“What do you need me to do?”
I pull the tarp off the old convertible car, letting it flutter down to the ground in a flurry of dust.
This was the first place I ran into the boys, the first real encounter I had with them in North Port.
Seems fitting that this should be where the whole ordeal here ends.
“I need you to hotwire this car.”
Within minutes, the engine of the old classic purrs to life.
I hop into the driver’s seat, my hands stretching out over the curve of the worn leather covering the wheel. It smells of must and rust and age and freedom.
When I look up through the glass at Tom standing on the other side, a strange feeling overwhelms me.
“Where are you going?” he asks, coming to stand outside the window.
I look away from him, past the barn doors to the overgrown road on the other side.
I shift the car into gear.
“Away.”
I step on the gas, spinning the wheels out from under the old car as it drives out of the barn and down the hill. The car jumps over the bumps in the road and flies around the narrow bends as I take off recklessly.
I hear voices in my head now, instead of howling wolves.
“Christ, Sabrina, slow down!” Rory shouts. “Slow down, you’re going to get us both killed!”
I imagine him appearing in the seat beside me, the memory of him fading as I swerve to avoid an overgrown root on the dirt roads.
I swear and ignore him.
I need to find open road. I need to get away from here.
I need to go as far as I can.
I want to hear the sound in my ears again; the howling.
As soon as the tires meet pavement, I press on the gas until there’s no further down for the pedal to go and drive around the steep curves and inclines in a rush of dangerous speed in order to hear it.
But there’s no howl in my ears anymore.
“This is stupid, Sabrina.” The voice belongs to Marlowe this time. The image of him flickers in and out of my peripherals. “Calm down. I’m sure we can find a way to solve this.”
I just push the car harder.
I push until the engine roars in my ears, until the tires screech with every turn, until the trees become a blur of green outside the windows fogging with my own panted breaths.
No matter how fast I go, no matter how far the car takes me down these winding roads, the howling doesn’t return.
This is what I wanted, right?
To be rid of this place.
To be rid of them.
“Sabrina.” This time the voice is Kaleb’s. His eyes meet mine in the rear-view mirror. “You know as far as you run, you’ll never be rid of us, right?”