Surviving Darkness, Loving Fiercely

ft no room for doubt. We had stared into the abyss, and somehow, the abyss had let us go. The knowledge didn't

at, staring out at the blackness rushing past. "Like he was

battle against the cold, hard evidence of our own eyes and the trucker's grim confirmation. A part of my brain

eal one. With streetlights and crowds and no empty space f

r had forged a new, unspoken agreement between us. The goal of our trip was

canvas of black. For a long while, we were the only car on the road, our headlights a solitary beacon in the immens

f a screaming siren. The sun began to rise, casting a pale, grey light over the desert and chasing away the deepest shadows. The world looked normal again, almost peaceful. The red r

s." A real town. Hope, fragile but p

inally sat up straight, stretching her s

said. "We can mak

like days. The relief was intoxicating. We were going to be okay. We had escaped. The m

of her old humor returning. "'So, how was the Grand Canyon?' 'Oh, we didn't make

t sounded rusty. "They'd think we

finally loosening its grip. We were giddy with relief, drunk on the simple fac

we he

Thump

ack of the car. It was the unmistakab

stunned silence as the engine ticked and cooled. The brief, hopeful bubble we had built around ourselves had just burst, leaving us stranded. Stran