𝐍𝐎 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐒, ꜱʙɢ

31

"That's the rest of the backup supplies?" Dominique asked, slamming the boot of the Jeep shut as Taylor looked up from the scope of her rifle.

"Yep!"

"Then we're good to go." Ash affirmed, sending a reassuring nod toward Dominique, who smiled back, giving her a thumbs up and sheathing her staff around her waist, finished checking the condition of it with a fond look over her face.

Everyone gathered into the Jeep, Ben and Logan in the boot, Dominique, in between Taylor and Tyler in the middle and Aiden and Ashlyn taking the front.

It was decided by Dom that Ashlyn should drive after she had opened up to the group about her old racing habits in the town she used to live. Dom knew that the adrenaline hit her hard when she was in the drivers seat, and she didn't want to put the group in peril because of her tendencies.

"Everyone have their lights ready?" Ashlyn asked, jamming the keys of the jeep into the ignition and starting it up, the engine reviving loudly as everyone nodded in affirmation.

Dom rolled down the window next to Tyler, leaning over his body as he babbled at her to get off.

"And you remember what you're doing, right? Close the gate after we're out and run to the jeep's-"

"-Other door, wait for your honk and then bolt for the jeep." Aiden childishly cut her off, tossing the knife she had gifted him in his hand and tilting his head to the side.

Dom rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him and pulling up the window before her. Aiden chuckled, his gaze stuck on her figure though the window as she lulled back over, turning to Taylor and comforting her as she released a stressed sigh.

God. He loved her and he knew it.

After a moment, Ashlyn nodded to Aiden, who ran over and slammed his hand down on the button against the entrance of the graveyard, watching as Ashlyn floored the jeep out of the doors, Aiden slamming it shut again behind them.

Aiden raced back to the watchtower structure of the Graveyard, pulling open the door and pushing his shoulder against the exit one, racing out toward the jeep as Ash slammed her hand down on the horn.

Aiden quickly opened the door to the passengers seat, throwing himself into the side and Ashlyn pushing the gas pedal to the floor, speeding away from the graveyard.

Dominique reached forward, ruffling his hair and cheering excitedly in his ear as he watched with her happiness with a fond smile over his face.

He really loved her. And he knew it.

"Are they following?!" Ashlyn shouted out behind her, taking a quick glance in her rear-view mirror before steeling her gaze on the road infront of her.

"Yeah! But they're not keeping up!" Dominique answered, her body turned to view out the back window of the jeep, watching as the phantoms figures got smaller and smaller in their wake.

"Two hours to the next town right Logan?" Ashlyn affirmed again, which received a nod from him, turning his view out the window and clocking his rifle, checking his ammo and sighing in relief when it was in there.

"Ashlyn... it's been thirty minutes can I please play some music or something?" Aiden whined, rolling his window up and down in boredom as sighed out, leaning his body against the door.

"Be careful what you wish for, pretty boy, she might put on party walkers again." Dominique patting Aiden's shoulder as he snorted, turning away and placing his hand over his mouth, stifling his giggles with his palm.

"It's a good song." Ashlyn mumbled under her breath defensively, Dominique sending her an amused smile as Ash glanced back at her in her rearview mirror, sending her a small grin.

Dominique swung her body around, taking a glance out the back window with narrowed eyes and a confused look over her face.

"The phantoms. They're thinning out. I can't see them anymore, Ash." Dominique alerted, turning back in front of her and sending a look toward Ashlyn, who furrowed her brows, looking into her mirror to check on Dominique's concerning words.

Dom lurched in her seat slightly when Ashlyn took a turn around the school, swerving between cars and rocks strewn out over the roads leading toward where they were headed.

"What the-!" Dom started, sliding in her seat and her thigh hitting Taylor's as she recoiled from Ashlyn's dodge of a tree-root leaking into the cement of the road.

"What was that for?!" Tyler shouted after his head hit the side of the glass window, rubbing over it softly with a groan as he glared at Ashlyn.

"There was a giant root over the road!" Ashlyn panicked, swerving again to avoid a scattered car as she turned to Logan, who stuttered a little.

"That's strange... This road is usually so well maintained!" He exclaimed in confusion, his hand tightening around the seat infront of him as Ashlyn slowed the car abruptly, trying her best to get around the obstacles in her way.

"Ah! This is the right way! There's usually a gas station we..." He stopped, gazing at an overgrown and what looked to be abandoned service stop with wide eyes.

"pass..." He finished, breathing out in contempt as he gazed back at the store, breathing out a sigh of concern.

"Something doesn't feel right. Turn around, Ash-!" Dominique started, her eyes growing wide in horror as her ears picked up the haunting sound of a phantoms screams, its body thumping against the flora-filled road and a deadly screech exploding from its throat.

Ashlyn's pupils constricted, stepping on the gas and her mouth falling agape slightly as she frantically swerved away from incoming cars and weeds, the car trembling as it ran over wounds in the road.

"Hey- what's with the sudden speed?!" Tyler shouted, leaning forward slightly in his seat against the door and looking toward Ashlyn with angry eyes, tired of being left in the dark.

"There's- something behind us." Dominique uttered lightly, her ears trilling at the thumping sounds illuminating from behind them as the car revved loudly.

"Well then turn around, Ashlyn!" Tyler yelled, his eyes wide as his ears finally picked up on the thumping sounding from behind them on the road, grasping Dominique's arm in slight fear.

"We can't because-

it's right behind us...!"