The Way Back Home's

Road Trip

When entering the toll road, the atmosphere of the car suddenly became very quiet. Farrell is not wrong about the habits of his two younger siblings. As soon as he got into the car, Milo pulled out his cell phone, stuck a headset, then covered his head with a jacket hood, and slept. Before long, Libby was sitting in the middle of the bench, sleeping while hugging the doll. Her sister seemed comfortable with pillows and blankets. Farrell continues his parents' habit of going out of town.

The road to get out of town was pretty solid as Farrell had expected. He drove quietly, seemingly undisturbed by density. Friends call it very patient when it comes to driving. He thought their words were nothing more than a joke. After driving for quite a while, Farrell finally got off the highway. His car passed through the asphalt road uphill.

Rows of tall spruce trees lined up neatly on the left right side of the road like guard soldiers. The end of the trees is decorated in snow white. Similarly at the bottom, there is a thin pile of snow. The streets seemed to sparkle as they were wet with melting snow. Some cars still appear to pass, either in the direction of it or on the opposite lane. The more it rises, the more deserted the condition.

The silence still shaded the car. He was sure the conditions outside were just as silent. If it was different, it would have been just the sound of the roar of his car and the whirring of the wind. Sometimes the wind blows hard enough. Snow was carried around in circles before hitting the car, soiling the windshield and front hood. Farrell began using wipers to clear his eyes.

The road is so monotonous. Straight uphill without crossing. Farrell can't even remember the last time they took a turn. He just let his car go with the flow of the road. His eyes scanned the roadside, still searching for the signboard. The journey feels long and boring especially without a friend to talk. The scenery only contains white and gray. The air is getting cold. Visibility is also limited. The wind roared louder and more snowflakes. They hit the glass mercilessly.

Just ordinary snow, Farrell calmed his heart. He had felt worse, but did not drive, and was not with his sister.

Farrell looked through the middle rearview mirror. There are no cars in front or behind. They're alone. Although he did not want to admit, there was a sense of uneasiness in his heart. He looked up, hoping the sunlight would come. Unfortunately, he didn't find it. Instead of the golden light of the sun, he found the silver light tended to be gray. It also disrupted the snow. Know-how, his hand was gripping the steering wheel tightly. He snorted, laughing at his own anxiety. To ward off saturation, she moves her head to the right and left, staying with her eyes facing forward.

This isn't the first time he's driven far out of town. But, he felt uneasy this time. Probably because he first drove himself to a family-owned inn. All right, not really alone. She was accompanied by her two siblings who were asleep no matter where her brother would take them.

No, they're not lost. Farrell spoke to himself again. He did not remember the road he used to go through, but according to the navigation system the direction was correct. The road continues to climb. The farther, the more it rises, the colder it gets. The snow is getting heavier. They slapped the car mercilessly. The cold air roared outside, beating the engine of the car. Their voices sounded very unfriendly. Farrell now had trouble seeing the road ahead let alone seeing the signboard. Again he checked the navigation tool. They are still on the right path.

The anxiety did not leave Farrell. He still felt as if there was a heavy weight on his shoulders. His back and neck are tired. He hopes to find someone to ask for help or a little certainty about the right path.

“Wow! Try this check!”

Farrell jerks. He didn't think Milo was awake.

“No signal bar at all!” Milo's eyes stared at his phone. His hands removed the hood of the jacket as well as the headset. “Wait a minute... We are not lost, ‘kan?” Milo now frowned staring at the navigation tool attached in the middle of the car.

“Line mode.” Farrell answered briefly, still trying to calm his heart.

“Her schedule is crazy!” Milo glanced out through the side window. Snow had even piled up on the lower edge of the window. “This is exactly like the news I read last night.”

“Weather count?”

“Not. About Octorino.” Milo mentioned the place where their inn was located. “Say now the place is always rained with heavy snow. Not to mention the many wolves wandering around. There's a TV crew trying to cover the situation there. Want to know how it ends? They came home empty-handed. Snowstorms hit them. A pack of wolves even nearly pounced on the photographer.”

“It's overrated.”

“You believe their news?”

“Ngak also.” Milo threw his gaze out the window again. A moment later, he looked at his brother. “What will we do if we meet a wolf in a snowstorm? I mean... We're in a blizzard, aren't we?”

“Not. It's just regular snowfall.” Farrell tries to stay calm in the face of Milo's questions.

“This looks like a snowstorm to me.”

Farrell rolled his eyeballs, not wanting to continue the conversation. Milo made her more agitated instead of calm. Not helpful at all. Maybe he was hoping that Milo would just go back to sleep. When Milo is nervous, he will tend to make others nervous as well to make friends. Farrell always tries hard not to get caught up in the swirl of his sister's anxiety.

“We don't get lost?” Milo asked again. This time it sounded like a word to himself.

“No, Milo.”

“You know which direction is right?”

“I know.”

As if agreeing with Farrell, the snow and wind began to subside. The car moves constantly on straight roads. Shortly after, Farrell found that the paved road in front of them was replaced by a rocky road. Trees are closer. They grow in close contact with bushes. The road in front of them looked like a hallway.

“We won't go in there, ‘kan?” Milo frowning.

“Why not?”

Farrell reduced the speed of the car. The uneven road made the car shake a little. Libby in the back is not disturbed at all. Milo stuck his head forward, hoping to see more clearly behind the trees. Farrell tells him to back off for blocking the side view. Milo said, even if only for a moment. Fortunately, the road was short.

Jemari Farrell pointed to a dull brown color not far in front of them.  The brown color is slightly brighter than the color of the tree trunk which tends to be black and wider in shape. Farrell drove the car closer. Apparently the object is a signpost of lodging. The sign is old. The iron rod is rusted. The wood is weathered even perforated in some parts. The writing is not easy to read. Only ‘ED’ parts at the top and ‘L’ parts at the bottom are still clear.

“Wow...” Milo can only be agape when the snow stops falling perfectly and shows the building behind the signpost.

“We get to.” Farrell stopped the car. His hands rested on the steering wheel and his eyes looked in awe forward. He couldn't help but smile. “Welcome to Eden’s Lodge.”