Episode 47 - 48

                                    

                                          
Y'all are NOT ready.


Ashlyn drove past a school zone and took a right, just like Carlos instructed. She turned onto the road and nearly rammed right into the middle of the lane. She swerved left, barely missing it. She glanced over her shoulders for a second to ask,
"You guys alright?"
They all nodded, and a few gave a thumbs up. Carlos looked out the window, narrowing his eyes, "There are more cars coming this way. Still want to have the wheel?"
Ashlyn drove past several more cars and nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine."
Up ahead, she saw an overgrown root from a tree that stuck out onto the road. She gripped the steering wheel and shouted,
"Hang on!"
She quickly turned the wheel to the right to avoid colliding right into it. A few grunts were heard as Tyler grimaced, "What the hell was that for?"
Logan spoke up from the trunk next to him, "That's strange... this road is usually well-maintained...."
They go over another bump in the road, which makes Logan bump his head against the jeep. Carlos turned in his seat to look back at Logan and asked, "Are you sure this is the right road?"
"I'm positive... but there were never roots in the way," He paused for a moment and peered out the open window, "Ah! Yeah, there's the gas station we usually... pass?"
Carlos looked over through the passenger window and spotted the gas station that was up ahead, completely covered in overgrown greenery. He raised a brow at then its worn-down state,
"Logan, it wasn't like this before, was it?"
"N-No... they just opened it last year, actually..."
Tyler's eyes squinted with suspicion, "That's... not a good sign."
Carlos bit his inner cheek anxiously, no longer thinking that this was the best idea they had come up with, "Um... should we try a new route...? I'm not liking this..."
He turned back to stare at the road, his eyes widening as his heartbeat quickened, thumping repeatedly. "Ashlyn!" He managed to gasp out, "Speed up! Quick!"
Her eyes widened at his outburst, "W-What?! What'd you see-!"
"Speed up!" He repeated.
Without further questioning, she pressed on the gas pedal. The sudden increase in speed earned her a load of questions and skepticism,
"Ashlyn, slow down! What's going on?" Tyler asked, gripping his head rest behind him.
"Ask Carlos!"
Aiden turned his head over at him, who's eyes were locked on the road behind, "Carlos...? What's up...?"
His fists were closed, digging his nails into his palm, "Something... there was something in the trees."
As Ashlyn tried to stay focused, her efforts were proving futile as the further they went, the bumpier the road got. The jeep rattled and shook with every dip and crevice they drove over.
"What happened to the road?" Taylor asked in a frantic tone.
"Ashlyn," Tayler called out to her, "Turn back. Something's not right with the-"
"-we can't." She cut him off before speeding up, "We can't stop here."
Tyler's voice raised as he grew more concerned, "The hell you mean 'we can't'?! It isn't safe out here!"
"We can't turn back, Tyler!" Carlos shouted, looking over his shoulders at him with scrunched eyebrows.
"Why not?!"