opened my eyes. All that was left of the tree that I was sitting under was a smoldering stump. My clothes were burned, and my boot was blown off. I tried to roll over, to crawl to my knees, but every muscle resisted the effort. Using every ounce of willpower in me, I pushed myself up.

  Another flash. Everything went white.

  Then, everything went black.