8.

THe sky is orange and dark beyond the high parking lot sentries. The tall poles rigid and seem shorter in the night. Few cars push up the lot, just the far ones near the all night grocery. but all the lot bulbs hum and we pull a cart from the line, red plastic opaque and cleaner shower by incandescent orange. Colors are supposed to dim at night, the iris tightens and sends the beam straight to the back rods, but at night really colors seem to crunch and smolder, oranges and reds eat deep into the grays and pulling blacks.
You hop into the cart, rocking, long red jacket spilling over the edges, and crouch down, gripping the sides. You pull down invisible pilot goggles tighten a helmet strap and lean on the throttle.