An Odyssey In Drabbles Part II

(This drabble continues a story about a disgruntled customer seeking to retrieve his computer from repair, which can be found here: http://fortyfifthparadox.com/?p=151

 

I sat in the airport trapped for hours, until cunning businessmen began to take advantage of the storm. Right and left, preying about the swarms of airline passengers like wolves in a chicken coop, men and women proffered their signs, offering rides to the nearest blizzard-free airport.  Likewise the stranded passengers rushed the drivers like gnats to a lamp on a summer night. My eyes settled on the nearest driver, and I moved as quickly as I could to a man taller than most cloaked in a long coat and long brimmed hat.

It didn't strike me at first that I couldn't see his eyes. I followed him out the doors to a newly cleared path to the parking garage, and we held eachothers arms that held our suitcases as the wind threatened to blow us over. Past shivering, past shaking, we stood numb as he unlocked his van and opened the doors for us. We shuffled inside and sat down, handing him our money and our blind trust that he would lead us to part of the way home.

None of us spoke much on the ride to the other airport. We sat, rubbing our hands together, too impatient to wait for the heaters in the van to thaw out our frozen meat. The driver, who introduced himself Poly Femus,  gave each of us a sandwich, soda, and chips to eat, and played upbeat songs on his stereo. Finally blissfully warm, we settled our seats, barely able to keep our eyes open. One by one we each succumbed to sleep, and as my eyes closed I glanced at a rear view mirror and saw a single eye underneath the driver's hat.

I awoke alone in the van, save for the driver. Taking a deep breath of awakening air, I wretched at the coppery smell of blood. A brief glance about the van revealed the streaked seats and a lonely hand leaning precariously out the van door. Clearing his throat, the driver removed his hat, and my eyes confirmed what they had seen before...a rather human-looking cyclops. He asked for my name, and I told him I was no one. Poly Femus seemed rather sastified with that answer, as he licked his lips.

Something about him screeched more thirsty than hungry, I offered to share a soda with him as he digested my fellow passengers. We sat across from eachother, only a console and some seats seperating Poly Femus from his third course. I turned up the heat, offering him a candy bar and some crackers. The cyclops glanced at me suspiciously, munching on the offered junk food, listening to the radio. After some idle chatter I offered him more food, especially more sugar. Within minutes I had closed the van doors, letting it heat up the interior like an oven.

Finally, Poly Femus's eyes began to drift closed, and I bolted from the van.