I belong to me but really nothing else in this story does.
.~o()o~.
"We are never going to make it before dark at this rate," Samantha sighed as she saw the next road sign. Kalispell 60 miles. "Why didn't we go camping at Sask Landing instead?" What should have been an 8 hour drive was turning into nearly 11 hours. Between pee breaks, food breaks and stops to let Nathan get rid of some of his restless energy, they were still too far from their destination and the sun was beginning to set.
"We wanted to really get out of Swift, remember? Plus, we get to see mountains. The country is really beautiful in this part of Montana. I have been here before and I loved it," Leah said logically. "Besides, I have put up tents in the dark loads of times and we can buy firewood and kindling at the campground. As long as I don't have to use the axe, I can get the fire started."
"You mean you don't want to chop wood in the dark?" Shelby teased.
"Well. . .I enjoy a good amputation as much as the next person. it's the subsequent blood loss and resulting hospitalization I am not a big fan of," Leah retorted.
"Well, if you already have the fire started, we would have all the tools we needed to deal with it ourselves. We'll just cauterize it and be on our way," Samantha joined in.
"If the fire was already going, I would have no need to chop wood, smart ass. And the point is, we will be fine if we don't get there right away."
"I just hope Nathan doesn't wake up any time soon. I am pretty sure he is tired of travelling." Samantha peered ahead into the dusk. "I can't believe how far away from everything we are. Don't the winding roads and mountains make everything feel so remote? I can't even get a cell signal right now."
"Yeah, I would hate to break down on a lonely stretch of road like this one," Shelby shivered.
"Don't even say that," Leah said, but as if Shelby's words were a cue, the engine chose that very moment to sputter and die.
"Damn it," Samantha yelled, startling Nathan into wakefulness.
"Mommy?" he yawned sleepily. "Get out now?"
"No Nathan, not yet, go back to sleep."
"No Mommy! Get out now!" and Nathan started to scream, throwing a temper tantrum in his little carseat. All three of the women tried to soothe him but he would have none of it.
"Look," Samantha said, "maybe you two should go and try to find some help. I'll stay here and try to get Nathan back to sleep. We are only about an hour away from our camp site and I don't want to give up now. At least you should be able to find a place with cell coverage so we can call a tow truck."
In a few minutes, Shelby and Leah were trudging along the side of the road, flashlights and water bottles firmly in hand. "We will try to hurry as much as we can," Leah called back as they walked into the increasing darkness.
.~o()o~.
Night falls quickly in the mountains. One moment, the sky is full of glorious reds and oranges, letting the day go out with a bang and almost before one can blink, the last act is finished and darkness falls like a curtain. Shelby and Leah had been walking for only a little more than ten minutes when the day was extinguished. Flashlights clicked on simultaneously to light the winding road ahead.
"Man I hope we find something soon or I am really going to regret not changing into my runners," Leah complained softly as they walked briskly down the side of the road.
"Do you want to run back and get them? Its not that far."
"And leave you at the side of the road alone? I don't think so. I'll just suck it up. My feet warm up quickly. It will just motivate me to move faster so we can get help, get to our destination and I can finally light that fire."
"If you're sure," Shelby said.
"I'm sure," Leah replied. "you know, if our circumstances weren't so dire. I would not complain at all about being out walking on a night like this. The air is fresh, the sky is clear and when was the last time you could see so many stars?"
"I can't remember the last time I was out at night in a place with no streetlights. Trust you to find the silver lining, Leah."
"This right here is why I wanted to come here. I haven't felt this alive in a long time. Sometimes you have to pull yourself back to a place where you aren't defined by your facebook profile and the number of texts you get per day, its just you in a place where you can be yourself and nothing can get in the way."
"I understand that, I do wish this was a little more on our terms though."
"Can't argue with you there," Leah grinned in the darkness.
It wasn't long before fatigue from spending all day in a car began to overtake them. Leah's toes were frozen and she wondered, if she stubbed them now, would they shatter? But they trudged on, knowing that everything would be worth it if they could spend the night in a cozy tent with the smell of wood smoke in the air rather than in their car on the side of the road.
A fog rolled in, making them feel like they were walking by a waterfall. Their flashlights only lit the way about three feet in front of them and their progress was slowed greatly.
"A car could go right past us and completely miss us in this," Shelby said. "And if there is a town out here, I think we would just walk right on by, never knowing we were so close."
They walked downhill for a while and figured they were now in the bottom of a valley. The whole world was silent but for their own breathing.
"Is that a cat?" Shelby asked, pausing curiously. They both stopped, listening carefully for the sound again.
"It sounds too human, more like a child. You don't suppose there is a kid out in this, do you?" Leah asked. At that moment, the fog lifted and they were standing near a lake. "It is a child, a little girl. We'll take her along with us. This means we can't be too far from some kind of civilization. We'll be setting up our tent before we know it." She started forward but was stopped by large warm hands on her shoulders.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a deep, familiar voice rumbled and Leah knew who it was. She could never forget the feel of those hands, even if she lived to be one hundred years old.
"Sam Winchester?"
.~o()o~.
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