Rattlesnake, Cougar, and Cactus

We didn't set off until dusk.

The blue-gray sky merged with the bright gold in the distance,

Plunging into the blood-red desert outside Phoenix.

We sped through the cactus forest in our rented ATV.

These cacti grew taller than any human.

We drove at full speed, with no destination;

As long as we went far enough before total darkness,

We could outrun the sunset.

Yet the horizon was endless.

Perhaps by the time we snapped out of it,

We would already be in Mexico.

We should just steal these vehicles,

And never come back.

Two feet away on a tree sat a cougar.

Its eyes gleamed with a green light,

Watching us silently.

We stared back at it,

Hissing our tongues in its direction.

The sky went dark.