text: >*(Science fiction, mecha, escape, 613 words.)* > >*Again, this was inspired by a picture, but the words are all mine. It's never been on Reddit that I know of.* > >*Nothing here that should cause any problems. Hope somebody likes it. Any comments, votes etc. gratefully received.* &#x200B; It's five in the morning, sky just lighting up and I'm heading home. Mouth still tastes of cheap, nasty coffee. I'm thinking about the rotten night shift I just had, wondering if I've got enough gas in the tank to make it back. Doing seventy down Franklin's Creek, trees on the left, old man Grissom's field on the right, mist hanging over the grass. Then the road starts to shake. First I'm guessing it's something wrong with the car, suspension acting out, and I'm thinking *oh, Jesus, how'm I gonna pay for this?* Nobody on the road. I brake, I stop the car, hit my hazard lights, and then I realize the whole world's going up and down. Bouncing when something punches the ground. *Wham. Wham. Wham.* Birds taking off over the woods in a panic. It's one of *them.* Can't see nothing but I know Christ *almighty* it's one of *them.* Wasn't supposed to be nothing going on round here today, news on the radio back at the plant didn't have no warning but what the hell else is it gonna be? The world shakes even harder. Telephone poles along the side of the road swaying, left, right, left, right. I'm opening the door. Not sure why. What'm I gonna do, exactly? Fingers shaking on the handle, damn near pissing myself I'm that scared. Door's open. The noise. It's moving so fast. Must be right on top of me. God damn it I'm pretty much deaf. Half way out of the car and - It's here. Jesus it's *huge.* Smashes through the woods. Trees crack and fold up either side of it, leaves going everywhere. Charges across the road in front of me. Doesn't stop, never mind look my way. Hits the telephone wires but they don't bother it none. Just keeps on going. Yanks the poles out of the ground and they go bouncing along the field behind it 'til the wires pop, whipping around in the mud. Musta been a hundred fifty foot high, easy. Creaking and grinding away. Yellow metal, no marks saying whose it was. Lights blinking on and off in its guts. Cables hanging loose. Looked half finished, you ask me. I'm thinking government boys gonna be *all* over this one any minute and I get back in the car, praying it starts. Engine turns over like nothing happened and I stamp on the gas, head off down Franklin, teeth rattling like it's the middle of winter. Got home, didn't say nothing to Grace. Hit the sack, slept like crap. Kept waking up every five minutes thinking the men in black were banging on the door. Never did, though. Never heard a word. Went back there two days later, stopped for a second on the exact same bend. Telephone poles were back up. No sign anything been through the woods. No prints in the field or nothing. I mean I didn't do nothing wrong, sure. I coulda reported it but - There was something about the whole thing. No warning. The way it *looked.* The way it just sprints across the road - talked to a few pilots and yeah, those boys can be real assholes, but even the assholes are pretty good at what they do. Wasn't drunk. I'd bet money on that. So what else was he gonna be doing? You ask me government want us to jump up and down when these things head out, shipped off to fight, helping out after a flood, a fire, a quake, doesn't matter. They want us to think they're god damn superheroes when they're just people. Sometimes people get scared. Sometimes they can't cope. Sometimes they run.