one headlight

“It’s beautiful at night,” Maynard says, wistful as he gazes at the dark sky. “Don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” Danny sits across from Maynard and watches the sky. The night is a canvas of possibilities, each star in the clear desert sky a beacon guiding him towards a different fate. He wonders if that’s what brought Maynard here, too. Some dark thing he’s trying to outrun, or at least put in the rear-view long enough to breathe.