Got Milk

                The snow was falling fast. Driving, even less than twenty miles an hour, the snow was zooming past me, giving the illusion that stars are rushing past like it does on Star Wars. The weather man on channel three called this the “worst blizzard in fifty years.” He seemed so excited as he said this, as if he thought the snow would end world hunger. 

                I didn’t understand why milk was so important, so crucial, for morning, I don’t see why he couldn’t go one morning without his blasted cheerios, and we had plenty of other breakfast items. Nonetheless I was still driving in the worst road conditions known to man.

                The car in front of me was slowing, I gingerly tapped my break, trying to not fishtail and lose control of the car. The other car then slowly, painfully slow, turned. I was then alone on the road. Well, for as far as I could tell.

                In normal weather, it would only take me fifteen minutes to reach the store and then back. I had been gone for over forty minutes and still hadn’t reached the store. I debated whether to turn back and brave the roads on the return, but I was so close. If I turned back now, the snowy road would win. I couldn’t let this happen.  I gently pressed harder on the accelerator determined to reach the store faster. I had to hurry, there little time to spare. As the needle climbed higher on the speedometer, reaching thirty, the snow came at me faster. I could hardly look out the window without a glaring headache pulsing through my temples.

                The road I was traveling usually had many cars scurrying about trying to get from A to B as quickly as possible. I found it strange that I was the only one on it tonight. Maybe I was only person who was crazy enough to travel in this weather.

                The phone on the passenger seat started to ring. I quickly glanced at it and then back at the road. Did I dare answer it? Whoever was calling would understand why I couldn’t answer. What if it was… I peeled my eyes form the wind shield and found the phone and grabbed for it. I clicked that answer button and pulled it to my ear.  

                I lost control, and I didn’t know why. The air bags deployed and hit my chest as my car continued to spin on the road. When the car stopped I was breathless. I couldn’t tell it I could move yet, so I sat, breathing hard, trying to comprehend what had occurred.  

             Carefully, I climbed out to check the damage. The front of my car was dented; I couldn’t see the extent of the damage because of the darkness. How could this happen? How could I let this happen? What had happened? The light from the head-lights shone across the road and rested on a deer, laying in an unnatural way.

             What the crap was a deer doing out in this kind of weather walking across the road?

 Probably the same thing I was doing, getting milk. 

I read A&P by John Updike and The Red Dress by Kevin Canty. I don't think that the either of the stories influenced me, but who knows. This story came from, literally, out of nowhere. The snowy roads though are probably the product of the fluffy white stuff out my window however. I hope that anyone reading enjoyed it!