Gwen cracked the window and let the fresh fall air swirl into the car, hoping it would help her stay awake on the last leg of the trip. She’d made good time, but half a week of eight-hour driving days had taken its toll. They’d stayed in crappy motels and she hadn’t gotten more than a couple hours of sleep at a time. The steady diet of drive-through junk and salty diner fare had left her bloated. Her back was sore, her nerves were raw and she was looking forward to a quiet night in a clean bed. The road blurred as she passed through mile after mile of farmland, little towns and cookie-cutter suburban settlements. She was grateful for the clusters of oak and maple trees showing off the reds, yellows and oranges of autumn. Soon after she turned north, the highway shrank down to two lanes and tall pines loomed up on both sides. Familiar signs and landmarks tickled Gwen’s memory, turning her foul mood into excitement. She’d traveled this route a hundred times as a kid, spending weeks at a time at Grandpa’s cabin.
