ess Arizona heat pressing in from outside. I kept my eyes on the shimmering black ribbon of highway that stretched to the horizon, a straight, lonely line cutting through an endless expa

d so liberating, so full of adventure, when we planned it back in our cramped city apartment. Now, the

t. She had her sketchbook open on her lap but wasn't dra

re rocks? More dirt? I think I'v

Out there."

d silhouetted against the bright sky. It was hard to make out any details through the

ic side kicking in immediately. "Maybe

ly hesitant. "There's nothing out there. No trail, n

slowing the car and starting to pull over onto the gravel

'd kicked up slowly settled around us. I looked back at the figure. It was still waving,

quick," I said, reach

and grabbed my arm, her

ai

en feeling evaporated. Her face was pale, all the color drained from it. Her eyes, usually so full of artist

Em, you're

he breathed, her knuckles whi

What's

st standing there, perfectly still. As I watched, it seemed to... jerk. A

voice cracked. "L

eemed too long, too thin. And they were bent at an angle that wasn't right,

rted moving

nsect-like speed. It covered the distance with a fluid motion that was utterly

word tearing from her thr

ed to life, and the tires spun on the loose gravel, kicking up a shower of rocks before they found purchase on

ad, but I could hear Emily sobbing be

re?" I yelled, m

been dragged across the trunk. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I thought it might break them. I pushed the a

All I could think about was putting as much di

indly, keeping pace with the car just at the edge of the road. Its face was a pale smudge in the dust cloud, but I could feel its at

gan to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shade

e pedal. My hands were slick with sweat, and they trembled so violently I could barely keep them on the

he hum of the engine. The silence that followed the chase was almost as terrifying as the chase itself. It left too much room for the image o

to come up. We had seen something that shouldn't exist, something tha