Exit 14B

Author: Kevin Mendez

Daniel’s GPS froze somewhere along the highway between Harrisburg and nowhere. When he finally took the next exit, he found himself on a road that looked more like memory than asphalt.

He stopped at Lou’s Diner, its neon sign buzzing like a trapped fly. Inside, the air smelled of bacon and rain.
“You made it back,” said the man behind the counter.
Daniel frowned. “Back?”
“Don’t you remember? You used to come here with your old man. Same eyes, same jacket.”

Daniel didn’t remember any of it — or maybe he didn’t want to. He ordered coffee and watched the storm build outside.

When he left, the road was gone. Just an open field, slick with rain. The GPS flickered back to life, recalculating.
He drove away without looking in the mirror.