The Hearse

"THE HEARSE" - Clifton Bush Jnr.

It was an ugly car, she thought. Long, black, and with death written all over it. Geri looked at it, and thought that it would be the perfect first car for her sister Lori. She was all of sixteen and into the Goth scene, and this would be the icing on the cake. She couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she handed her the keys to her new 'ride.'

She went and signed the papers for the car in the dealer's office, and walked out to her own car. The man told her that she had three days in which to pick up the car, otherwise he would rip up the contract and slap a for-sale sign back on the windshield. She told him not to worry, that she would be back later on that evening to pick it up with a friend.

She went home, showered, got changed, and went to pick up her friend Brianna. Together they would drive the car back to Brianna's house to 'hide' it until her sister's birthday tomorrow. She was getting excited; she couldn't wait to give it to her. She would just freak when she saw what she would be driving.

Once they arrived at the dealer's lot, she told Brianna to follow her, and she would give the car its first ride. It had been on the lot now for a couple of years; no one wanted the ugly thing, but she thought it would be perfect for Lori, with her tats and piercings and ultra-black spiked hair. This would be the present of a lifetime.

While they didn't get along all the time, they were more like friends than sisters. They would borrow each others' makeup, clothes, and sometimes would even trade boyfriends. But that was pretty rare, considering as how Lori was only sixteen. Their mother frowned on her dating at such a young age, but girls were girls, and they did pretty much what they wanted to. At least up to a point. When she told her mother that she was buying Lori a hearse for her birthday, she had a fit. It was bad enough, she argued, that when a person died, it would be the last ride they received. How ironic that she would buy her sister a hearse to drive around town in. She finally assented to it, but she still didn't like it.

There were rumors around that hearses had a curse on them, that if anyone drove one it would be to their own funeral. Geri just laughed at the rumormongers. She didn't care. She was going to buy that car for her sister no matter what people said. She didn't much listen to anyone that tried to give her advice.

At last the time came for the key presentation. They blindfolded Lori, and took her to Brianna's house. Once there, they stood her outside, and told her to open her hand. While she held her right hand out, Geri dropped the keys into it and told her to take off the blindfold. Lori did, and a squeal that could be heard for miles came out of her when she saw the long, black death machine. She screeched and howled and gave Geri hugs and kisses, and even gave Brianna a few too.

“Go try it out,” said Geri, giving her sister a hug. She watched Lori get in the car, almost being dwarfed by the massive door on the beast. She inserted the key and turned it over. The big motor turned over once, twice, and rumbled into life, its eight cylinders purring as if it had just come out of the shop.

Geri and Brianna hopped in the passenger side, and they all went for a ride. The car rode smooth, thanks to its heavy duty suspension.

“You know how many beers we can haul in this thing?” Brianna pointed out, noting the roomy interior. “Holy crap, guys, this is our new party vehicle!”

Lori just looked at her with disdain. “Uh-uh, Brianna, this is not your party vehicle, this is my new car, and I'm going to show it off to everyone!”

They headed out of town, and Geri told Lori to open it up some. There were no cops around, so she pressed harder on the gas. Soon they were cruising along at 90 miles an hour. Geri told her to back it off a bit before they got stopped. Lori let her foot off the gas, and the car just kept going, faster and faster. They were soon doing 100, then 110, 120, 130. She slammed on the brakes, but to no avail.

The hearse just kept speeding along, and soon they were coming up on some pretty sharp curves. The girls started screaming, but it was no use. The car kept going faster and faster, and soon one of the corners was just too much for the screeching rubber, and the big car leaped out at the trees, snapping off a telephone pole in the process. By the time the car stopped, it was nothing but a scrap heap. The girls had been tossed about like rag dolls, and had taken their one and only ride in a hearse.

Alive, that is...


Clifton lives in Michigan and has wanted to write stories all of his life. He is happily engaged to a wonderful woman and raising his 10 year old son. He enjoys writing, astronomy, NASCAR, football and the outdoors in general.