I left from the shop after a long, brutal day that went hours after I was expecting to get away. Machinery problems, tooling issues, phone calls (damn solicitors). I zipped up my leather, set the alarm and locked the door. Fuck! At last! Whatever I didn't' get to will have to wait until tomorrow! Now, I am on my time! I unlock the wheel of my Harley and kick start it, blasting exhaust off of the brick wall of the shop. I throw a leg over and stomp it into gear. Time to unwind! I roll past the gates and onto the quiet industrial back road, heading for the old route through the hills to take the long way home.
I'm starting to get into my ride, leaving stress, chaos and dilemma far behind, safely behind locked doors. Now, it's me, my thundering pleasure machine, a good old stretch of road and the cool night air. Feeling good, I jam up to around 100 mph, screaming down the road past wide open fields. I pull the clutch and downshift, as I see the turn ahead that will take me through some dense and curvy roads.
I'm climbing the hill and feeling the pressure in my stomach like a wild carnival ride, knowing that I'm gonna take the downhill like a bat out of Hell in minutes.
I come around a corner by an old farm and in a flash a woman appears in front of me in the road, standing in a red dress with her arms outstretched to her sides, long black hair dancing in the wind.
I pull the clutch and start to brake, but somehow it seems that she's comin' at me as fast as I am coming to her! Shit! I swerve to the oncoming lane and she shifts in front of me. I swerve back quick and just as I am about to race by her side, she leaps in front of my handlebars, laughing.
My sight goes for a second, probably from the shock, and I don't feel any impact. Nothing! I skid to the side of the road and look around in all directions for her. I can't see a sign of her anywhere.
I walk from the bike and search the roadway and the field, scanning for her, wanting to know if she is alright. She's nowhere to be found.
Fuck, maybe I'm working too hard! Too many hard days and late nights. I'm seeing things! I better call it a night and go home and get a good night sleep.
I get back on the bike and fire it up, taking one last look around, only to see dark solitude in every direction.
I move slowly back to the road and begin down the route carefully, cautiously, knowing that I must be sleep deprived.
I get to the peak of the hill and start to ascend down into the long, downhill straightaway. Damn, I just can't help myself! Road's all clear so I get on the throttle a little bit, soaring down with the wind crackling around my body.
Shit! My headlight goes out! I try my high beams, then low again. Nothing! Fuck! With the new moon above, I get no help from natural lighting. It's just dark, black, cold and open. I let my eyes adjust and figure I can at least get to the bottom of the hill, then pull beneath the first street light and see what wire went loose. I take a deep breath and cruise down the hill, scanning busily at the dark road ahead.
All of a sudden, every inch of my skin feels hot, burning hot like I was leaning against a roaring, cast iron stove with every part of me. I tighten up and feel a hand grip my shoulder. I look at my shoulder and see a woman's hand. She pulls herself to my back and wraps her legs around my waist, settling behind me on the fender.
"Don't look back and keep riding!!" she commands to me. "You're my ride home, just do what I tell you and I'll make sure it will be worth your while, now ride!"
With a lucky stroke, my headlight beams back on, so at least I can see the road. I look in my mirror, but see nothing but dark sky. What the fuck!?! I gotta get home!
"Relax. Just relax and ride, I'll let you know where to go. We'll be there soon and then you can go home." she says into my ear. "Turn right just past this sign and go to the driveway that leads to the barn, that's where I'm staying for now."
I find myself somehow eased and decide to just take this nut home and then go either sleep or check myself in. All of a sudden, this woman has her lips around my earlobe and is slipping her fingernails up my jacket, scratching my stomach lightly and suckling my earlobe into her mouth. Okay, maybe things are looking up.
"That's better, isn't it? We're almost there, go just a little further and then you can stop and warm yourself a little before your ride home."
I ride to the first driveway I see and there is an old red barn up the way. I pull onto the property and proceed to the lot in front of the barn.
She's unzipped my jacket and is running her hands beneath my clothing, caressing my skin.
I pull to a stop and shut the bike off.
She sets a booted foot on the gravel and swings to my side, taking my face in her hands.
"Get off the bike and come with me." she tells me as she looks straight into my eyes. She turns away and I stall for a second, just trying to take this all in. She turns and points to me. "NOW!" she calls, smiling.
I climb down from the bike and catch up to her side and she takes my arm, leading me into the barn. "You should warm up a little before your ride home. Come with me and I'll light a fire." She moves to an area in the barn where there is a small living quarters set up.
Simple, just an old iron bed, a wooden rocking chair and a table. By the wall, there is a pot-belly stove and a bench before it with a wool blanket covering it. She crouches by the stove and strikes a match, throwing it into the paper and kindling. In seconds, the kindling is starting fire to the logs atop them and I begin to feel the warmth emitting from the vents.
She moves to me and loosens my jacket, sliding it down my arms. She turns, walks to the rocking chair and hangs it up against the back of the chair. Returning to me, she walks slowly and takes my hand as she approaches.