an excerpt from "One Headlight"

here is a small teaser from a book I am working on entitled, "One Headlight." I am always looking for feedback and criticism as this is rough and unedited.

The road ahead was lined with shadows, like decorative tinsel upon a holiday tree. The only light that lit the path ahead protruded dimly from the single working headlight of an outdated and overpriced hand-me-down 94' Geo Metro. It's owner, a young man in his early 20's of average height and a slightly athletic build, was rushing to a destination he was still not convinced even existed. This uncertainty was additionally fueled by the time of day at which he was traveling.

"3am," he thought, "Who ever travels at 3am?"

He looked to the only functioning headlight on his car, the only functioning headlight on a street which, by day, served as the main road of travel in the small city of 32,000 people. As he did, he was reminded once again of the answer to his rhetorical question.

No one.

After daylight, no one would dare to travel this road, which, despite it's proximity to so many prominent local spots, was poorly maintained and was bordered by the White River. The White River, had served served as a death trap to many who chose to travel under these same conditions thanks, in part, to its flimsy, dented and rusty guardrail that served as the only barrier between the road and it's wild waters. An accident this late would mean certain injury, if not death. The young man concentrated, refusing to let his mind wander as he meticulously navigated the many twists and turns that shaped the road. He could not afford to be distracted.

As he rounded the final corner on White Water Road, he made a left turn onto Natalie's street, and allowed his mind to return to pondering on his current situation.

Just twenty minutes ago he had lie prostrate in bed, when he was awoke by the loud and obnoxious ring tone echoing off of his phone which had been intentionally set to be loud and obnoxious for such an occasion. Natalie's voice on the other end had sounded anxious and urgent as she urged Aaron to hurry to see her. She would not say what it was she needed though, as if she were paranoid that someone may have been listening on the other end.

He knew though.

Aaron knew exactly what was going on. Natalie's conditioning was worsening. She was breaking. All the medical books Aaron had been studying had said that her condition was irreversible, but his stubbornness which he had attributed to his mothers side of the family, left him skeptical. He simply would not accept it. He was so confident that he could help her get well on his own, unable to take her to a professional facility due to the nature of her condition.

"I have to accept that I am losing her," he tried to reason with himself, "and it's no one's fault but mine."

As he finally pulled into her driveway, concluding what may have been the longest half hour drive of his life, he new that the easiest part was over and that the hardest part was just beginning. He took one final deep breath and closed his eyes tightly as if, when he opened them he would wake from a terrible dream. He muttered a prayer under his breath and slowly begin to open his eyes. He cursed under his breath, exited the car and began to walk up the narrow blacktop driveway and into the realist nightmare he would ever know.