𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃

34.

Elena

We all sat down to eat the lasagna, the warmth from the food contrasting with the coolness of the cabin. The rain had started to come down hard outside, and the dark clouds seemed to roll in quicker than expected. I glanced at my phone, checking the weather forecast, and my stomach sank. A storm warning flashed across the screen, advising people to stay indoors.

I looked around at everyone. "Guys, there's a storm coming in, and it says we should stay inside," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, but I could tell they were all a little caught off guard. None of us had any idea a storm was rolling in, and with how dark it had gotten outside, it was clear we needed to act fast.

We quickly decided to clean up and pack our things before the worst of the storm hit. Plates were gathered, chairs pushed back, and the relaxed dinner atmosphere quickly shifted into a quiet, anxious buzz. We wanted to leave before we were stuck here, but there was also this underlying excitement, like we were racing against the storm.

We had just finished cleaning up and loaded everything into the cars when the storm really started picking up. Emily drove the first car with us girls, while the guys followed behind us in the second. The rain was coming down harder than I'd ever seen, and the wind? It was like driving into a wall of air.

The dirt road leading out of the cabin was slick, muddy, and barely visible through the downpour. Every few seconds, Emily had to slow down to avoid a fallen branch or swerve around puddles that looked more like small lakes.

"We should've checked the forecast," Emily grumbled, gripping the steering wheel like her life depended on it. I had to admit, the cabin was a great idea until nature decided to throw a tantrum.

"Yeah, my bad," I said, leaning forward to check the windshield, though it wasn't much use with how hard the rain was coming down. The wipers were working overtime, and it still wasn't enough.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the trees, and a huge branch slammed into the road ahead of us, causing Emily to slam on the brakes. "Oh, come on!" she yelled, her voice rising in frustration.

Behind us, the headlights of the second car flickered as the others slowed to a stop, too. I glanced back, half-expecting them to rear-end us, but they managed to avoid that disaster, at least.

"Great," Chloe said from the backseat. "Now what?"

Emily sighed. "We'll have to get out and move it, I guess. There's no way around."

Just as we all groaned and mentally prepared for that, the car jerked slightly and then...nothing. Emily pressed on the gas, but we weren't moving.

The wheels spun, kicking up mud, but the car just wouldn't budge. "Are you serious?" I muttered under my breath, like we weren't already soaked in chaos.

A glance back revealed that the guys had stopped, and their car wasn't looking too great either.

Of course, because why wouldn't we get stuck at the worst possible time? As the rain pounded down and the wind howled like something out of a horror movie. We were almost at the end of the dirt road, so close to making it out of the woods, when the tires decided they had other plans.

I looked out the window at the mud-slicked ground. Perfect. Just perfect. The car wasn't going anywhere, and I could already feel the panic rising in the car as the rain hammered against the roof.

Just then, Landon knocked on the car window, Emily rolled it down.

"You gonna push, or should we just start camping here?" Landon's voice cut through, and I rolled my eyes. Of course, he'd find this amusing.