Miles After Midnight
Casey was at an impasse. Her head was pounding as she gulped from her bottle of water, crinkling it under her fingers to squeeze out every last drop. She wanted desperately to pull in to the next motel and sleep, but she knew she wouldn’t have enough money to get home if she did. She could have called her parents but she cringed at the thought of their satisfaction upon hearing she’d failed.
“The world is no place for a young woman to travel alone,” they had cautioned. Well they’d been right about that. Casey took off her sunglasses. The sun was fading fast, falling behind her as if it was merging with the road as she sped out of the prairies and into the boreal. The lush green forest she had been longing to see closed in around her as night drew near. She slowed down as a fox darted forth from the roadside, staring at her with sharp, glassy eyes.
As darkness settled in she saw a beckoning light in the distance. She pulled into the gas station, ignoring a group of old truckers calling out to her as she walked past. She could feel their collective gaze roll over her body as she had stepped out of the vehicle. She looked around, locked her car, and walked straight inside, keys clutched tight in her hand.
Casey grabbed a couple red bulls off the shelf and tucked them under her arm while she filled her travel mug with gas station sludge, trying to ignore the off brown color of the weak coffee. She was still over a thousand kilometers from home, but she knew she couldn’t stop now. She was unlikely to find a safe place to park and rest. Do-gooders who saw a young woman on the side of the road always assumed they should come to her rescue. Not so do-gooders were quick to stop too. Casey had quickly adapted to life outside her small town. She’d had to.
Back on the road she opened the windows and cranked the music letting the cool night air rush in, keeping her alert.
As the moon rose above the treetops shadows began to sweep across the road, manipulating the landscape into a hazardous streamline of darkness that led seamlessly into gravel and rock cuts. The rocks rose up on either side of the road cutting out light on both sides like small tunnels.
Casey dozed for a moment only to jolt awake as her whole car began vibrating against the rumble strips. Startled, she took the next turn onto an old dirt road and watched for a place she could pull over safely and rest a while.
The road twisted and turned with the natural flow of the forest around it. Casey slowed down until she was barely moving, watching diligently for wildlife.
She was able to find a place to park among the trees. Exhausted, Casey grabbed a blanket and hopped into the back seat cracking the window. She was just beginning to drift off when the sound of footsteps walking up the road sharpened her senses. She stayed down and listened. The footsteps stopped right in front of her car and she peered up to see a young man leaned against it. Casey didn’t dare move. She knew she was too far off the road to scream for help if she needed to. The man didn’t seem to know she was there so she peered up again. He was young. Mid twenties probably. It was hard to make out his features in the moonlight, but he had dark hair that fell over one eye and a chin that jutted out as he breathed in the cool crisp evening air.
“I know you’re in there. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said.
“Well you never know,” said Casey.
“What are you doing parked out here? You’re trespassing you know.”
“I’m sorry, I was just-”
“It’s fine.”
Casey sat up and peered out the window. “I’m just heading home. Started falling asleep so I pulled over to rest for a bit.”
“Well stay as long as you like, I should get home too,” he said as he pushed himself off the car.
“Wait! What are you doing out here?” asked Casey.
“Well, I’m looking for something.” he said
“What?”
“I’m not sure.” he said, looking away.
“I’m looking for something too.” she whispered.
“I thought so.” he replied.
“Do you think you’re going to find it out here?”
“Do you?”
“Not really.” she admitted.
“Maybe you already have,” he said with a smile.
When Casey pulled into the driveway she was shocked to find how unremarkable everything seemed. She had become accustomed to large, city life and thrilling adventures. Her childhood home, a mere two stories against the forest seemed lonely and small. She was surprised to see her little sisters playing in their tree fort, the same place they’d been when she crawled in to say goodbye.
She walked through the house to the kitchen to see her mom holding the same old mug with a faded teddy bear on the front that she always drank her morning coffee from.
Nothing was different, but that’s when it dawned on her. She was.
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