Pile Up

WINNER £100

Istay in the middle lane because the lorries are nose to tail in the inner lane. In the outer lane grey and black wedges slash past far over the speed limit, racing home into the setting sun. My old engine is pushing its limit at just over seventy. Someone behind flashes me to go faster. I ignore them. A minute later they swerve out into the fast lane and accelerate away. I fall back a bit from the truck in front of me. Instantly another car leapfrogs past into the space. A minute later it is gone again, cutting out in front of an Audi which hoots angrily, then chases off after it. Only another few minutes to the junction and I will be out of this.

I don’t see what happens, but suddenly the long curve of the road ahead is full of flaring brake lights. Time slows. The lorry ahead swerves out suddenly into the fast lane and a black BMW slams into its back, bounces off the barrier and is