“You doin’ all right back there, partner? Thought I heard some stirrin’ about.” He opened his eyes to darkness but the sensation of movement was what eased him awake. A faint glow of a dashboard was the first thing he could make out from his position pinned back deep in the back of the sleeper cabin. He felt a hoop around his thumb, fingernail scratching at the remnants of dried blood. It helped him remember where he was and why. It always would, that relic from Her. A talisman forged from the evil fires. As he adjusted to the dimness, a pair of wizened grey eyes met his in the rearview mirror.
“You been asleep since Bama. Was hoping you wasn’t gonna die back there. Internal injuries or some s**t. You were in a helluva state when I got to ya. Stiff as a board, pupils bigger than frisbees.
