A Ride Into ... Something...

After several minutes of driving, the overall condition of the road began to deteriorate.  Smooth clean pavement became cracked, and the occasional pothole appeared.  Weeds

lined either side of the berm like an encroaching army.  Overhead, the sky gradually changed from clear blue to slate grey, transforming the scene even more.  “Wow, Misha,

this really seems to be the long way around, I don't recall the path being like this...”

The car seemed to buzz in agreement.  But the two pressed on down the unfamiliar road.

Soon a small, white, covered bridge came into view.

“Oh, look, how pretty!  I don't remember that either, but it is just so picturesque!  I'm happy we came this way now!”

Misha again buzzed in agreement.  Carefully they made for the center of the road to cross the structure.  Little did they realize, but two sharp echidna quills had been

strategically wedged in between the wooden planks about the middle of the bridge, about the exact width of a passing car.  The echoing of the soft purr of  engine covered the

gentle pop as first the front tires and the rear tires rode over the sharp points.  The spines punched through the thick tread and into the softer rubber of the innertube,

leaving a small hole which began to slowly leak air with a gentle Psssh, psssh, psssh...

The young feline felt nothing at first.  But then she noticed something strange.  Cracks and breaks  now appeared regularly in the pavement.  Initially, the ride felt bumpy

as they bounced in and out of small holes and divots, but things seemed to get smoother the more she drove.  The handling of the small car started to feel a little squishy.  

Worriedly, the cat poked her head out of the window.

The left front tire was starting to sag.  It still had air in it, but it definitely was not as full as it should have been.

“Oh, no Misha, are we getting a flat tire?”

The young cat tapped the brakes and hopped out to inspect her tires.  Her fear was confirmed, the front tire was definitely soft, but she then looked to the rear, that tire

was getting softer too!  Going to the other side of the vehicle, both right side tires were starting to droop and sag as well.

The gathering clouds made the road dark and a rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance.

The cat covered her mouth with her paws, and her ears collapsed.  “Oh, Misha, I'm sorry, I think we ran over something bad, and all four of your tires are leaking, where can

we go?”

The cat looked around desperately for any sign of civilization, then off in the distance, at the top of a  hill, there shone a light.

“Oh, there's a house up ahead!  Maybe they can help us!”  The cat hopped back into the car and hit the accelerator.

Misha purred and revved as they drove forward with desperate purpose.

Slowly the tires continued to leak.  Misha'a poor innertubes tried their best to keep the weight of the car off the ground, but the little pinholes kept letting out more and more

air.  Soon they began to squeak and squirm as the tires started to ripple and dimple as they leaked softer and softer.  Finally the deflating rubber could no longer do its

job and Misha's rims began to rumble on the ground, whitewalls folding and flopping.

“Just a little more!”  It was difficult to steer the car as the last air escaped, but just when the last tire gave out there they sat at the gated entrance to a large estate.

The young feline looked up.  Twin gargoyles, leering, weathered with time perched atop two pillars that ended a long grey rough cut stone wall that bordered the road as far

as the eye could see.  Unlike the wall itself, though, the gargoyles were formed of a contrasting stone, earthy red in color.  Strangely enough, a lush growth of small green

plants topped their heads, like a plush green afro.

“Igor, maybe we should have harvested the Chia-Goyles.  I could have gone for some fresh greens tonight...”

The rotund guinea pig slowly shook his head in despair.

“Open the gate!”