Traffic Jam

Biiiiip! Beeeeeeeep!

-The traffic’s stuck… damn, as if the weekend wasn’t short enough.

-And here in the middle of the tunnel… Now what?

-I guess we’re just going to have to wait. It has to loosen up sooner or later… Wait, why are people running back here?

-Do you think there’s been an accident?

-I’ll go have a look.

Jake walked on down the tunnel. People were running the opposite way.

-What’s happening? Why are you…

-Run! There’s a monster!

-Run for your life!

-A monster… Ha! That’s just silly. I guess I’ll have to go check it out myself.

The end of the tunnel was far ahead. He kept walking until he could see the bridge outside.

The traffic was jammed, all right. Several big trucks were blocking the way, but there was something else in front of them, like some kind of wall. He couldn’t really see what it was from here, but it looked like a huge rock. There was no one running any more. All the cars were abounded.

He reached the opening. His eyes followed the rock up towards the top. A giant face was staring down at him, watching him from high above. Jake swallowed. There was a giant monster sitting on the highway. There was no way no one would ever get past like this.

There goes my vacation. This can’t be happening.

Jake swallowed, forced his hands to stop shaking. The monster was huge like a mountain, but something had to be done. He had been waiting for this trip for months, there was no way it would be spoiled. By anything.

-Hey! he tried to shout, but his voice seemed just squeaky. He felt like a mouse addressing a tiger. Weak. Small. Terrified. He searched for courage within. Vacation on the beach. He rose his voice.

-Hey, giant… thingy! You’re blocking the way!

The monster looked down at him. Jake wasn’t sure if it couldn’t hear him, didn’t understand or just didn’t care, but there was no reaction. He moved closer, shouted again.

-Hello! Get out of the way! We’re not getting anywhere!

The monster still didn’t seem to react, it just sat there, staring down at him.

-Shoo! Jake made a waving gesture with his arms. -Shoo, get out of here!

The monster moved its eyes to its own body, looked down on where it was sitting. It looked at the cars, the trucks. Then back at the ground. It lifted its eyes until they met Jake’s. 

-Go on, scram! Jake repeated the arm gesture.

The monster moved its arm, held it over the bridge where Jake was standing. Jake took a step back. The giant hand came down on the road. Jake jumped aside, landed his back. With a slow movement it lifted its enormous body, got up on its feet in the dry river below. It made a long moaning sound, looking at Jake.

-Thanks, monster thing!

It moved on down the river bed. Turned around. Jake waved. It walked on.

The road was full of cars without drivers. Chaos. A small group of people were applauding from the entrance, but most of the drivers were gone.  Jake would have to find them all and get them back here to move their cars.

His vacation still seemed far, far away.

Future Meals