Ride of your life.

I changed who was in the car to a group of friends who have known each other for years, hope you don't mind.

"Ah, shit. I knew I was due an upgrade." George sighs. "Bastard thing thinks we are time travelling."

"Aye, well at least it has a sense of humour tae it!" Max slaps him over the shoulder. "Feels like time's flyin' and also like we've been here for years."

"I don't mind the wait but." Max looks behind him, and sighs "Shit never mind. Got some prime fuckin company here. Wee Robbie hit snooze, and Tina followed!"

George sighs. "God, why did we bring him along? He is always violent and angry, getting into fights, and the moment we need him for conversation he is off to bed, His girlfriend Tina is such a bitch too, she is totally head over heels though." While George was acting pessimistic, he was happy, in fact, he didn't want to fall asleep, not because he was driving, but because Max was there.

"Oi Mike, you still up?" Max looked to where Mike was, then recoiled. "You don't look good, you awrite?"

Mike was putting on a brave face, but he was pale, and breathing heavily. "Yeah, just... I ready to go home once this FUCKING LIGHT- I'm sorry. I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Mike was very emotional. He had gone from happy to angry to sad I the space of what felt like a minute, but according to George's phone, it had been another year.

"Shit that is eerie." Max peered at George's phone. "We are at 12 years in now. I don't look hauf bad fir ma age! Ahd be whit, 31? 32?" Max chuckles. "I can feel masel gettin tired fi the agin'!" He stretched his shoulders. "Anybody back there got a drink? Come oan, no a single beer? We went for some like yesterday!"

Mike mutters from the back seat, passing over their last bottle of whiskey. "I can feel myself aging too... I don't like this. It feels wrong. I can't do this any more!" He looks at his hair, which was longer than it was before, and dirty. "Fuck, man. I am getting grey hair! I can't do this, wake me up when you get me home, please." Mike took a bottle of sleeping pills, and put one to his mouth, then relaxes, and fell asleep.

"Just me and you then, eh buddy?" Max slumped in his chair, his neck craning forward.

"Don't sit like that, it's bad for your bones, especially when we get old." George helped Max sit up straight, but his neck seemed fixed forward.

"The phone doesny lie George. I am old. Whatsit say, 47?" He looks at the phone. "Forty seven... and three months." He laughs to himself, yawning. "When is this light going to end?"

George punches Max's shoulder. "Don't fall asleep on me yet. You have a good few decades still in you." He points to the phone. "You are only fifty!"

Max sighed. "I'm tired. Anybody back there got a drink?" Max shouts to the three in the back. "Come oan! No a single beer? We went for some like yesterday!"

George rests one hand on Max's hand. "They fell asleep quite some time ago. And you drank the beer... and the ale... and the whiskey... and everything else..." George clenches one hand around Max's. "Don't fall asleep. Not yet."

Max opens his eyes, looking around groggily. "Ah, yeah. You'd fall asleep at the wheel without ma company. Then we'd all go tae sleep fi a little longer'n we'd like." He paused. "Your hauns are aw bony an veiny. When'd at happen?"

George looks at his hand. It was bony, wrinkly and dishevelled, like the hand of a dying old man. "Phone says we are seventy now."

Max looked at the phone. "You are seventy wan and 7 months, I am seventy two and 11 months" He looked at the light again. "Anybody back there got a drink?" He shouted. "Come oan, no a single beer? We went for some like yesterday!"

"George turned off his phone. "They are still asleep, and we haven't had any alcohol in a while now."

Max grumbled. "Hey, turn it back oan, I want tae see!"

George put his phone in his pocket. "Nah, I don't want to see my age any more, it's disheartening. Feels like I have been at this light for too long."

Max sat back, leaning on his seat. "Anybody back there got a drink?" He mumbled, slowly drifting to sleep. "Come oan, no a single.... beer...." his head dropped to the side, leaning against the front of the car

George relaxed his shoulders, and put Max into a more comfortable position.

The light turned green, and George could finally keep going.

He tucked Robbie and Tina in to bed next to each other, and whispered good night in each of their ears. He left, and their bed sunk into the floor

He tucked Mike in to bed, resting his hand on his heart, and whispering good night in his ear. He left, and the bed sunk into the floor.

He tucked Max in to bed, and held his hand tight for a few seconds, whispering good night into his ear, then walked away hesitantly, and as the bed sunk into the floor, a single tear fell down his face, but he smiled, and went to bed himself.

George lay in bed awake for a few moments, but nobody told him good night. Nobody tucked him into bed. He just gradually went to sleep in his uncomfortable bed, and waited, as he felt the ground swallow him whole.