A Road Of No Return
LORRAINE.
The sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows over the winding road that stretched ahead of me like an endless ribbon through the forest. The trees flanking the road swayed gently in the evening breeze, their leaves whispering secrets only nature could understand.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, humming softly along to the classical music playing from the car's speakers. It had been a long day at the studio. My latest design had finally come together after hours of adjusting details and debating fabric textures with my team.
The factory my brother Andrew had built for me had grown into more than just a workplace.
It was my dream taking shape, stitch by stitch.
I needed this quiet.
My mind was tired, my body sore, but my heart felt... accomplished.
Then the car sputtered.
I frowned.
"Come on, not now," I muttered, easing my foot off the gas.
The engine coughed once.
Twice.
Then died.
I coasted to the shoulder, exhaled sharply, and tried the ignition again.
Click.
Nothing.
With a sigh, I stepped out. The air was cooler than I expected. I pulled my coat tighter around me and looked down the road.
Empty.
Not a single car.
Not even a bird in flight.
I pulled out my phone.
No signal.
Of course.
I tried calling my brother anyway.
Call failed.
I tapped the screen with frustration before looking around again.
The stillness felt... wrong.
Then—
Bang!
A gunshot.
Close.
My head whipped around.
Somewhere behind me, deep in the trees, a figure broke through the brush.
A man.
Running.
Gun in hand.
And behind him, a sleek black car skidded onto the road, chasing him fast.
More shots rang out—loud, sharp, echoing like thunder through the forest.
I stepped back, panic rising in my chest.
The man kept running.
Closer now.
Bang!
Bang!
Two shots.
He staggered, hit in the back.
I gasped, my feet rooted to the spot.
And then... something inside me shifted.
My arms lifted instinctively, my eyes locking onto his.
He looked at me like I wasn't real—like an angel in the wrong place at the worst possible time.
Then he collapsed into my arms.
"Oh God—"
I stumbled but held him.
His blood soaked through my coat.
My knees hit the ground beneath his weight.
The car rolled closer, slow now.
Another shot cracked from the window—
Smack.
It hit his shoulder.
I screamed, shielding him with my body.
The car didn't stop.
It drove on, fading into the distance like a ghost.
Breathing hard, I looked down at the stranger bleeding in my lap. His face was pale, his breathing shallow.
"Hey—hey, stay with me," I whispered, brushing the blood-damp hair from his forehead.
He tried to speak.
"Don't. Just—don't," I said quickly. "You're going to be okay. I just need to stop the bleeding."
He gave me the smallest smile—barely there.
"You're real..." he murmured.
Then he slipped into unconsciousness.
My hands trembled as I pressed down on his wounds.
My designer coat was ruined. My knees were dug into gravel, blood staining my skin.
But none of that mattered.
Because right now, on this quiet, endless road surrounded by trees and shadows, my life had just collided with his.
And nothing would ever be the same again.
