Prologue
Heat, boiling heat, dry sand and strong winds; that's all he knew at that specific moment. He didn't know anything else, for nothing else at that moment was important. His belly was full, his day long, and he just wanted to escape from said heat, said endless boiling heat. He walked quickly along the dirt, eyes open wide, predators were sure to be about and he was sure to be on guard for them. He only lived as long as he did because he was always on guard.
He was an armadillo. A fat, but swift one. He trotted along the Texas wastelands on this, a Saturday, surely the hottest day since the world was a giant spinning fire ball. As he moved along he became all too aware of the eyes on him; narrowing in on his backside, sneaking up on him all too quickly.
He ran and it fallowed, an immensely intimidating beast of a snake. Mouth opening wide and teeth spinning out like a switchblade in a bar fight. It got a bit too eager and dived far too soon, missing our armadillo friend completely. He ran out, clear of the dessert now, and standing on black dirt that burned like fire.
Said dirt went straight ahead and straight behind like an endless pitch black line between life and death. Smaller yellow lines stood in the very center of it that looked like the sun breaking out of the land. That might have explained the heat of the thing. Oh my, was it hot. The armadillo didn't have time to think about it though, he didn't have time to ponder the black dirt, or the yellow lines, or the thing, the big thing, moving quickly towards him. He didn't have time to think about anything other then the heat, that endless, boiling heat.
The minivan hit him and he exploded just like that pumpkin you smashed onto the neighbors house back while you were still in highschool.
