Posted in Challenges, Fiction, Flash Fiction

Hunted

#unicornchallenge – July 19, 2024

@Ayr/Gray

Alfred sat nervously waiting for a taxi. He had groceries to take home, but his mind was elsewhere. He had called a taxi almost half an hour ago. It should have already arrived.

A horn honked and headlights blazed as the taxi screeched its tires pulling up to him. He didn’t give it a thought as he leaped into the taxi before the driver could get out. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now he wasn’t a sitting duck.

The driver silently sped away. It was quiet in the taxi. The driver didn’t speak and that made Alfred anxious. He was driving too fast. Alfred tried to make small talk with the driver but to no avail.

They reached the edge of the city and Alfred was relieved. Then suddenly, the taxi swerved hard and Alfred was thrown against the window. He was knocked unconscious. Later, he had no idea how long it took him to wake up.

When he awakened, with his head pounding, the driver was nowhere to be found. As Alfred looked around, he realized there was a man in the floorboard of the front seat. He had on a badge and was obviously the real taxi driver. It was quiet and dark. He saw the bushes at the side of the road rustle. He reached for his phone and realized it was gone.

He was being hunted and there was no way to escape.

Thank you to C.E. Ayr and Jenne Gray for hosting the #unicornchallenge!

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Author:

Freelance writer, blogger, aspiring novelist. Former career as a college prof in finance. Encore career as freelance writer for a number of financial websites.

10 thoughts on “Hunted

  1. Phew. Fast-paced and full of tension. Blazing headlights, a screeching and swerving, speeding car. And then the silence at the end when the truth’s revealed. Well, part of it at least. We’re left to imagine why poor Alfred’s being hunted, and that’s very good.

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