ARIA
The dread was not just a feeling; it was a third passenger in the car, a viscous, living entity that filled the space between Ash and me, making the air thick and difficult to breathe. It coiled in my stomach, a nest of cold snakes that tightened with every mile marker we passed, a relentless countdown to a moment I both craved and feared.
The memory of Ash's phone call was a fresh brand on my soul. The way her sharp, confident face had gone slack, all the color draining away as if someone had pulled a plug. Her voice, usually a weapon, had dropped to a horrified whisper.
