The muscles in her arms and shoulders were starting to cramp up, and the skin at the base of her neck was tingling from tension. She continually glanced into the rearview mirror at the children in the back seat, unable to stop the waves of hivers as she watched, expecting to see that other ace—pale, translucent skin and wide, staring eyes—reappear, hovering in the darkness over her shoulder. Christ! I’m losing it… losing it bad! she thought, and her throat made a high, whimpering sound. A couple of times, she ran the car window down and, vetting her hand on the side of the car, slapped her face with water, but that wasn’t enough to bring her all the way around. Her body shuddered with deep anxiety. Every time she yawned, the wash of headlights on the road ahead would smear like streaks of yellow finger paint. Bright green signs with reflective letters announcing exits whizzed past her, leaving trailing re afterimages in the sides of her vision. The night had blended into a swirling chaos that perfectly reflected what she was feeling inside.
