Heaven's Highway

The long stretch of road disappeared into the bruised purple sky far ahead. The sun was obscured behind thick billowing clouds, projecting endless hazy beams of burnt orange and red as the clock wound down another day of July heat.

Richard adjusted his shades and stared straight ahead as the Skylark convertible cruised along the hot blacktop, smooth as a dream, twice as perfect. He had done this several times since moving into the scorched backyard of the nation. Somewhere betwixt the pillars of civilization, the megalopolis' known as Los Angeles and New York, existed a world built on more basic principles. Dwelling here were people who still appreciated things as simple as wide open skies and the cricket symphonies of cool summer evenings, where every porch is a stage to the stars, housing old gods that sit down to listen to the tales of men deep into the night.

He pushed the pedal down a little further.

Singing in perfect harmony with the summer haze was the haze of mind and body. He had popped a few downers before striking out, as tradition called for. He felt sunk in and collapsed, but not in an unpleasurable way. The leather bench seat enveloped his entire being, only his raven hair was at the mercy of the winds, tumbling back and forth and around in the gusty air, some of the breeze snaked across his bare forearms and nipped at his button shirt, like a playful lover tugging and insistent, but gentle. It felt good, it felt real.

Moved by forces beyond his comprehension, he played with the radio dial until CCR came in crystal clear, Richard wasn't going to see any rain tonight, but he tapped his fingers on the wheel appreciatively enough. The music caught in his head and stuck in a way he'd never been able to duplicate outside of this car, able to hear and appreciate every individual note and tone before moving to the next.

He pushed the pedal down a little further.

The aging speedometer dutifully climbed into the high fifties. The engine sighed a little, as if bored by this gentle backyard drive, wanting to kick open flood gates and really start a riot, but it wouldn't do. There was a fine line between cruising and speeding, and Richard knew how to cruise.

Ahead in the distance, to the side of the road he saw a form. It was distorted by the heat but he was intrigued. As many times as he had done this run, this highway of heaven, he had never seen another soul.

The form grew closer and closer. The ride was so smooth it felt like he was sitting in place as the world spun, preparing to offer him up a passenger for the remainder of his trip. The vapored blob took shape, a shapely shape. Outstretched was one arm and one digit, the unmistakable ancient sigil of the wandering spirit.

He let his foot loosen on the gas.

The Skylark rolled to a lazy stop, the passenger side door directly aligned with the young woman, even Richard had to grin inwardly at the coolness of it all, even though everything was going exactly as it should by the laws of the perfect universe.

She grasped at the handle and pulled the door open then hesitated.

"You're not an asshole are you?" she asked

"No ma'am, not to my knowledge." he gave her his best boyish smile.

She seemed temporarily relieved as she sat inside and closed the door. Richard put the car back into gear and resumed the cruise. Silence endured for many minutes until his newly found passenger began to twitch nervously. Fingers tapping, legs shifting. He took this chance to survey her, as a man might.

She sat stiffly against the seat staring out to her right at the passing scenery, the wind made streamers of her thick auburn hair. Her chest rose up and down slowly, the fabric of her faded blue sundress stretching hopelessly against her ample breasts, under his shades his eyes took in her curves, even more perfect than the ones on his heaven highway, as if drafted by artists with precision instruments, her hips turned out, her waist tapered in, not sharply, but softly, womanly. It was right. He kept his glance sweeping down, her creamy white thighs poking out beneath the sundress, ending in a pair of slightly worn tennis shoes.

He heard her shift again and rescued his eyes from being caught in their carnal indulgence, but only to be arrested by her own. Even through the tinted lenses, her green eyes were dazzling and mysterious orbs, bright and heart stopping. For the first time some part of reality pierced into his dream land, he was unable to even think as she quizzically took in his face.

She was not as young as he first thought, but not old, just not young. It didn't matter, her face was pallid and smooth, her lips soft and inviting, not a speck of powder or paint or polish, just natural pinkish cheeks, but her eyes, they sent him to another place entirely. She finally broke the moment by looking down at her lap, it was only then he saw the gash along her temple and upper cheek. His first thought was to reach out and caress, comfort, but he couldn't.

"Alice" she said.

He knew what she meant, but he asked her to repeat it anyway, she spoke it, she sang it, it was right.

"My name is Alice, and you?" she asked

"Richard." was all he could manage.

"Richard, would you take me some place far away if I asked you?", her voice was heady sweet, it practically tumbled from her lips like cotton candy.

"Ma'am, I'd take you just about anywhere you wanted to go right now I think..." she blushed, deeply and genuinely. She had no idea what she could do to any man on the planet. He had a brief vision of her as a queen on a throne commanding a thousand love struck soldiers to fall on their swords and every one did true. He shook his head and tried to plaster his eyes back on the road, he felt her gaze on him, how could he not from such a powerful stare, is this what women feel from men? He stirred a bit then looked back at her, she unabashedly looked right at him.

"Hell of a gash you got there, you take a tumble or something?" he asked. She quickly pulled her hair down over her ear and looked back out of her side of the car.

"No." she replied. "Not like that, I got into a fight."

"Now who would have a mind to fight with a lovely creature like you?" he asked, incredulously.

"My husband for one." she muttered.

Richard winced inside. "I guess that's why you were on the road then?"

She nodded. "Just have to get away sometimes, yeah?"

He nodded back and pressed on. As the drive continued, he felt her moving a bit closer, inch at a time. Acting on impulse he slowed the car a bit and reached for her shoulder, a warm invitation. She grinned and accepted gladly, clinging to his chest like a scared animal. She inhaled deeply his scent, warm with a touch of aftershave, and sand, lots of beaches in this man's life, she thought.

"Where are we going?" she asked

"Don't really know, since I got here, sometimes I just feel the need to drive down this stretch of road. It's relaxing. Never saw anybody at all until today." he gave her a squeeze.

"Must be fate or something. Do you believe in fate?" she asked.

He froze for a second, "Yeah, I think I might."

"What is it you're doing here anyway?" she asked him.

"Getting away, sometimes I just need to get away from it all. Everyone and everything, if only for awhile." he said.

"Yeah. I know about that," she said "If only for awhile."

"Hey, we're kinda like a couple of journeying souls adrift in an endless stretch of highway just for us, I haven't seen a car since I left town." he said.

She murmured contentedly and relaxed a bit more, observing the deep bronze of his forearm propped on the Skylark's door before her eyes blurred with tears. Richard felt his shirt dampen a bit and tried to ignore it as she sobbed quietly against him. He rested his hand on her shoulder and arm, rubbing gently and showing all the tenderness he dared. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his mid section as she continued until at last she loosened a bit. Her breathing was deep and regular and he realized at once she had fallen asleep.

He drove on that way, how long he didn't know. Just the Skylark, the darkening twilight evening, and a beautiful woman under his arm. He never thought heaven's highway could be any better than it had been, but he was wrong.

Alongside the road he spied a beatup abandoned fence with many wooden posts. He slowed the car to a stop and gently shook Alice awake. She sat up and apologized before sliding back across to the passenger side of the car.

"Don't be sorry, come on, I'm going to show you something" Richard said, as he hopped the door and walked over to the fence area. Alice trailed behind him, confused. Richard strode up to a position about five yards from one rotted post and stopped.

"Look at this," he said, pulling up the back of his shirt for her.

"You have a nice ass cowboy" she said, and giggled.

"Not the ass, the handle therein", she reached across his waist to the wooden handle and pulled out a small snub nosed revolver. She gasped and almost dropped it but he grabbed her wrist lightly.

"Careful sweetheart," he said "It's loaded, I'm going to show you how to aim it and use it, so the next time that ape tries anything you can scare the hell out of him."

"Richard, I can't use a gun!" she exclaimed.

"You don't have to kill him, just put a slug in his leg, that'll stop any man in his tracks sure as shit. Trust me" he flashed her his grin again and pulled on her arm insistently, positioning her in front of himself.

He straightened her arms out, the pistol in her hands, then slid his arms down along her sides, making sure her torso was straight. Finally he slipped his foot between her legs and nudged her own apart a bit to give her a proper stance. When she was all set, he wrapped his arms around her waist and moved close, pushing his mouth close to her ear. He inhaled deeply, she smelled like the earth. Like spices and herbs, and the grass after a rain, the morning dew and blossoming bushes. He felt his blood rise instantly, like an animal, it was beautiful and wild. She stiffened a bit, sensing the change in his body temperature, leaning into him ever so slightly.

"All you have to do, is squeeze." he said softly, watching the gun stay true and steady in her small grasp, he found himself unable to stop his hands from wandering across her stomach and around her waist as he held her, his hand traveling down her thigh, fingers playing lightly with the hem of her skirt, tickling her smooth skin. She stayed rigid however, only her breathing became deeper. His mouth was now tight against her bare shoulder, his eyes watching over the top of his shades as she waited, waited, his fingers moving ever closer until at last they caressed hot, damp cloth far under her dress. She gasped slightly and squeezed, the gun went off, the whipcrack shot was absorbed by the vast open spaces. Pieces of the rotted fence post splintered and broke away as the bullet engulfed them.

What happened next was a blur, the gun fell from her fingers like a hot coal. She spun in his arms and flung his shades away, staring at him briefly, eyes full of need, before pressing her mouth to his. He felt her come to life in his arms, like a bolt of lightning, muscles tense, skin hot, she radiated electricity. He pushed his mouth open, pressing his tongue into hers, she tasted like sweet peppermint candy, he soul kissed her for all he was worth, hands roaming down across her butt and under her thighs, she broke free of him for a split second to giggle as she hopped into his embrace, wrapping her legs around his waist and pushing against him, still sucking the air from his chest with the most amazing kiss he ever knew.

He dropped to his knees with her clinging tight and laid her down in the soft grass. He broke free of her mouth to stare at her eyes once more, daring him to speak, to say something profound, to punctuate the act that was about to be committed, one so natural and beautiful, along heaven's highway, with a genuine goddess no less, but she simply stared into his soul and pushed a finger lightly against his lips and smiled, and he realized that was perfect, that was right.

He instead let his lust take over, he feasted on the soft flesh of her neck, pale and smooth. She reached over his shoulders and dug her nails into his back, dragging his shirt up and over his head. Not to be outdone, he grasped at her dress straps and pulled them down to her elbows, exposing her breasts to him, she gasped softly and smiled. They spilled out of her top and pushed up toward him, inviting, he let his mouth glide along her sternum, her fingers twined themselves in his hair, her thighs rocked open and closed against his sides as he moved from one breast to the other, his tongue teasing and tickling each one, again and again.

She moaned lightly now, her hands reaching down to his pants and unbuttoning them swiftly. She reached inside and grasped his manhood, grinning as she pulled him free and stroked the impressive weight and length in her hand. Richard felt her slide down further under him, pushing him back up to his knees. His cock jutted out from his body, slapping against his stomach as she slid down to him, reaching with her hand again to take her prize.

Her fingers could barely wrap around it, she cooed and stuck out her tongue, a long lick across his shaft and over the head and back down again, her hand began to stroke lightly as her tongue played over him. Richard rubbed at her back and shoulders, pulling at her dress and exposing the rest of her body to him as she let it drop over her head and to the grass. Her hot mouth engulfed as much as she dared, her tongue pressing tight against him.

Almost to the brink, Richard pulled her free and pushed her back against the grass, she grasped her own breasts as he pulled at her panties, moaning something unintelligible as they slipped off of her feet. He pushed himself between her legs, which immediately squeezed tight around his mid-section, all at once she grabbed his hard cock and guided it home against her opening, without a word he pushed forward slowly, one long complete stroke that buries his entire length deep inside of her. Her head lilted back into the grass as she pushed herself down against him. They were as two young fumbling lovers, all passion and pleasure, instinct, need, no grace or style, nerve endings wired and pulsing in rhythm.

It was quick, flesh against flesh again and again and once more and done, sweet as summer peaches. She stifled her own cry against his shoulder, her teeth digging in and nearly drawing blood, as she did so he finished silently but completely, his breath moist and thick against her neck. His head was swimming as he breathed deeply the scent they had created together, one of lust and love, earth and summer, and open skies. He felt drained holding onto her. Body still tingling, he moved to lay down beside her in the grass. She held tightly onto his chest as they both drifted. He heard her whispering over and over "thank you, thank you, thank you" before he plunged into dreamless oblivion in a warm field of grass.

When he woke she was nowhere to be found. This didn't surprise him, oddly enough. Something so amazing had to be a dream of some kind. He dressed quickly and returned to the car to find her sitting inside. That did surprise him.

"I have to go back" she said. Some of the life had faded from her voice, her eyes, she looked more normal now. "I have little ones, they can't be left, I have a family, a life, a job, I have responsibilities, I have goals and aspirations and ideas, and enemies and friends and people. Just people Richard, who know me, I have a car, and a uniform, and a title, and all of these little things that I've acquired over the last years that I can't do anything about." she began to sob a little "Like credit cards and bank accounts and bills, meetings, parties, gatherings, a mailing address, a husband, a dog, a cat, and all I want to do is go west and not east but I can't." She steeled herself against the bench seat.

Richard got in the car, turned around, and drove back down heaven's highway, though it was no longer. Only when the sun raced along side the hood far ahead in the west could he see it shimmering beneath the ordinary road that lie here, the one that existed in reality, the one that led to jobs and schools and people and life, not the one that existed solely for him to cruise on.

After a while he came to the beginnings of a long dirt road, she told him to stop here. Without another word she got out of the car and looked at him. Richard was completely back in reality now, there no longer even existed a place where he could be as happy as he was yesterday as far as he was concerned.

"Thank you" she said "for helping me get away... if only for awhile" she smiled weakly and turned away, walking swiftly down the road. He watched her go until she was a blur in the distance, the way she had come into his life, and would forever be remembered. He sat in the Skylark for a long time just staring at the horizon, which looked rather cluttered here. After inventorying his car and wallet, he decided he had enough time left to try and find another place with wide open skies.

He didn't know if he believed in fate or not, but he felt like he was finished here, even if he never saw Alice again. Another day and he would have been in love with her, perhaps to the point of madness, and he wouldn't have cared. He didn't know what kind of life they could have had, but the possible future passed through his head like a shooting star at a million miles per hour. In the end he saw it wouldn't have worked out, because of the cruel reality in which every man must eventually return. No matter how sturdy someones wings may be, they all char and burn when faced with a prolonged exposure to the intensity of yesterday's events, hurtling you back to the cold ground and all of the perfectly ordinary trappings of life that live there.

Instead of albums full of boring photographs of Alice and Richard's life together, he had one amazing Polaroid, a snapshot of perfection with a goddess on heaven's highway, one that would never yellow with age nor be cluttered beneath the glut of tedious life experience that awaited him in the future. It would always sit in a special place in his mind, glowing with a light of adventure he could only hope to find again in his lifetime.

He chuckled to himself for becoming so unusually introspective. Shaking his head briskly, he kicked the fat buick into gear and rolled back out to the western road.

He pushed the pedal down a lot farther.

The Skylark groaned in protest as the speedometer climbed into the mid sixties, it was right. For the first time in a long while, Richard had somewhere to go.