1
Evan
The night was black around me. With no streetlights or other cars to be seen, the inkiness seemed deeper—the snow falling on the cold winter night bright in the headlights. It was accumulating fast, the road becoming icy and slippery. I had to concentrate on driving, and my hands were tired from gripping the wheel.
The car lurched, made a strange noise, then sputtered and huffed, slowly rolling to a stop on the side of the road. I roared out in frustration.
"Goddammit!"
I leaned my head back on the headrest, trying to rein in my anger.
I knew the unpredictability of the Canadian winter. When the weather report says “chances of snow,” it was a pretty damn certain thing.
What the hell possessed me to leave the quiet safety of my house to drive across the country two days before Christmas, to go see my family? What stupid sense of duty prompted my action?
I barked out a laugh, the sound loud in the car. So much for a surprise for them. The joke was really on me. They didn't know I was coming, and now, I wasn't sure I'd get there. From the strange sound my car had made just before it died, I wasn't sure I'd get home either. I was screwed either way.
I tried the engine again, but it wouldn't turn over. I slammed my hand on the steering wheel in exasperation.
I peered into the darkness, taking in the bleak landscape. I searched the back seat for the GPS I had flung over my shoulder in anger when the damn thing kept telling me to turn hard right and I almost ended up in a snowbank.
It lit up and came to life, the annoying voice repeating the same word over and again.
Recalculating.
I tossed it aside again—what a piece of junk.
I had no idea where I was, except I knew I was about three hours away from a major city. Ottawa was far behind me. My parents' home, some four hours or more ahead. I shook my head in frustration. I should have been patient and not taken that detour, but the accident on the highway had snarled traffic for miles. Instead of waiting for it to clear, I had followed a line of cars headed off the highway, but they had all disappeared right about the time my GPS died, followed not long after by my cell phone. I always forgot to charge the damn thing.
A car flew by me, and I lifted my head, narrowing my eyes as I watched it travel down the road. I pursed my lips as I saw brake lights and then they disappeared around a corner farther up the road. It was a long way away, but I was sure I saw lights.
What was up there?
A house? A business?
I shrugged my shoulders, knowing I had little choice in the matter.
There was only one way to find out.
I leaned over and grabbed my toque and gloves, silently cursing the fact that my leather coat wasn't going to offer much protection from the cold. Neither were my sneakers. But it was either go try to find a phone or sit in the car and wait for someone to stop. Given how little traffic there was right now, that didn’t seem to be a viable option. I liked to run and could cover great distances in a short period of time, so I was sure I could make it to the location where I saw the light up ahead in short order.
Except, when I got out of the car, I realized there was a third option.
Freeze.
Damn, it was cold outside.
And thanks to the fresh snow, far too slippery to run.
With a low groan, I trudged down the road, my head bent against the wind and hands buried in my pockets, concentrating on staying upright. By the time I got to the spot I thought the other car had turned, my teeth were chattering, and my body shook with cold chills. Luckily the snow had let up, so I didn’t have that to contend with as well. I rounded the corner and heaved a sigh of relief. Up ahead was a small building, its lights a dim glow. My pace quickened, and I pushed forward, groaning with relief when I realized it was a quaint little diner and it was open. The parking lot had about a half-dozen cars in it, and I gratefully pushed open the thick, wooden door and stepped through it.
The warmth inside the diner hit me, and I stumbled to the closest table, sitting down heavily with a low gasp. The air around me felt almost too hot compared to my icy skin. I pulled the toque from my head and yanked off my gloves, bending and stretching my cold hands, trying to get the feeling back in them. My glasses were so cold there was ice on the lenses, so I tugged them off and tossed them onto the table. I should have left them in the car. Since my laser surgery, I only needed them for reading, but I had left them on out of habit. I shut my eyes and breathed in the warm air in long gulps.
"Here." A low voice startled me.