33AloneSoren woke up choking. The stink of a burning gas tank filled his nostrils, and thick, acrid, black smoke spewed into the air around him. By the time he’d kicked open the back door of the vehicle, and crawled away to a safe distance, tears were streaming down his face stinging his burned skin.
Confused, he stared back at the car. This fire was fresh, but the vehicle was already a blackened shell; in some places, a new layer of rust had formed over the scorched metal.
Getting up, he circled it warily, like it was a wild animal that would leap at him if he got close again.
Now, just a skeleton of jagged twisted metal and shattered windows, it had once been someone’s pride and joy. There was tan paint still splotched on the hood, and plastic stickers depicting a man, woman, little g
