𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬━𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡

ⅪⅤ

THE ROAD WAS SILENT ON THAT DARK NIGHT. Not a single car went by as Reagan walked down it. She knew that this would happen. That snap decision she made, was out of anger. She didn't actually think she'd do it, but here she was, walking down a long dark road, in the middle of the night, trying to find the way to Knockemstiff.

It was hard for her to see the road signs and what they said--she wasn't the best reader at night. It also didn't help that she didn't have her glasses. Reagan did her best to see through the night. Every now and again, she would stumble over a rock or trip. Reagan sighed as she walked, trying to understand why she had gotten out of the car.

"He killed the preacher man" She mumbled to herself. "I didn't do anything. I was talkin' to Lenora." Reagan had said this sentence over and over again, trying to reassure herself that she didn't do anything wrong. She wasn't wrong, though. She hadn't. Arvin had killed the preacher man. Arvin had killed the two in the woods. She didn't shoot a single bullet.

As the thoughts crossed her mind, the night seemed to get darker and colder. The road seemed to stretch longer and longer as she walked. It was eerily quiet until there was a humming sound coming from behind her. The humming of a car engine. Reagan turned and watched as a car drove close to her and then stopped when it had reached her.

The passenger side window rolled down, revealing a kind, friendly looking old woman. "Are you alright, dear?" She said in her elderly voice. It made Reagans heart skip a beat. She had remembered how many times her mother had called her dear and just how much she missed her. She smiled slightly, leaning down inside of the car to talk to the woman.

"Um, no, actually. I was wonderin' if you could give me a ride somewhere?"

"Where you off to?" The woman gently asked. Reagan looked up ahead the road, trying to read one of the signs that was there. "Knockemstiff. You ever heard of it?" The woman nodded and grinned. "Get in, I'll give you a ride there." She reached down and held up a thermos, "it's awful cold out there, aswell. You can have some of the hot chocolate my daughter gave me."

Reagan looked around one more time before opening the back door of the car and putting her things in. Then, she opened the passenger side door and slid into the seat. The woman waited a few moments for Reagan to get situated in her seat before driving off into the dark night.