He wondered now, was it even worth stopping in the middle of nowhere? In the middle of the night? He ran his fingers along the barrel of the gun and made sure the safety was off, for the seventh time. What was taking Mitch so long? The fog pressed in on him. Conner shuddered. Sure, he had a gun, but he felt helpless without the flashlight. He even considered waking Helen and Devon but thought better of it. They at least should rest. For Conner’s part, he was wide awake. He recalled his earlier dream and didn’t think he would ever sleep again. Conner tensed at the sound of a slamming door inside the building. He could still see a light through the windows of the garage door. “Mitch?” he called, but not too loud. “Are you okay?” A minute later, Mitch returned, walking stiff and upright, like a zombie in a campy movie. But he was carrying what looked like a coil of hose and a gas can. “Everything okay?” Conner said as Mitch approached. Mitch didn’t answer. Didn’t even look at him.
