zero plus nothing equals - 27. the highway

by jeremy witherington

part twenty-seven of 31

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eddie sat in the back seat of mabel’s car, staring out the window at the emptiness on both sides of the dark highway. he began having second thoughts about teaming up with mabel . the city of gas stations had been left far behind. and now eddie could see no cities or human life of any kind. mabel was in the front seat, filling it up. are we almost there? eddie finally got the nerve to ask. maybe, mabel replied shortly. eddie did not continue the conversation. he shifted his position and the little pistol mabel had given him poked his hip. how did he get here? why had he been born? these were not easy questions to answer. suddenly a light appeared up ahead. what is that? eddie asked queroulusly. we will find out. the car slowed down and stopped. in all his years of delivering pizza eddie had never seen a live police officer or a police car with a natural born inhabitant in ot. two police officers who looked like they were natural born - but what did he know? - approached the little car. they had pistols in holsters on their hips and their white gloved hands hovered over them. mabel did not appear overly concerned. may we see some i d please, the larger of the two officers asked. mabel produced a small card from her left shirt pocket. this was the moment eddie had been dreading all his life, maybe this is all a dream, he thought desperately. the shorter of the two officers shone a flashlight in eddie’s face. well if it ain’t my old friend eddie brown, the short officer announced heartily. the other officer and mabel both laughed. eddie wished he were back in — next