Sam looked down at her phone to see if Mr. Bartlett had any updates.  She had been driving for several hours, only able to look out upon the rural landscape for entertainment.  She passed an occasional house or two on her way, but besides that, the landscape was a bleak affair.  She felt rested at least, with the few hours of sleep she was able to pull off.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.  She had followed the directions Mr. Bartlett had given her, but she had not yet seen the abandoned truck stop diner that Joseph and Starr would be hiding out in.  It was an odd choice for a safe house, but it was rather inconspicuous.  All in all, she just hoped that Joseph knew how to take care of Starr.  He didn’t strike Sam as the babysitter of the century.

Sam started to get the pins and needles feeling in her body as her thoughts turned darker.  She worried that something might have happened to the two.  She shook her head and looked down to grab her coffee, but something caught her eye. “What the?” 

The sky suddenly turned dark and thunder cracked.  Snow started pouring from the sky in a crazed fury, and soon it engulfed most of Sam’s vision.  She could only see a few feet in front of her as the snow pummeled her car from all sides.  The wind broke on her car like waves crashing on a cliff side.

In a matter of seconds the whole road was completely covered with snow, and the surrounding landscape was a white wasteland. 

Sam slowly came to a stop and grabbed her sweater from the passenger seat.  The cold started to penetrate the car at incredible speeds, “There shouldn’t be any snow here, it’s not even winter yet.”  Her breath visible in the air as it started to fog up her windows.

She stepped out of the car and into the snow covered road.  She looked around to see if there were any signs of what was going on.  Her footsteps sank deep into the snow, reaching up to her knees.  She held her sweater tighter around her, trying to stay warm in the frozen monsoon.

Sam whipped around instantly as a shrill scream came from behind her.  As far as she could see there was nothing around; just wind violently thrashing the snow all about.  Her hair flailed about endlessly in the storm.  Sam pulled her sweater tight and quickly got back in her car. 

She looked in the back seat seeing her duffle bag.  She moved it up to her passenger seat and unzipped it, pulling out her axe for comfort.

Sam slowly stepped on the gas pedal.  Getting stuck in a snowstorm was the least ideal condition she could be in right now.  As she drove, the wind started to blow away the snow in the road, creating a path just wide enough for her car to move through. 

“Finally some luck.”  She went to hit the gas, but the car started moving on its own, slowly at first, but it accelerated faster, and faster.  The wind shifted directions, pushing the car forward at even faster speeds.  Sam slammed on the brake, but the car just started to slide.  She looked down at the road in front of her.  It was covered in thick ice as far as she could see. 

She grabbed her axe with one hand and the door handle with the other.  If she had to, she could jump out into the snow and hopefully she wouldn’t break any bones.  As she readied to jump out, something caught her eye at the front of the car, and a look of horror spread across her face. 

Her car has flying towards a large metal pole.  She instantly buckled up, and braced herself for the sudden impact. 

Sam squeezed her eyes shut as the car suddenly slammed into the pole, instantly shattering her window.  Everything not bolted down flew into the air around Sam.  The airbag burst open, saving her from any real harm.  After a couple of seconds she opened her eyes and looked around.  The car was totaled, but she was fine. 

She grabbed her axe off the floor of the car and stepped out into the frozen abyss.  She looked around, still only able to see a few feet in front of her with the snow still spewing from the sky.  She turned to the large pole she hit and looked up at the sign perched atop it.  “Tim’s Truck Repair and Diner.  I guess I found it.” 

The shrill scream sounded out again, only this time it was louder.  Closer.

Sam dropped to the ground, looking all around her for whatever had made the noise, but still, there was nothing to be seen.  She glanced to her right as she saw a faint light in the distance.  She looked around one more time to make sure she was all clear to move, and then she shot up and sprinted to the light.  Sam could make out what seemed to be the diner’s front entrance, the snow was clouding her vision. 

Sam reached out for the door, and tugged it open. She looked behind her one last time, making sure no one was following her.  The scream she heard wasn’t human, and she wouldn’t be caught outside for it to tear her to pieces.

As she turned to enter the diner, a bright light blinded her.  Sam rubbed her eyes, and opened them to see a diner full of patrons chatting, eating, and drinking their routine coffee. 

Sam stood in shock, “What’s going on here?”  She felt like she was losing her mind, first with the random snowstorm, and now this.

“How can I help you?”  A thin man with a Beatles haircut and a military cap greeted Sam at the door. 

Sam took a step back, “What is this place?” 

The man laughed a little. “The signs right outside ma’am.  Tim’s, that’s me by the way, Truck Repair and Diner.  Best burgers this side of the Mississippi.”  The man held himself tall and proud as he claimed to have the best burgers this side of the Mississippi.  Several of the diner’s patrons cheered in agreement as he did so.

The man’s slight southern accent threw Sam off a bit. “How bought I make you a burger and coffee, eh?  You look a little shook up.” 

Sam nodded, still confused about her situation, but she followed the man to the counter anyway, and sat down. 

Tim walked through a low, swinging door, and moved behind the counter.  He looked over his shoulder at Sam, as he pulled some meat out of a bucket, “So what’s your name anyway?” 

A waiter came and filled Sam’s glass with coffee, “Sam, my name’s Sam.”  She started to settle down a bit and take in what was happening.  Maybe she was in a coma or something from the car crash.

Tim plopped the meat down onto the grill with a sizzle to follow. “What’s the axe for?  You’re not gonna murder us all, are ya?  We don’t need another chainsaw massacre on our hands.”  He laughed to himself finding small enjoyment in his own joke. 

Sam leaned her axe up against the counter and slouched back a bit.  She thought fast to come up with an excuse that sounded somewhat reasonable. “I got in a wreck not too far back. I was using this to try and dig my tires out of the mud.”  It was a slight lie, but Sam didn’t care, she wasn’t sticking around here any longer than she needed too. 

“That explains why you look all banged up.  You alright?”

Sam nodded, and started playing with her coffee mug. 

“Don’t worry ma’am, I’ll get Rufus to tow you out, but for now, all I want you to do is enjoy this burger.”  Tim flipped the burger and grabbed a bun, “Everyone thinks the meat makes the burger, but really, the grill makes the burger.”  Tim stepped back and admired his grill, “Made it myself you know.” 

Sam was unsure of what to say to the man. “Nice grill?” 

Tim smiled and flipped the burger onto the bun, “The key is getting the gas lines all in the right spots.  It keeps the flames from heating just one spot.”  He reached down and pulled open the face plate, “See, got about fifty of them down here.” 

Just as Tim said there was, a slew of pipes all cluttered together under the grill, “The gas bill is a bit high, but it’s the best grill this side of the Mississippi.”  Again, he puffed his chest out and stood tall, followed by the cheers again.  Tim put the face plate back on and took a step back, admiring his grill one more time.  He plated the burger and set it down in front of Sam. 

“Looks like the best burger this side of the Mississippi.”  She let a smile creep into her face.

A smile crept onto Tim’s face as well.  He enjoyed the woman’s remark, “See, now you’re gettin the hang of it.  Enjoy.” 

Tim smiled one last time before he started to fade away into blackness.  Sam looked around her as the warm diner, patrons and all, started to fade the same way.  Before her eyes the diner had degraded past its glory years and everyone had vanished into thin air.

Sam sat in the torn chair of the now dimly lit diner.  She looked back to where Tim had been standing; he was gone, but his grill was still there, a little rusty, but still there in all its glory. 

In front of her lay a plate of rotted food and a cup of black goop, “What is happening to me?”