Up ahead there were lights. A sign came into view that read:Welcome to Melody, pop. 212.
Good.He was close. Not enough to be out of the woods completely, but civilization at least—
sparse though it may be.
As the Cruiser crept into the slumbering hamlet, buildings began to appear. Alec passed a bank,
a market, a diner, a tavern… seemingly one of everything a tiny town called Melody would need. Not much. Not much at all.
He saw an awning with the graphics:Jarnigan's Garage. He had read somewhere that this was his AAA affiliate… but the garage was dark. There was a sign that boastedSnow Transport Rentalson the side of the building. Alec did not stop. No sense if they were closed. He would have to press through. The GPS in the Cruiser said that the cabin was less than three miles away.
When the road split, he veered right, up the secondary road that led to the cabin.Penny Lane
read the old-fashioned street sign.
Why not, he thought.The town was probably founded by hippies. Who else would name a townMelody?
Once again, the light from civilization was behind him and darkness descended. Despite his
vehicular insecurities, the Cruiser had performed well for the excursion so far, slipping only
occasionally on periodic patches of snow-hardened ice.
But Penny Lane was steeper and had not been plowed in quite some time.
Maybe never.
The GPS now read that his destination was only one and three-quarter miles away. He gripped
the steering wheel tight, the tension returning to his wrists and lower jaw as the Cruiser's upward climb became even steeper. Unknowingly, Alec began chanting a mantra under his breath.
"Come on, baby. Come on, baby. Come on, baby…"
And just as he saw the relief of a slight plateau ahead, the car stopped moving. His foot was
still on the gas pedal but the wheels were turning without traction.
And then he began sliding backward.
"No. No. No," said Alec as he felt the rear of the Cruiser fish-tail right. He turned the wheel into the turn instinctively, but it didn't matter. The gravity of the descent had taken hold and he felt himself being sucked backward, excruciatingly slow, sliding sideways and down, until the vehicle
slipped over an embankment and into a ditch. Through the windshield, his view of falling white flakes in a darkened canopy of snow-covered pines went slightly askew.
The Cruiser died.
Alec didn't try and restart it. Instead, he opened the driver's side door, a little heavier with the angle, and slipped out to survey the situation. A blustery gust hit his face and he felt the tiny pinpricks of sleet mixed with snow blast his brow and cheeks.
He walked a few feet up and in front of the vehicle, his loafers sliding with each step. He turned and stared into the headlights. It looked less complicated than it was. The car was off the road but mostly level and the road was wide. Perhaps he could somehow back up onto the road, turn around,
and just head back down… find a place to stay for the night.
Who are you kidding? Even if you put it in reverse, somehow managed to turn it around, and
slid downwithoutgoing off the road again—the town was dark,empty… everyone was home, snugand warm.
Alec looked around briefly for something flat that maybe he could slip under the wheel for
leverage. There was nothing, just lots of snow. He shivered and quickly got back in the vehicle.
