A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Novels & Stories

RUE The farmland road sighs beneath the SUV's tires as it slows. Dust rises in pale clouds behind us, drifting into the night until the darkness swallows it whole. For the first time in hours, there is no other engine humming behind us. No headlights gnawing at our heels. No threat is breathing down our necks. Just silence. The real kind. Heavy. Untouched. I let myself lean back on the seat once more. The sight of the roads has become nauseous. The fear of the unknown is too intricate.

I wanted to take it with me, to bury these ridiculous seven years for good. The office was pitch-dark, except for the light still on in the CEO's office. Wanting to say a final goodbye to Chelsea, I walked up to the door and reached for the handle. That was when I heard her voice, trembling with tears and something indistinct underneath. "Donald, don't. We can't do this…" My hand froze in midair.

The room went silent, the air thick with tension like it was encased in ice. I set my gaze toward the cops. "What I'm about to spill is all evidence, and it will help you out."

"This car was a gift from you. As long as you gave it to me, I'll keep it and drive it until it falls apart." Her eyes had sparkled back then, filled with love and warmth. She had gazed at him with such tenderness that he had felt like the luckiest man alive. When had he started betraying that love? Henley powered on the car's dashcam, hoping to see the places Joanna had been driving through in her final days. The footage began playing. The earlier clips showed her daily commute—work and back, a familiar routine. It was just that something felt off. The car was eerily silent.

"There is no why. Find someone else. I can't do it." I headed for the exit. Celine followed, dragging both hands through her hair. "Mount Ashen gets worse every year. A few drivers tried that pass over the last couple years. None of them came back. "If you don't go, nobody will. Are you sick or something? Fine, I'll come with you. I'll handle the rescue. You just drive. "But you owe us an explanation. The team's broke. Everyone's been waiting for a chance like this. They deserve to know why."

It waits. The light is softer now, softer and smaller, smaller and distant. My breath is louder than I want it to be, louder than I think it should be, louder than the road. The road is a dark, thin line against the grey and creeping night. It is a thin line against the darkness, against the long and distant and unsteady edge of my plans. The road is as lonely as my thoughts.

The kind of quiet that felt staged. “Damien,” Adrian whispered. His voice wasn’t frightened yet just uncertain. But uncertainty was enough. “Don’t panic,” I said, my tone low, calm, ready. “Just breathe for me.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him swallow, his hand gripping the seatbelt across his chest. The road curved ahead a long empty stretch flanked by rusting containers and abandoned construction sites. A terrible place to get trapped. Perfect for an ambush. My chest went cold.

The house was quiet in a way that felt intentional. Not peaceful. Not calm. Curated. Jordan Elaine stood at the kitchen sink, fingers wrapped around the porcelain edge, staring at her reflection in the darkened window. Outside, the city glowed faintly, and distant headlights, muted sirens, the hum of a world that never slept. Inside, there was only silence. The kind that pressed against her chest until breathing felt like effort. She had learned, over time, not to fill it.

But because some questions never get answers, and I had stopped waiting for them. At last, on a quiet evening, my spirit dissolved completely.

The Better Place Chapter Twenty Eight. Unedited After two rings, the call was finally picked up on the Other Side. " Hello, Miss Quinn. " " Hi. " Rose replied shyly. " Why did you suddenly call? " He inquired. " Well, about the rumors. " " Oh, what about it? " " Hmmn, haven't you thought of clarifying it? " " I did, to be honest, but I was waiting for your opinion. " " Oh. "