Flash Fiction---Stalked

Impatiently I waited for the lights to change, tapping at the steering wheel. The yellow Chevrolet behind me honked.

It had been raining intermittently for 3 days. I felt my car lurching. The yellow car was still behind me. I kept driving straight ahead. That car turned right and disappeared from sight. But after some time, I noticed it following me. May be it had taken a wrong turn before this.

But it was uncanny; the Chevrolet followed me closely wherever I turned. The driver of that car was making wild gestures. It was unnerving. I accelerated. So did he. I slowed down to let him pass but he too slowed down, waving at me to stop.

Without warning I swerved to the middle lane, and he did the same, waving menacingly at me. I shook my fist at him angrily and accelerated away. But there he was, faithfully following me, shaking his head. By this time I was getting a little paranoid.

Again I felt my car wobbling but as it was raining I did not give it much thought. All my attention was on the car following me. I speeded up taking another detour. But there it was behind me. It was pouring so hard. I tried calling the police but no network on my phone.

Before I could react, the Chevrolet speeded up and stopped in front of my car. I had to brake swiftly to avoid hitting him. The driver got out. He looked so sinister. He tapped and said something, pointing towards the rear end. I kept my window close, stared ahead resolutely, avoiding looking at him. I did not want him to know I was petrified.

I saw another car stopping behind. A woman got out and tapped on my window. I ignored her too. They looked at each other, shook their heads and then kept looking at the rear of my car. I smelled something. Throwing caution to winds, I opened my window and asked what was wrong. She said my left rear wheel was on the verge of coming off. Saying that she drove away. I got down with a jolt and checked it. If I hadn't stopped when I did…………!!

I kept staring at the wheel like a moron, my mind blank… Without asking, he got down to the business of fixing the wheel. We both worked at it, without exchanging a single word. When I offered my thanks, he brushed those aside and drove away, taking a U-turn, barely glancing back at me.

I started the car, changed the gear, and progressed slowly. I was lucky to be in one piece. I switched on the radio. Suddenly I braked, and sat there with my head on the steering wheel, numb to the core, thinking, thanking my stars and that man in the yellow Chevrolet.

Interrupting the song, there had been an important announcement. The old bridge ahead had partly washed away, some time back taking a few vehicles with it.

(500 words)