Something Passed By

Something Passed By is a short story by Robert R. McCammon. It's published in his book of stories Blue World, which was nominated for the 1989 Bram Stoker Award and the 1990 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection.

It can be read online. The first sentence:

Johnny James was sitting on the front porch, sipping from a glass of gasoline in the December heat, when the doomscreamer came.

How can you not want to click through and read the story after that? I think it would make a good Twilight Zone episode.