Chapter 8 - The Road to Safe Haven
"Keep moving!" Daniel shouted over the roar of the wind.
They pushed through the rusted iron gate at the back of the boathouse, stepping onto the muddy, overgrown trail that wound through the coastal pines of the state park.
The mud was thick, pulling at their shoes with every step. Nora slipped once, her knee striking a wet root, but she scrambled back up immediately, refusing to let go of the suitcase.
After twenty minutes of blind, exhausting navigation through the dark woods, they finally emerged onto the shoulder of the empty coastal highway.
A silver sedan was waiting for them, its hazard lights blinking through the rain.
The door opened, and Dr. Ethan Hale, a close friend of Daniel’s from his university days and a prominent neurologist in Miami, stepped out.
"Daniel! Over here!" Ethan called out, helping Nora load the suitcase into the trunk while Daniel carefully placed his mother into the back seat.
As soon as they were all inside, Ethan slammed the car into drive, the tires spinning on the wet asphalt before catching grip and launching them away from the estate.
"Are you okay, Margaret?" Ethan asked, adjusting the rearview mirror to look at the older woman.
May you like
Margaret looked out the window at the receding lights of the coast. For the first time in months, the terrified, confused look in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by a deep, quiet clarity.
"I am free, Ethan," she said softly. "I am finally free."
