Night Shadows

The world is a different place at night. Even familiar buildings and locales seem strangely uninviting when distorted by night's shadows.

And roadways... well roadways become treacherous stretches of concrete and asphalt where any number of hazards could be lying in wait.

I ran upon just such a hazard last night, an unidentifiable carcass lying in the road. The misshapen form, covered with dark fur, was indistinguishable against the blacktop. By the time the beams from my car's headlights illuminated the dead animal, it was too late for evasive maneuvers.

I centered the car over the form in the hopes of clearing it. While I felt no bump, I did hear a thump followed by what sounded like a spray of buckshot in the wheel well.

Gravel, I told myself. Just gravel. It couldn't possibly have been dislodged animal parts bouncing around in the wheel well - could it?