MY $20-A-GALLON NIGHTMARE

I pulled into my favorite Exxon-Mobil service station, got out of my car and went through my well-practiced credit card-pump ritual. The dials on the pump whirred and whirred and whirred. Finally the pump thunked off and I replaced the hose and capped my tank. Then I reached for the receipt. I stared in horror. The slip of paper said $379.79.

How in the world could one tank of gas have gone from $43.15 to $379.79? After parking the car and staggering with shock into the house, I found myself in front of my computer, booting it up all the way to Google. Hitting the "news" button, I began searching for all news relating to "oil," "gas," and "gasoline." I didn't have long to wait. With lightning speed, the magical search engine spewed out news item after news item. Starting in January, 2005, the headlines played out on my trembling screen.

"OIL HITS $50 A BARREL"

"EXPERTS PREDICT $50 OIL WILL HALT THE RECOVERY"

"EXPERTS CLAIM OIL COULD SETTLE BACK TO $40 A BARREL"

"CHINA'S ECONOMY EXPANDING OVER NINE PERCENT"

"INDIA UPS OIL IMPORTS"

"INSURGENTS BLOW UP IRAQ PIPELINE"

"OIL REACHES $56 A BARREL"

"SAUDIS PROMISE TO EXPAND PRODUCTION"

"GASOLINE EXCEEDS $3 A GALLON IN CALIFORNIA"

"CHAVEZ THREATENS TO REDUCE U.S. OIL SHIPMENTS"

"INSURGENTS BLOW UP PIPELINE NEAR KIRKUK"

"OPEC AUTHORIZES 28 MILLION BARRELS A DAY"

"NORWEGIAN OIL WORKERS THREATEN STRIKE"

"OIL EXCEEDS $58 A BARREL"

"OPEC UNOFFICIAL RATE REACHES 30 MILLION BARRELS A DAY"

"OIL SETTLES IN OVER $60"

"WORLD'S REFINERIES CAN'T MEET U.S.'S GROWING GASOLINE APPETITE"

"GLOBAL DEMAND SUCKS UP WORLD REFINERY CAPACITY"

"NO U.S. REFINERIES BUILT IN PAST 21 YEARS"

"U.S. FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GASOLINE AND HOME HEATING OIL"

"TERRORISTS ATTACK SAUDI OIL FIELDS"

"OIL RUNS UP TO $80 A BARREL"

"RECORD NUMBERS TAKE TO THE ROAD FOR SUMMER VACATIONS"

"CHINA MAKES OIL DEAL WITH VENEZUELA"

"WORLD OIL PRODUCTION RUNNING 5 MILLION BARRELS BEHIND DEMAND"

"OIL LEAPS TO $100 A BARREL"

"PRESIDENT SIGNS ENERGY BILL"

"OIL HITS $128 A BARREL"

"STOCK MARKET CRASHES"

"GREENSPAN RESIGNS"

"TERRORISTS BLOW UP IRAQ PIPELINE"

"SPECULATORS BID UP OIL OVER $150 A BARREL"

"EXPLOSION AT VALERO REFINERY"

"GASOLINE OVER $10 A GALLON IN CALIFORNIA"

"WINTER HOME HEATING OIL SHORTAGE MAKES US SHIVER"

"SAUDI ARABIA UNDER TERROR ATTACKS"

"OIL PRICES HIT $200 A BARREL"

"RECESSIONS SPREAD ACROSS EUROPE"

"CHINA ECONOMIC GROWTH DOWN TO 5 PERCENT"

"OIL SUPPLIES CONTINUE TO FALL FASTER THAN DEMAND"

"OIL NOW AT $300 A BARREL"

"BRAZIL PROSPERS WITH HUGE WHEAT ETHANOL PRODUCTION"

"ALASKA DRILLING IRRITATES MOOSE BUT FAILS TO RELIEVE OIL SHORTAGE"

"U.S. CONGRESS OUTLAWS SUV SALES"

"GENERAL MOTORS DECLARES BANKRUPTCY"

"TOYOTA HYBRID SALES BOOMING"

"GASOLINE SHORTAGES THREATEN TOURIST SEASON"

"NEW YORK COMMUTER TRAINS JAMMED, ROADS EMPTY"

"REFINERY CAPACITY AGAIN LIMITS GASOLINE PRODUCTION"

"GASOLINE AT $20 A GALLON IN CALIFORNIA"

"CALIFORNIA HOUSING PRICES COLLAPSING BECAUSE WORKERS CANNOT AFFORD TO DRIVE TO JOBS"

"DEMOCRATS URGE GASOLINE RATIONING"

"PRESIDENT BUSH URGES AMERICANS TO VACATION IN HOME STATES"

"DEMOCRATS CLAIM BUSH SHOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT TEXAS"

I awoke just as I was beginning to see long, angry lines forming in front of the Exxon-Mobil station on the Post Road in Westport, Connecticut.