EMBER P.O.V.
Ember, come join us! We're having hot chocolate!
I'm coming mommy!
I wake to the sound of tires humming against the asphalt, the air thick with an electric tension that I can’t quite put my finger on. A muted adrenaline runs through me as I steal a glance at Rose, who’s gripping the steering wheel with an intensity that raises the hairs on my arms.
The wind whips through the open windows of the Jeep, a frigid reminder that I’m very alive in this moment. It’s dark outside now, and the scenery whizzes by in a blur of trees and shadows.
“Where are we?” I ask, keeping my voice steady despite the unease brewing in my gut.
“In Illinois at the moment,” she replies, her eyes fixed straight ahead, the dashboard lights casting a ghostly glow on her face. The speedometer ticks hig
