After Dark: Road Trip

Sophie slammed the empty seat with a flattened palm. Too late. The thin map disappeared into the night-blue tree line, Her eyes flew to the rearview mirror as the cheap paper fluttered and floated behind the car before vanishing into the thick mass of tall trees.

“Dammit!”

Another gust of wind pushed through the open windows, blowing Sophie’s raven hair around her wildly. Long strands fell over her eyes. She blinked rapidly, brushing her hair off her high cheekbones and plucking the strands stuck to her glossy lips. She re-focused on the road in front of her.

She pursed her lips and mused at the quickly growing distance between the stretch of lonely highway and the lost map. That span of road already seemed too long, yawning almost impossibly too far.

Resigned to its loss, Sophie rested her arm on the seat’s armrest. “There’s no way I’m stopping this car, getting out, and wandering around in those trees. This will not be the night that I run into a man with a chainsaw … and a hockey mask.”

Adding more pressure to the gas pedal, Sophie sped along as she whistled to fend off a sense of foreboding. And the reality of becoming lost. “This is fine. I can enjoy the drive, plus I’m good company.” She looked into the reflection of her dark, wide eyes in the mirror. Her fingers did a quick search along her door. The sound of the car doors locking was loud and jarring. Everything beyond the sleek black car seemed to violate the threshold of safety.

“No, Sophie. Don’t make this into a set-up for a horror movie. We have a sultry night and the possibility for an adventure.” She rolled the words around in her mind. “Adventure.” A corner of her mouth veered higher in agreement. “A sultry adventure.”

* * * * * * * *

Sophie's on a road trip. It's her first vacation, and she's all alone. Fighting back a sense of foreboding, she determines that she might as well embrace the night and her own company. Then she has a better idea when she realises it's the perfect night for a lover.

Sophie has no idea, as luck would have it, that she will soon get the sultry adventure she asked for. A stranger, an (almost empty) diner, and a jukebox may just be the experience of someone's lifetime.