I woke up in the back of a Taxi. The smell of cigarettes met my senses with a deafening roar; tickled my eyes open and sewed my nose closed. I coughed the dry air -- blinked the sunlight out. "What... where am I?" The car didn't slow; a voice in front of me spoke in a low staccato: "You're in a cab son, donchaknow?" Dug my elbow into the seat; lifting my body erect, I slowly let the color drain into my view. The Driver dug his smoke into the tray. I looked away out the window: "Wh- where are we..." A gruff laugh from the miser. "Oh we're going my friend. And that's just the thing" No locks on the doors... "Don't try anything -- funny. I'm not much for jokes" He was wearing a wreath built of cigarette tokes; I couldn't see his face. Sat up to the glass. Both my legs were asleep. "How long have I been..." Nausea met me. I reeled back in defeat. "You're awake and that's what matters" the Driver retorted. "I'm not sure what you've been doing besides sleeping and snorting; but at least you're awake after all" My fingers crawled down the window -- trapped like a leper. Quarantined in a box with Death as my driver. He coughed: "You can't get what you want. Not at this point my friend. You've been chasing your tail like a puppy and now... you've caught it" I balled a fist and slammed it into the divider; I heard something rattle -- the cab took a corner. "I wouldn't try to fight if I were you son" the Driver waved off the last lingering wisps. "Fighting is for animals or if no other solution exists. How 'bout you accept where you are and not think with your fists?" I scoffed: "What do you know? You fucking--" A jolt. "Hold your tongue son. No need to be brash." I choked. No words came to mind, as if my brain'd been erased. "Don't you understand son? You're not going away. You're just going and going; this is your second wind. Soon you'll be back, to dreaming; back with your friends. Back to your girl; laughing alone in the dark." I stared, speechless ahead. "You don't know who I am -- and you know maybe I'm not. But at least I'm still driving and haven't yet stopped." I shook my head 'no': "But when will we stop?" A chuckle; a chortle: "You'll find out soon enough."

I woke up in my bed. What a dream I just had.