They'd left the city about two hours ago, the relative safety of civilization falling behind them like a discarded blanket. The roads grew rough and bumpy—each jolt sending vibrations through the vehicle that Dale felt in his bones.
The vehicle rocked and swayed as it ate its way through the dirt road, the movement making his stomach lurch. Snow, gravel, dirt, and fallen branches snapped and crunched beneath them, creating an eerie symphony in the darkness.
The engine purred like a satisfied kitten, the sound comforting in the wilderness. Now and then, the loose ground would send a stone splattering against the windscreen, the impact making Dale flinch as the wipers worked to rid the pane of humidity, and condensation streamed down the glass like tears.
The absence of streetlights made the sky seem black, a void pressed against the windows like a living thing. They had only the headlights on full beam to guide their way, the beams cutting through the darkness like desperate fingers re
