SSS 2 - Keep going

“Oh gosh,” Bian says, pressing her face to the window. Taytum’s not acting cool; she does the same thing. You cringe as you ease the Traverse into the puddle. In your mind, you think about exactly what point you’re supposed to realize this is a bad idea and put it in reverse. The car is an extension of your body. You’re sensitive to any change, any indication that you’re about to drop into a pothole hidden by the water.

It's a miserable thirty seconds, but then you’re on the other side, back on slippery, wet pavement.

“Yeesh,” Taytum mutters, turning to gaze out the back as you cautiously accelerate.

“Can you watch your phones? See if you get a bar to GPS?” you ask.

“Got you,” Bian chirps. “Shoot. I didn’t realize it was this bad out here.”

“Yeah. This is gross,” Taytum agrees, scowling at the dark swamp. “This would’ve been bad in daytime too.”

“Look on the bright side. Probably no cops out here,” Bian suggests.

“Is that a good thing?” you ask nervously.

“Yes,” Taytum replies firmly. The anxiety doesn’t let up, but you finally reach something that you never thought that you would be glad to see: a yield sign with a warning that cross-traffic doesn’t stop. Finally. Somewhere with traffic. Although you don’t see any cars.

You stop at the yield sign to take a breath, then look in either direction. You are no longer pretending that your sense of direction means anything. You are hopelessly lost and have no idea which way to go. You see a shape in the gloom that looks like another sign, so you take a left.

“Let’s check this out,” you murmur. Your headlights shine on the sign, which tells you there’s a gas station ahead.

The lights of the gas station come into view seconds later. It’s not a tiny, sketchy place. It has six pumps, looks sort of modern, and shines brightly in the storm.

You don’t see any cars.

“Are we out of gas?” Bian asks as you drive toward it. “I have a signal now.”

“I just need a second.” It’s the truth. You want to breathe and maybe stress eat a muffin or something. The others might not be showing it as much as you are, but they must’ve gotten nervous back there. You grew up in a city; the swamp is a kind of pitch-black that you find extremely uncomfortable. The thought of being lost out there all night got under your skin. You need to collect yourself.

You pull it by a pump, but you don’t need gas.

“This is perfect, actually.” Taytum swigs the last of her drink and climbs out, tossing the bottle in the trash.

“Bring me snacks,” Bian calls after you and Taytum without looking up from the screen of her phone.

Taytum pauses and looks back. You stop as well.

“What’s wrong?”

She’s looking at the road. Then she shakes her head. “Probably nothing.”

She’s probably drunk. You follow her into the convenience store, which is quiet and clean…ish. You glance toward the counter, but don’t see anyone minding the shop.

There’s a quiet buzzing sound as the camera above the cigarettes pans.

Taytum veers left toward the beer cave while you go right for snacks. You get a huge chocolate chip cookie that feels solid in your hand and resist getting a second one. You want two, but you know that you only need one. Pumkin-spice coffee steams a moment later as it pours. You watch it, listening to the bubble sounds as it fills the cup that you put in the machine.

You could hear a pin drop in here. Instead, you hear the sound of the beer cave door closing. Taytum appears with a six-pack of Stella Artois and a handful of cheap one-shot vodkas.

You stare at your coffee, imagining a scalding swig after taking a big bite of this cookie. This ritual will put the anxiety of the swamp firmly in your rearview mirror. You put a lid on the coffee and grab it, joining Taytum at the counter.

There’s still no sign of an employee. And there’s no bell to ring, or anything like that.

You and Taytum exchange a look.

Put some cash on the counter and leave?

Or see if you can find someone?