Stacy slowly drifted out of her sleep, thinking that all of the past events were nothing but nightmares. She opened her eyes and her hopes fell, as she found herself lying back in the car seat. She felt stiff and her head still ached. Next to her, John was snoring. She lazily pressed the light on her watch to read the glowing blue numbers- 5:49 am.

Stacy groaned and looked through the grimy glass. Along the distant horizon, a strip of glowing white light was casting predatory shadows and gleams along the rough terrain. Her stomach was in need of a big breakfast.

John began to stir beside her.

Stacy stared absent-mindedly through the front window, the light revealing more of the deserted road.

Suddenly, Stacy blinked. The outline of a figure was walking on the road…whether coming or going, it was hard to tell at such a distance. Stacy focused on the figure deciding that it was, in fact, walking their way. Stacy started to panic.

"John…John wake up!" Stacy shook him violently.

"Wha- Stace?" John groaned.

"John, will you just listen!" She attempted to speak in a quiet tone, her conscience warning her not to speak too loudly, even though the figure was at a distance.

"John…look," Stacy said, pointing to the figure.

They watched the figure, to helpless to do anything.

As it came steadily nearer, Stacy let out a gasp.

She fumbled with the door handle, her over-excitement causing her to be clumsy.

She ran and slipped in half-darkness on the dewy road surface. She slowed to a halt and screamed.

Randy was walking towards her, carrying Trish in his arms. Stacy ran towards them and almost tackled both Randy and Trish.

"Whoa, Stacy," Randy choked. "What's wrong with you? Didn't think we would make it, huh?" He added with a smirk.

Stacy was speechless to say anything, so she simply continued to hug them. She heard muffled footsteps behind her.

"Thank god you guys are ok! Stacy was going freaking mental with out Trish."

Stacy took a step back.

"What's wrong with Trish? Trish…"

"Oh, nah," Randy replied. "She just got tired walking, so I had to carry her. And look," he added, turning around. "I got the petrol."

A tin can was swinging from his shoulder, attached to a piece of string.

"Oh yeah, we also stopped of for breakfast," Randy said.

"What? Did you get us anything?"

Randy laughed.

"Look in my bag…it's not much, but it should last us till California."

Stacy ripped open the bag, which held five cold hash browns, a bunch of apples, a couple of large chocolate-chip cookies, two mango and orange juice sachets, a white box and a brown paper bag which was probably filled with mini-Twinkies as the bag was seeping cream through the bottom.

"Oh…Randy this is more than enough!" Stacy practically screamed.

"Yeah, well. I told the keeper of the old Inn… 'Fox stables Inn' I think…yeah. Anyway, the old man and his wife who owned it haven't had more than three customers this month. I told him of our predicament, and he gave us some supplies, free of charge…except the gas. Can't blame him though. Got to make a living."

"What's in this?" Stacy asked, showing the white box.

"A banana cake."

Her eyes glinted as they headed back towards the car. The wind lightly whipped Stacy's hair in her face, and the air was not dry and stale as it had been yesterday. It was clean, pure and dewy. She was putting it down to successful, hidden optimism. Trish and Randy were both back without a bump or bruise-which confused Stacy a little. Maybe she expected them to turn up, but with torn clothes, battered limbs and scratched souls. She had watched far too many movies.

The car never looked more welcoming. The windows were now soaked in pure white sunlight, magnifying every scratch and smudge.

While Randy propped Trish up in the back like a rag doll, John poured the petrol in the starved tank. He slammed the bonnet down a bit too hard, hopped into the driver's seat and turned the key.

"Ah…" Randy sighed. "The beautiful and irreplaceable sound of the engine humming into life…"

"Umm, Randy, don't you mean coughing into life?" Trish said un-expectantly from the back.

Stacy laughed. "More like choking."

"Dying…slowly dying."

"This car ain't gonna die, Trish." John stated.

"Yeah, it's done that already." Trish giggled.

Stacy snorted and turned to stare out to the brightly lit horizon. The sounds of the others joking and laughing slowly drifted into dreams.