Flash Fiction

Piercing daggers of light bounce off chrome in the afternoon traffic. Lillian blinks and yanks her purse off the floorboard of the passenger seat. She glances at the slow moving mass and begins digging. Her hand frantically pushes aside whatever doesn’t feel right, finally her fingers brush over her familiar sunglasses. She pulls them out and pushes them onto her face. A loud honk causes her a quick flinch and she glances in the rearview mirror. Her hands tighten on the wheel. Another honk, short and annoying. Her knuckles turn from pink to white. Three short honks. An ache in her jaw makes her slowly unclench the tightened muscles.

The cars begin to inch forward. Still gripping the steering wheel she slams on her breaks.

Her car lurches; another honk; another slam on the breaks.

Her bottle of water slides out of the cup holder, splashing her jeans. She grabs at it and throws it in the back seat, water splatters. Her shoulders tighten, lifting her chest, her breasts rise and fall as she breathes. She continues glancing in the rearview mirror. An arm is now waving and pointing at her from the car behind.

She quickly raises her hand and flips a bird. A long honk responds. She can hear a voice spouting obscenities, though muffled by her window. She rolls it down to stick her arm out and wave back with a finger.

Her heart is pounding, her palms are sweating. She pounds at the stereo, quickly pressing the station keys. A flash of pain, her nail hangs lose at the quick, a bead of blood rises. She feels a rush starting in her chest, quickly rising to her face. She sucks at her finger, quickly biting off the lose nail. She sees her flushed cheeks in the mirror and a man approaching. She tightens her fist and waits for his approach, with her other hand she again reaches for her purse. He places his hands on the door, leaning down to look in at her.

He calls her a name; her hand finds her nail file. He calls her mother a name; she lunges.She jabs the pointed file into the soft flesh of his hand, he screams and jumps back.

She watches him and slowly raises her window. Slowly she accelerates, once more moving with traffic. She releases a deep sigh and slightly shakes her head. A catchy tune begins to play and she hums along.