Cabdriver
I pulled my cab over to the old man on the side of the road.
"Hey, man, need a lift?"
"Yeah, sure, that would be great, thanks."
"You got the fare?
"I got a few bucks earlier today."
"Hop in."
"Don't you need to know where I'm going?"
"Nah, that's alright, I'll get you where you need to go."
"Shit, it's been one hell of a night."
"Yeah?"
"You don't know what it's like out there. Things are just getting harder on the streets every day. Today I saw a drive-by. In Iowa! When did drive-bys make it to Iowa?"
"Things are getting rougher out there, that's for sure."
"Yeah, I've been on and off the streets since I was a teenager. I never saw a night like this before. Sure hope I won't again."
"I don't think you need to worry too much about that."
"Really, you think it's getting better?"
"Nah, it never does. But you're not going to need to worry about that anymore."
"Huh?"
"You saw that bridge we just crossed?"
"Yeah, it's over the Skunk River."
"Not today it isn't. Here we are."
"Where are we?"
"You'll figure it out. I gotta get back, I'm getting a call." And so I left him standing there, and headed back across the Styx to pick up another fare.