When Darkness Falls Read Online Free

Naomi bit her bottom lip. “Can you at least do that?”
    She nodded and pressed her lips together in a hard line while trying to squeeze back the tears. “I will. I promise. I Love you.”
    Naomi gave her a crooked smile. “I love you too.”
    She looked at her dad. “I love you too,” she croaked. Tears formed in his eyes as he put his arms around her and gave her a tight hug.
    “It’ll all turn out okay in the end,” he said gruffly.
    She nodded, swallowing hard.
    Not one to show emotion, her dad seemed embarrassed by his tears. He stepped back and took a gulp of water, and then his voice grew practical. “Okay, let’s get Beasty squared away. He’s not gonna like being caged up for three days, I can tell you that right now.”
    Chloe chuckled. “You’re right about that.” She picked up her suitcase and was halfway out the door before her mind registered that her mom had said something else.
    “When you don’t feel like it.”
    “Huh?”
    “That’s when you need to pray the most.”
----
    “ B easty ! Yuck! That stinks!”
    Chloe flipped on the windshield wipers and peered through the drizzling rain, searching for a road sign that said Rest Area. It was day two of the trip, and Beasty was a mess. He’d meowed solidly for four hours the day before—until Chloe thought she’d go out of her mind. Thankfully, he’d stopped the incessant meowing today, but his fear of traveling had transferred to his bowels. The car smelled like a sewer plant, despite the fact that she was stopping every two hours to clean the pet carrier. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Judging by the putrid smell coming from the back, another cleaning was way over due. Why had she insisted on taking this wretched cat across country? If only her mother could see her now. She’d be wagging her finger and saying, I told you so . A part of her wished that she’d listened to her mom, but she’d not been able to fathom the thought of leaving Beasty behind. He’d been such a comfort to her since Dan’s death. Even now, despite the hassle, she was glad Beasty was with her.
    With a sigh of relief, she spotted a rest area up ahead. She pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. A trickle of unease went over her as she looked at the building that seemed deserted. There was one other car in the parking lot besides hers. It was getting dark, and the rain was mixing with the fog. She watched as an older man exited the restroom, got into his car, and drove away. It hit her then that she was alone (with a traumatized cat that had the runs) on a lonely stretch of highway. Her mother’s warnings came rushing back, and she almost started the engine and kept driving, despite the horrendous odor. Then a car pulled up beside her, and a young couple with three small kids got out. She let out a sigh of relief, feeling silly for her misgivings. “Okay, Beasty, I’m gonna clean your stinking litter box one more time. Like it or not, this will have to hold you until we get to the hotel.”
    She opened the door to the backseat and retrieved Beasty from the cage. She placed him on the other side of the cage, so that he couldn’t escape out the open door. He stood and stretched. She averted her nose as she began cleaning up the mess. “This is really gross, Beasty!”
    The drizzle had turned to a downpour that soaked the backs of her legs and feet. “Great! It had to pick right now to start pouring!”
    A loud clap of thunder raised the hair on the back of her neck as she flinched. Beasty let out a loud meow and jumped into the floorboard. She swung around and caught a glimpse of someone out of her peripheral vision. Her heart pounded as she looked at the familiar figure, standing outside of the car.
    She dropped the litter box shovel as her hands went to her mouth. “Dan!” Panic raced through her veins, and she closed her eyes. “You’re not real! This can’t be happening! Please … go away!” Her heart was beating so fast that she