A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Novels & Stories

“And we can’t talk about it here.” Lissa didn’t ask why. Because whatever this was… She already knew it wasn’t going to wait. Chapter Ten: The River Talks Too They drove in silence. The road to the river was lined with leaning pines and a tangled brush. Lissa gripped the passenger-side door like it might hold her together. Marley hadn’t said a word since they pulled away from the house, but her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. They parked near the edge of the woods, where the trees began to thin, and the river could be heard murmuring beyond the brush.

"I'm all set. Let's head back." She nodded, tucked her phone away, and just like that, the smile on her face disappeared completely. She slid into the car without a word, her expression blank as she waited for him. The drive was silent. Not a word passed between them. When the car reached the entrance of Yvonne's Diner, Benjamin got out. Nissa did not follow. She drove off toward a nearby parking lot. Zachary stood outside the restaurant, arms crossed, watching. He noticed Benjamin staring after Nissa's car and gave a cold snort. "Dude, what are you trying to pull here, acting all sentimental now?"

Dwight's POV The road coils like a serpent beneath my tires, black and endless. Trees lean in on either side like silent witnesses, their twisted branches clawing at the pale sky. Gerald’s directions run through my head again and again, carved into memory. The House of Silence—what a sick, ironic name. My grip tightens on the wheel as I push forward, heart hammering in a rhythm I haven’t known in years. I tap my earpiece. “Parker.”

Just silence. Too much silence. I exhaled slowly, closing my eyes briefly. Q noticed again. “Still no word from her?” he asked. I didn’t open my eyes. “No.” He nodded slowly. “She’ll reach out when she’s ready.” I didn’t respond. Because I wasn’t sure if that was true. Or if I was just telling myself that to stay still. The car turned into the private road leading toward headquarters. I opened my eyes again. The world was already moving forward.

The engine hums to life, headlights cutting through the fog as we roll past the gates. The road ahead is long, winding through forest, open plains, then through neutral territory. There’s tension in the air. The road hums beneath the tires, steady and constant, but inside the SUV, silence stretches thick between us. Not awkward, just full. Full of things left unsaid. Full of questions no one wants to ask out loud.

The shadows had stilled, leaving nothing but silence in their wake. “This doesn’t feel right,” she whispered. Aiden sighed, pulling her to her feet. “It doesn’t have to feel right. It just has to be what it is.” A Dangerous Road Ahead As they turned to leave the broken ground, the air grew heavier, pressing against them like an invisible weight. The scenery around them began to shift, the maze of thorns reforming into a long, narrow path that stretched into the distance. Iris paused, glancing back at the fissure. “What if he’s still alive? What if we’re leaving him to....”

POV RUBY The road to the Wicklow Mountains was a winding ribbon of asphalt that bled into the thick, Irish mist. The rain wasn't falling; it was hovering, a grey shroud that turned the world into a series of jagged silhouettes and ghostly light. Silas was at the wheel of the nondescript sedan, his eyes fixed on the narrow path ahead, while Nevan and I sat in the back, the blue glow of the Sovereign’s core illuminating our tired faces like a digital heartbeat.

“Everything’s fine. Just take me there.” “…Okay, sir.” He shifted gears. The tires rolled smoother now, quieter. I knew that road was far out of the city, where trees pressed against both sides and the silence stretched long. It was a road meant for speed, not reflection. But I needed to go back. Even if I couldn’t see it, I needed to feel it. The place where everything in my life had changed. The truth was waiting for me there. And I was ready to meet it—blind or not.

“You should.” I looked out the window again, avoiding his eyes. The road was dark ahead, stretching farther than I expected. “You said up the road,” I murmured. “You didn’t say how far.” He smiled faintly. “We’ll be there soon.” The city lights behind us kept fading, swallowed by the rain. I pressed my hand against the cold glass, watching the water slide down it. Something about the quiet felt wrong. Too calm, maybe. Or maybe I was just used to chaos.