304 Hailing a Taxi at 10 PM on a Saturday Night
For WEDNESDAY, October 30, Day 304 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge
"Taxi!" she shouted.
He wasn't official, having simply placed a magnetic sign that read, "TAXI SERVICE," on the roof of his car. It shined yellow and blinked.
He cruised downtown after the theaters let out, which was also the time restaurants sent their last customers home.
It was as if he collected them.
That's when walked the lonely. The unpaired--solitary--in an otherwise paired society. Or the ones dismissed by another, with a promise of a call the next day.
He hadn't worked up to picking up couples, although he knew there were pairs of lonely, just as alone, weathering incomplete relationships. One day he'd have to deal with them, he knew. Maybe a New Year's resolution? He was awkward with people, so for now he preferred engaging with only one at a time.
More than that: women only.
He was attracted to women because they were lovely. He liked that. And weaker, the imbalance that coronated him over them. It was a dominance that assigned self-worth.
She got in, semi-stooping to navigate knees and limbs in an awkward display for the voyeur who drove. He didn't miss a pivot--or the way she adjusted her center of gravity as she landed in his back seat. She posed unintentionally, modeling via a sinking seat that put her in her place.
For him.
He closed his eyes for a moment to burn the tableau into his retinas. Such poses should last forever, he thought.
"Taxi?" He asked her, creeping off when the light turned green.
"Yes, please."
"Where to?"
"Normally I would say, 'I don't care,'" she laughed, "but here--"
She handed him a note with an address. He drove on, but then took a turn that caught her attention.
"Say, Mister," she said sarcastically, "adding to the route to pad the fare?" He just smiled.
All the doors locked. She objected.
He raised the heavy acrylic divider that cordoned off the back seat. She beat on it.
He released the gas. Soon she really didn't care.
He helped her out, loving her mindless stumbling and silly laughing. Her visage and all her delicious accouterments swirled in his head as he walked her slowly back to his taxidermy shop.
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MU-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA
MU-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA
MU-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
For Wednesday, October 30, Day 304 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge
366 WORDS (without A/N)
62 DAYS TO GO! THIS CHALLENGE PROWLS ON, 366 RIDES A DAY.
There are currently three cruisin' Vocal writers in this 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge:
• L.C. Schäfer ("Right turn only")
• Rachel Deeming ("No left turn")
• Gerard DiLeo (Turning off)
About the Creator
Gerard DiLeo
Retired, not tired. Hippocampus, behave!
Make me rich! https://www.amazon.com/Gerard-DiLeo/e/B00JE6LL2W/
My substrack at https://substack.com/@drdileo
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Comments (4)
Hehehehehehe now that was awesomeeee!
Ooohhh....I even went back up to the top to see if it was "Horror" in the midst of reading, so I was surprised at your gruesome ending (which I'm sure you intended!). Great little gory tale for the season o' tricks.
Oh damn. That was creepy. Well done.
Good grief!! 🤯