dane
“Ugh, I can’t see a damn thing!” exclaimed Ashton. We were driving gingerly along the winding dirt road to the power station, nestled in a valley beside the cliff where the lighthouse stood. That same cliff also housed the nursing home and abandoned asylum wing where we’d once snuck in and thrown a party. One of the girls in our year at school had been murdered that night, which was one of the reasons why heading in this vicinity gave me the creeps. Everything out this way contained bad energy.
But Ash and I had a job to do on this miserable stormy night: try to restore power to Summervale. I had a feeling it was going to be easier said than done.
The tires of Ashton’s truck skidded around one of the narrow bends as we descended into the forest canopy. Ashton cursed. I checked my phone reception and clutched the map in my hand tighter.
“Phone reception is gone. I guess it’s just us and the two-way from now on,” I said. The tires skidded once more as Ashton tried manoeuvring the truck to avoid the shoulder where the deeper parts of gravel and mud were because if the tires got stuck and we slid or flipped, we would end up down the steep embankment into the thick undergrowth of woods below. The rain beat down harder and faster on us, and the deeper we drove into the valley and woods, the darker it got.
“Damn it!” yelled Ashton, as the tires screamed, trying for purchase on the slippery road, but it was no use. The truck began to slide sideways down the hill.
“Ash! Look out!”
“Shit!”
The gravel and mud on the shoulder we avoided came loose, creating an avalanche that carried the truck down the hill.
Thankfully, it came to rest against a tree trunk not too far down the hill.
I looked at Ashton as he looked at me, and we breathed out simultaneously.
“Well, this wasn’t in the plan,” I said, after a few moments of silence, where we didn’t move for fear the car might flip or slide further down the embankment.
Ashton rolled his eyes and grabbed the two-way radio from the console between our seats.
“Ahh, Operation Restore Power to Summervale has hit a snag, boss,” said Ashton.
I shot him a funny look at his choice of phrase but let it go. This was not the time for differences. We had to work together if we were going to get out of here.
We waited for a response, but the only thing we heard on the other end for minutes was static.
“Let me try,” I said, snatching the radio off Ashton, annoyed.
“Sheriff, this is Dane and Ashton. We’ve had a little incident.”
“A little?!” Ashton hissed, glaring at me.
We waited a few more minutes, but no response came. Then, as I was about to try to talk again, a crackle emitted from the radio and voice came through.
“Dane, Ash, this is Bobby. Go ahead.”
“Bobby! Our truck slid off Forest Way. We’re stuck halfway down the hill. We need a little help.”
“Okay, I’m just going to pick up Tristan, and we’ll be on our way. Something’s happened. I need to talk to you,” he replied, his voice breaking.
Dread and fear settled into my stomach.
“What? What happened?”
“I don’t want to tell you over the radio. I’ll see you guys soon. I’ll bring Dad’s truck so we can give you a tow.”
“Thanks, Bob. Hang on, where’s your dad then? I thought he was with you?”
“He was at the crime scene, but you wouldn’t believe it. There’s been another murder.”
Ashton and I met each other’s gazes. We shared the same look—one of fear.