inner pocket and tightened

he roadside, several passengers already

local man, was haggl

ive hundred dol

five green bills from my b

getti

y up to the light, check

truck bed and found

ck bed smelled of

acled young man clutchin

iddle-aged couple, the

veryone!

pped the side

spewing black smoke as it s

fierce, sting

corner and pulled

ty, the landscape

d scattered luggage l

urky gray-yellow, indistinguish

ould see was Adrian's SUV dis

n I had loved f

eath, he had taught me th

ead slammed against the me

hur

idn't r

ept me cle

on, my life belon

along the road f

crept in

arsen Plateau, and the tem

ruck bed, only the wi

on the laptop, the sound of his t

e had stopped crying and fallen asl

ke, scanning the surro

." The man handed me a

and gestured tow

but I didn't

e road ahead would be, or

could mea

urched violently, fol

rward, and I slammed int

eone asked, panic ri

out, cursing in

to see what

ahead w

ter of the road, the asphalt s

d cars sat nearb

get through!" The driver wav

we do? Tak

glasses stood up, h

extra kilometers! More mon

held up t

d up angrily. "We alread

gestured at the pitch-bl

y, no

rough the dark, maybe wo

aid anot

, jumped down, and shoved t

. Take th

owed, handing o

ere meant ce

around and drove o

ten times wor

ly; I hadn't eaten dinner,

my lip, forcing mys

ation. Dehydration would leav

't affor

entered

vanished

hone. Battery a

gallery, taken at the ai

rm around me, sm

ra, once this trip's over, l

ross the screen.

ed, wiped clean alo

inding light a

slammed on

d in the middle of the road, f

ldiers-they wer