I sighed, being woken up by my family feuding with each other. I watched as Maine and Jude blamed mom for taking this god forsaken short cut. Dad was screaming at them not to be rude to their mother. Wow..we'd only been here two hours, and the sun was starting to set. I coughed, my voice a little gone from sleeping.

"Hey! Why don't we all just..sleep for tonight..we're obviously not getting to the wedding. And its to dark to walk, so someone can go tomorrow." I said out the window, then leaning back in my seat.

"You're right Elia. Come on..lets make the best of the worst." Dad said, sitting back in his seat and closing his eyes. Mom huffed, putting her legs across dads and closing her eyes. Jude and Maine practically threw themselves in their seats, and were asleep in minutes. I smiled, closing my drowsy eyes.

I don't remember much of that night. I remember moving around a little bit, being barley awoken by my brothers lauding snoring. But..I do remember hearing a door open and slam close, along with a soft gasp. I was more than half asleep, and saw nothing. I just guessed mom had to use the bathroom, and once she felt the freezing air, the gasped, slamming the door and opting to wait until daybreak. For the rest of the night, we all slept soundly.

"Elia! Elia! Wakey little sister!" Maine said desperately, shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes with a groan, but was totally up when I noticed the terror in his eyes. I shot up like a bullet, jumping out of the car with him.

"What's wrong Maine?" I asked, looking out to see dad and Jude seemingly looking for something...

"When we woke up mom was gone! That was two hours ago!" He almost gasped, looking out into the hills. A shudder ran through me, and the cold feeling in my spine told me that we possibly wouldn't like what we find...if we find anything. I patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry..shes probably on a walk..or maybe even woke up before all of us..and went to the gas station." I mused, knowing that my mother was a diva, and would never walk for so long just for enjoyment. After all, the shoes she was wearing were "totally new! Haven't even paid them off on the card yet!" Yes..thanks mom..we all love debt. I could feel a cold sweat coming on my temple.

Maine and I sat there in the car for hours, thinking of what we should do. There was no cellular service, and how would we explain what happened to the police. They'd think it was a prank call. As the sun was dimming down towards the horizon, yup we sat in that car allll day. Our legs were cramped and our asses were sore, but better than sweltering in the heat.

I watched as Dad and Jude began walking back towards the car. Dad sighed, leaning against the car.

"I need to go to the gas station, see if your mothers there." Dad said, sipping out of the water bottle.

"NO!" I shouted, grasping onto his hand. Maine and Jude seemed apprehensive at the idea.

"B-but we need to find your mother!" He seemed shocked that I would say no. I shook my head, my hair flying around me.

"What if someone got her! We don't want you going alone! Especially since the sun was beginning to set AGAIN. I sighed, pulling out some fold up chairs from the roof of the car. We put them in a circle, and dad cut some brush up, as Maine lit them. Leave the firefighter to carry around more lighters than a pyromaniac. As the sun went down, we sat around our fire, eating some of the junk food that we had brought along with us. So our dinner was chips...orange soda and cherry pop tarts. We're the healthiest.

After a few hours, the fire began to cackle to death. Dad sighed, standing up and his lef bones cracking.

"I'm going to get more brush. I won't go to far," He said, walking off into the darkness. Maine, Jude and I starred at each other.

"So...who else thinks that moms dead..." Maine said softly, just in case dad was near. Jude jumped, going to punch him in the jaw, but I grabbed his elbow, stopping him somewhat.

"Jude..It was just a question..and I kinda think so too..and if not she's hopelessly lost.." I sighed, sitting down. "Nows not the time to run around like scared kids. We need to stay calm and think everything out rationally, even though we're scared." I spoke calmly, which probably scared my two older brothers out of their terror. Their eyes now set firm, they nodded. We sat, staring at the dying fire. I heard a cough, and somewhat of a shuffle.

I looked up at Jude, his body glowing from the fire. His eyes seemed distant, but that wasn't was I was looking at. I screeched, almost ripping back. Two long, dusty, dirty, calloused arms reached out from the dark and wrapped themselves around Jude. His bright green eyes widened, his mouth opening in a violent scream as we was ripped backwards into the darkness. Maine and I screamed, running towards each other.

"W-what was that Maine?" I asked, clutching his hand shakily. He seemed furious and scared.

"JUDE! WHAT THE HELL! COME OUT!" He screamed into the darkness, thinking that Jude was playing a joke. I knew well that he wasn't. Certainly when the same arms suddenly ripped Maine from my hands. I screamed, watching as he was pulled into the darkness, his face terrified.

"MAINE!" I screeched, looking around into the darkness. I heard a barley hear able 'I love you' sound from Maine, but it sounded as if he was way far away. I stood, staring at the almost dead fire, almost begging its light to live through the night. I huffed, the air coming out of my mouth in a rush, but barley any came in at all. All the sudden, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I screamed, trying to run forward, as the hand gripped into my shoulder.

I screamed again, not wanting to be dragged into the darkness.

All the sudden, I heard what sounded like a roar of anger. I'd only heard that sort of noise on the animal planet, or discovery channel when they were following around a large cat. I knew there were no lions or tigers out in the New Mexican desert. The roar of anger turned into a snarl as the hand on my shoulder kept its grip. Then...

BANG BANG BANG!

At least three bullets came zooming past me, hitting whatever was holding onto me. In a howl of pain the man? Let go of me, and before I could fully see his face, he raced off into the darkness. I looked back towards where the bullets come from. I looked up in horror.

Standing up on a large rock, was the shadow of a man. I could not see his face, or see him at all properly. He held his body like a fighter, legs bent slightly, not a single arch in his back, with one arm firmly against his side, the other lowering down , gun in hand.

That's all I remember before I passed out from terror.