Mason

Don't whistle at night.

Don't answer voices out in the dark.

Don't follow something if it looks hurt but does not sound right.

And the one that matters here, if you see an animal in the road at night and something feels off, you keep going.

I worked the closing shift at a grocery store back then.

Nothing cool, just stocking, cleaning, pushing carts back in, dealing with people coming in 10 minutes before close, like they were doing a full month shopping.

I usually got off around midnight, but that night we were short, and I stayed late to help unload a truck.

By the time I clocked out it was close to 1 in the morning.

I remember because I checked my phone in the break room, and my mom had texted me twice asking if I was on my way.

I texted back, leaving now, grabbed an energy drink, and walked out to my car.

My car at the time was a beat-up 2008 Honda Accord with a cracked dash and one headlight that always looked slightly dimmer than the other.

It ran fine, but it had that old car feeling where every strange noise makes you wonder if this is the night it finally gives up.

I had about half a tank of gas, my phone was at 33%, and I was just focused on getting home, showering, and sleeping.

The drive home was usually peaceful in a boring way.

I would listen to music or podcasts and just zone out.

But that night, my Bluetooth kept cutting in and out, so I turned it off and drove in silence.

I still remember that because the silence made everything feel more open.

No music, no voices, just the tires on pavement and the wind pushing against the car.

Out there, the dark does not feel like normal darkness.

It feels huge.