The night road is bitter and black. His old, tired eyes are no match for it.

The radio static buzzes, an earful of gnats. He drives along. The tires thump rhythmically against the gravel.

A blur dashes into the road. Thump. He doesn’t see it. THUMP. He keeps on driving.

Emily Ruth Verona received her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Cinema Studies from the State University of New York at Purchase. She lives in New Jersey.