Winter Flowers

"…Not going to let up until tomorrow afternoon, expect snowfall to reach anywhere from-"

"…As two of the league's top players prepare to square off this evening… It'll come down to the defensive-"

"…A passage that comes to me often, when navigating these difficult times. In life, we are compelled-"

"…You can check out anytime you like… But you can never leave!"

I smash the dial in, shutting off the radio before the guitar solo begins. I've had enough. These mountain paths are awful for reception, sparse stations and intermittent blasts of static between them rattle my brain.

"Hey, what's wrong with The Eagles?" Amy asks, keeping her eyes peeled on the narrow road. Furious flakes continue their onslaught, valiantly matched by the windshield wipers' attempts to remove them before they accumulate.

"Nothing… I'm just… It's all starting to bother me. Fucking radio…"

My fingers search inside empty pockets for what I know isn't there.

I am the target of Amy's disgusted expression, I know. Though her gaze is forced ahead, earnestly scanning for whatever might appear beyond the headlights.

"Babe, can we stop for a minute? I need a little more," I tell her, thinking of the pills stashed inside the trunk.

"Get fucked. I told you to wait," she snaps, "You weren't supposed to get high until we finished this deal. Selfish fucker, you are…"

It's quiet for a while

I snatch her wrist

She was reaching for the radio, wasn't she?

I need silence

"What the fuck are you doing?" I feel her struggling against my grip, "Hey! Let me go!"

Too loud

"Shut up! Shut up, shut-!"

There is a crunch as we veer into the snowbank. A series of terrified shrieks claw through my ears as she feverishly attempts to keep us within the margins of the icy asphalt. The motion of the vehicle is nauseating, the glow of the beams illuminating the flakes become mesmerizing…

I can feel the impact of her forehead against the wheel- it reverberates through my bones- as we come to a sudden stop, slamming into the bark of a sturdy tree on the opposite side of the road.

The car idles loudly.

"Amy…?" I shake her by the shoulder. She slumps forward, her body strangely rigid. Her eyes look through me, "Amy!"

The key slides out of the ignition.

Silence

"Don't you worry, babe. Don't you worry at all. I'm going to get us out of here. I'm going to find help…"

It's a promise I intend to keep.

The latch to the trunk yields to the key I place into the lock, revealing the hidden parcel that I desperately need…

I shake a few of the little ovals into my palm, swallowing them, letting them fight against my dry throat before they reach my stomach. I take the rest with me.

"I'm coming back, Amy!" I call to her, as I make my way down the mountain. Through the snow, the dark, the trees.

Silence