Page 103 of Survive the Night

“We need to get Josh.”

“Who?” Robbie says.

“The guy I was riding with. He’s here.”

“Where?”

Charlie doesn’t know. Not where he is or even if he’s still alive. Marge could have been lying about that.

“He was shot,” Charlie says.

“So was I,” Robbie says, jerking his chin toward his wounded shoulder. “And we’re running out of time.”

Charlie eyes the fiery lodge. Tall, fingerlike flames break through the roof and reach toward the sky, bringing with them sparks that pinwheel through the air and drift down around them like pulsing orange confetti.

Robbie’s Volvo is parked right behind Marge’s Cadillac. Although the portico the cars sit under remains untouched by fire, it won’t really matter if the lodge collapses. Charlie knows Robbie is right.

They need to leave.

Now.

At the car, Robbie leans against the hood.

“Are you okay?” Charlie asks, when it’s obvious he isn’t.

“I’m fine,” Robbie says as he hands her his car keys. “You’re going to have to drive, though.”

Charlie had assumed that, even though she’s not in the best condition, either. She’s dizzy from the smoke and her chest is tight and the flames and waterfall are too loud and she thinks she’s going to faint.

Still, she dutifully guides Robbie into the passenger seat before rounding the front of the Volvo and sliding behind the wheel. It’s not until she’s fully in the driver’s seat that the realization hits.

She hasn’t driven since the day before her parents were killed.

INT. VOLVO—NIGHT

Four years.

That’s how long it’s been since Charlie sat in the driver’s seat of a car.

Four long years without turning a steering wheel or tapping a brake.

That’s about to end right now.

It has to.

Charlie coughs. A sharp, stabbing hack that makes her double over. But she feels better afterward. Letting out that last bit of smoke and being in the car, where it’s calm and quiet, boosts her consciousness. She’s no longer dizzy, although the weakness remains.

But she can do this.

There’s nothing to be afraid of.

Driving a car is just like riding a bike. Her father told her that.

Charlie starts the car, flinching at the muffled roar created by the engine rumbling to life. At the same time, another deep rumble emanates from inside the lodge. Next to her, Robbie says, “Charlie, we need to get out of here.”

She touches her foot to the gas pedal, hitting it too hard. The Volvo lurches forward and smacks into the Cadillac’s rear bumper. The car shudders.

She slams down on the brakes, puts the Volvo in reverse, starts driving backward. Then it’s back to drive again. This time, when Charlie presses the gas pedal, it’s with more caution. The car eases forward, letting Charlie steer past the Cadillac and out from under the portico.

---