Hanna heard the crunch of gravel in the hard shoulder as a car peeled off to join her. Eyes still turned skyward, she watched the stars. It was too soon for her people to have reached her, which made this unexpected, and unexpected was interesting. The engine cut off.
A voice called out between the passage of cars, a voice she didn’t expect to hear again, and one she didn’t immediately place. But she knew at once it wasn’t one of her people; they wouldn’t have used English, and they wouldn’t have been shouting anyway. Drawing her gaze from the washed-out stars—she remembered them so much brighter—stood and rounded the SUV from the passenger side to meet him.
“No. The car.” Hanna raised her voice to be heard across the distance, her other hand tracing back to the vehicle. “It cut out and won’t start.” She paused by the SUV’s popped hood and waited for him to approach.
A voice called out between the passage of cars, a voice she didn’t expect to hear again, and one she didn’t immediately place. But she knew at once it wasn’t one of her people; they wouldn’t have used English, and they wouldn’t have been shouting anyway. Drawing her gaze from the washed-out stars—she remembered them so much brighter—stood and rounded the SUV from the passenger side to meet him.
“No. The car.” Hanna raised her voice to be heard across the distance, her other hand tracing back to the vehicle. “It cut out and won’t start.” She paused by the SUV’s popped hood and waited for him to approach.