IT WAS MIDDAY BY THE time we rolled up the long narrow driveway.
There were trucks parked up against the banks of the road, mud coating their wheel guards. We hadn’t seen any sign of life since we turned off the freeway, and it was a relief to see evidence of civilization this deep into the woods.
The trees were just like Allara had described the few times she’d talked about home. Their trunks were thick; some stood wider than our car’s width, and they were so tall I had to crane my neck up to see the treetops. Their branches were so high, it was like they held up the skies above us.
Mick parked up on a small patch of grass littered with dirt bikes and other cars and turned off the engine. Our arrival had not gone unnoticed; several people were staring from outside a nearby house, and m
