An eternity passes before we slow into a snaking, tree-covered lane. My mouth gapes when I make out something in the horizon. "Is that Elmore academy?"
"The one and only."
Grey spires reach up into the overcast sky like bony fingers, turrets and sturdy parapets spanning the school's mountainous perimeters. In the distance, crows flap and caw around a dark tower, adding to the air of uncanniness.
"Buckle up," the girl says. "It's a bumpy ride from here." She steps on the gas.
I lurch back from impact, gripping the seats tight till my knuckles whiten. "Aren't you supposed to shift to a lower gear!?" Air whips my hair into my face and I sputter, craning my head away from the wind rushing in through the windows.
A burst of laughter escapes her. "Can't hear you!"
The car bumps and hobbles
