Kelly Cooper

The Switchboard

Nora never drove anymore. But when she saw the old switchboard on the side of the road she went back to get her grandfather’s truck. It took her nearly an hour to load it by herself and now it sat in the back of the old Ford, tied up in a mess of sailor’s knots. Nora eased into the seat, cranked the truck and drove away as she fiddled with the radio. The first strains of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” sounded over the din of the engine. Its hypnotic chords rose in intensity and washed over her with a sickening dread. Her stomach lurched as she moved to punch off the radio. She struggled to pull off the road as her arms and legs began to prick with pins and needles. Just as she reached the shoulder, her limbs shook harder and she thrashed about in the open space of the truck‘s cab. The ropes holding the switchboard gave way, and it crashed into the truck bed. Her vision blurred as everything went black.