They had already driven for over 14 hours when they pulled over to the side of the lonely, dark road. Or perhaps that was her heart. They stared across the horizon wiping the sweat from their brow.

She thought she heard the chirping of a bird far, far away. It couldn’t be here since everything was dead. The freight train was carrying 100 souls to the market and they were following alongside. No insights. No pushback. No longheld beliefs pushing through. She wiped the tears from her eyes and put the car back into gear. Nothing in the rearview.