I hate backseat driving. I could survive driving on a very slippery, bumpy road, but yelling at the only person who actually knows how to drive and commanding them with full confidence? Utterly ridiculous.
"Take a left! What the f-ck? It's LEFT! Take the f-cking left!" It had been an hour already, when I finally got the courage to drive, as fast as I could within my limitations so I could save my mom, but her charisma was really stoking my panic. My heart raced, not just from the road — Janae's constant yelling behind me was like nails in a glass.
"I gripped the wheel harder, knuckles white. 'One more word and I swear I'll—'I breathed, containing my bundled rage and anxiety.
"Boy, the map says right. Or... left. Hold on a second," her father muttered, squinting at the worn-out papyrus. It looked ancient, completely useless in this suffocating maze of trees. I glanced at my phone, desperate for signal — dead. Of course. Because that's how this always goes, right?
These folks had a payphone, so by the time I call enforcements and get mom out of here, they will need a coroner and not a doctor.
I felt the cold, bony hand of my mom. She was getting weaker by the second. How much longer could she hold on?
"We're getting close," Janae's voice broke the tension, pointing to a distant flag. I wanted to believe her. But in this forest, nothing felt close at all.
I tried to reach Grapebox with mom's phone, but, no signal, of course, why would there be?
I stared at the black screen, helpless. I didn't know what to do, I might lose my whole family in a span of seconds.
SCREE!
The tires screeched, and my heart jumped into my throat. The bumpy road made the car jolt and veer out of control. I slammed on the brake as hard as I could, but the car only sped up, skidding faster and faster.
Then I saw it.
The pit loomed ahead, massive and dark, like a mouth waiting to swallow us whole. We wouldn't survive the fall. I tried to steer away, my arms aching from the force, but the car veered wildly, and we all screamed. The sound of panic filled the car — Janae clutched my arm, her nails digging into my skin, and the mayor's voice broke in a desperate prayer.
"Mother of God, help us!" he screamed, louder than the rest of us.
My head spun, my vision narrowing. And yet, through the chaos, I felt a strange, chilling calm. Maybe... I could see Avery again.
The car lurched forward one last time — then stopped. We sat there, breathless. Teetering on the edge of the pit, inches away from falling.
Alive, but barely.