Looking around at the empty room that now lay before her, Ana had a swirl of emotions envelop her conscious. She took a deep breath to hold the tears she tried to choke back. She had a hard time placing the tears as this is what she had always wanted. Then, a quiet knock from the door behind her caused Ana to twirl around. Greeted by her mother’s small but warm smile, she rushed over, hugging her tightly.

“Your dad is putting the last of your boxes in the car. Are you sure you’re ready?”

Breathing in deeply, a smile crept across her face as she nodded.

“Yes, more than you know.”

Her mother’s laughter filled the empty room as her father called through the house.

“All packed up and ready to go!”

Ana walked down the stairs with her mother, reassuring her that she would call every night from the hotel to check in. At the bottom of the stairs, Ana’s father stood in the open doorway. His graying black hair was in a mess as his wrinkles outlined his halfhearted smile.

“Ready to go, baby girl?”

“Yep”

She hugged her dad tightly. Even though they would be over to visit, she wasn’t used to being away from them. Ana’s mom rushed into the kitchen; returning with a travel mug of coffee, she handed it over to Ana.

“Just a little something to get you started.”

They all walked out to the car as Ana spent another couple of minutes reassuring her father that she would call.

“Just be safe.”

“I will, dad, I promise.”

She turned her head at the sound of a car pulling along the empty street. She smiled as her friend Crystal rushed around the side of the car and almost knocked her over as she hugged her.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I couldn’t find my keys.”

Ana couldn’t hold back the laughter that made her smile.

“It’s okay; you made it.”

“Well, like you would leave without saying goodbye to me.”

She shrugged her shoulders in agreement and said her goodbyes to her friend and family once more before getting in her car. Pulling out of the driveway, she began making her way into town, taking one last look at the place she was leaving. She made her way past the middle school where she had met Crystal and became friends, followed by the coffee shop the two of them had worked at since sophomore year. She turned down the old branch-covered path before making it to the edge of town. Following the twists and turns, she parked in front of the large white farmhouse. The house that once kept her away from the world. She took a deep breath as she stared at the now dust-covered windows that she had stared out of so many days wishing to be free from the darkness inside. She turned her car around, making her way back onto the main road, and turned to the highway. She let the warm fall air blow through the car, singing loudly to the music. The farther she got away from the small town long forgotten in the woods, she began to feel a weight lift off her shoulders. She drove for about two hours before stopping at a gas station to top off her gas. She wasn’t sure how far it would be until the next one. After she filled up, she headed into the little convenience store and made a cup of coffee. The smell of the hazelnut creamer warming her to the core, she paid and made her way back out onto the road. At nine o’clock, she pulled into her first hotel. Once she checked in, she took a trolley out to her car and brought all the boxes into the room before flopping down on the bed. She sat breathing deeply while listening to the sounds of the rooms around her. The one above her was watching a movie, but it was hard to hear. The yelling and screaming of the couple next door drowned everything out. Finally, she sat up in bed and dialed her home phone. She wasn’t shocked when it was picked up on the first ring.

“Hey sweetie, how is the trip so far!”

“It’s good just made it to Salt Lake.”

“Good, not troubles so far?”

“Nope, everything has been good.”

“Remember your dad put some tools in your trunk if needed.”

“I know. Thank you, mom. I’m going to go to bed to get an early start tomorrow; I love you guys.”

“Love you too, sweetie; remember to call us tomorrow.”

“I will, bye.”

Pressing the receiver button, she called the front desk to schedule a wake-up call. Afterward, she took a shower and went to bed. The down comforter helped her to fall quickly into a deep sleep.

Once asleep, she began to dream she was walking alongside a lake. The full moon lingered above her as she stared across the lake, her eyes focusing on the pale face that stared back. Finding herself drawn to the figure, she began to walk around the lake, holding the soft fabric of her dress in her hands. Her walk turned to a slight jog as she got closer. She could feel her heart racing as she lost sight of the figure. Coming around a small group of trees to where she expected to see the man, she held her breath. Exhaling, her heart slowed as she looked at the empty bank of the lake. She stood bewildered, looking at the moon rippling along the water just past where the man should have stood. She turned to walk back when a soft touch on her shoulder made her jump.

“Ana.”

She shot up in bed, breathing hard, the jarring sound of the telephone ringing through the room. Still bewildered, she picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Miss, this is your 6 o’clock wake-up call.”

“Thank you”

She hung up the phone and laid in bed, staring up at the white popcorn ceiling. Her rapid breathing slowly came to a slow and even pace. Once she felt her heartbeat relax, she quickly got up, moving through the room to get dressed. She headed down the stairs, filled up a to-go box at breakfast, and grabbed the trolley. Once back in her room, she loaded her boxes onto the cart and went downstairs to check out. After loading the car, she filled up her coffee mug in the lobby and left. After an uneventful second day of driving, she found herself in Omaha, Nebraska. After bringing her things into the hotel and a quick call to her parents, she decided to go and relax in the hotel hot tub. Once down in the hot tub, she sat and let her thoughts run as her mind began to clear. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the jets pushing through the water. As she closed her eyes, she found herself greeted by the image of the man along the lake. As she looked at his face, she noticed that he had a look of confusion. She threw open her eyes, and a shiver ran down her spine. The following two days went by as the long drive began to wear down on her. On her last night on the road, she stopped near Williamsburg and checked into her hotel. She showered, got into a lovely dress, and made her way to the hotel lobby. After asking the person at the desk for places to eat nearby, she left the hotel and headed down the almost empty streets. She decided to take the clerk’s advice and headed east towards a hole-in-the-wall cafe recommended as a favorite. She was pleasantly surprised when she found the small cafe. The cottage charm it gave put a smile on her face as she entered. She was greeted by a friendly woman who immediately seated her at a small table by a window. Looking over the menu, she chose a house soup and a salad. She looked out the window that overlooked a small street with people coming and going. Beyond them, there was a small park lit by various street lamps. She continued to stare out the window, almost in a trance, before she realized she was no longer looking at a street full of people or an empty park. Her gaze met a pair of ice-blue eyes. as she sat staring, she began to feel drawn to them and found it hard to look away. Something she found harder to do as it dawned on her that she had seen these eyes before.

Before she could pull herself back to reality, her gaze was interrupted by the waitress setting down the food.

“Anything else I can get for you.”

She broke the gaze for a second, replying quickly.

“No, thank you.”

As she turned her attention eagerly back to the window, she felt her heart sink as what had just seemed like an empty street was once again filled with people. She finished her meal, unable to take her eyes off the road, and paid the waitress. Heading out, she was greeted by a fall breeze that blew around. She looked the way she had come before turning around and crossing the street to the park. Walking through, she was met with couples hand in hand enjoying an evening out together. She couldn’t help but feel a ping of loneliness. She shook it off as she made her way further on the trail. The people became more spread out before she thought she was utterly alone. Continuing to walk, she felt at peace being alone. Her watch read eight forty-five when she decided to turn around. As she turned, she let out a startled scream as she ran into someone who just continued past her.

Turning to apologize, she saw something fall to the ground as the man hurried off. Her soft footsteps rushed across the walkway to the shimmering object on the pavement. Reaching for it, she called out.

“Sir, you dropped something.”

A stunned silence followed as she looked around and couldn’t find the man. She walked a little bit more, calling out in hopes of finding him but to no avail. She examined the locket in her hand, intrigued by the blue rose delicately painted on the front. Clasping it tightly in her grip, she turned and went back to the street. Once back at the park entrance, she took a seat on the bench and waited for about twenty more minutes hoping that the man would leave the park. Although she had no clue what he looked like, she assumed he might look panicked. After waiting and no sign of the man returning, she got up and headed back to the hotel. The whole way, her mind was occupied trying to find a way to return the locket. As she stood in the elevator, she finally agreed that she wouldn’t have any luck and that she just had to accept it. She placed the locket on her bedside table and went to bed.

She eagerly packed the car and got back on the road as light snow fell around her. The warmth of the car helped her feel cozy as she continued out east, following the monotone voice of the GPS her parents had given her. After a few hours of driving, she became worried as the GPS had begun to lag. Eventually, she came upon a sign that read:

Gas station 30 miles

Stonebrook 189 miles

Nissell 368 miles

She let out a sigh of relief while looking down at the gas gauge. She was starting to get low as she continued on her way, making it to the gas station just before her gauge reached empty. The snow blanketed the ground now as she slid on a sweater and stepped out of the car. Once out, she was almost immediately greeted with a friendly face as the attendant walked up to her.

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ll get that for you.”

“Oh, okay, thank you.”

She put her hands into her pocket and gazed around at the snow; she couldn’t help but smile. She had always been the black sheep of her family, who all enjoyed hot weather.

“You can wait in your car, ma’am.”

“Oh no, it’s okay. I need to stretch my legs.”

After a brief pause, she continued.

“Is there coffee inside?”

“Yes, ma’am, you can go ahead in. I’ll be there in a minute to ring you up.”

“Thank you.”