I realized I could jump from Mr. Flaxen's arms and run back far too late. My mind couldn't grasp anything that was going on, but my heart still told me to stay with my family and whatever path that took me down instead of running off with this man I didn't really know. Unfortunately, the end of the long underground tunnel eventually came into sight. It slanted upwards where Mr. Flaxen opened a heavy iron door set against the slope of a steep hill. There at the bottom where we exited was a covert, man-made overhang providing protection for the escape car dad mentioned. He must have maintained it well as it turned on smoothly and was full of gas, but Mr. Flaxen grabbed several of the cans of spare fuel anyway.
I was dumped in the back seat as he drove us down the one, earthen road there was to follow. Twenty minutes of winding throughout the trees then brought us to an isolated and unfamiliar back road. Another twenty minutes got us on what had to be a main road. The car zoomed along a speed I'd never felt while the forest broke away to a wide sky and low roar of other vehicles nearby. I saw little of anything but the sky though, for Mr. Flaxen barked at me to stay lying down anytime I tried to peek my head closer to the window. So, I cried. It must have annoyed Mr. Flaxen for he turned on the radio, loud and clear for the first time, to drown out my sniffles and sobs. Such was fine with me. I could just cry harder.
However, not too much more time passed before the several lanes of road merged into just two. Large ridges and the rolls of the mountain foothills became more compact. Turns became more frequent, and I dared to peek my head up once more upon crossing two bridges when insanely tall buildings came into view.
"Head down!" Mr. Flaxen snapped again.
"Where are we at?" It was the first question I'd asked, and I expected him not to answer.
"The city of Aspen Harbor," he did explain gruffly after a moment.
Never heard of it.
