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"We're only haunted by the things we refuse to accept,"

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I woke as the car went over a speed bump, knocking my head into the window-sill. The sun had been setting and landed directly in my eyes. My hand shielded them as I pulled myself to sit up. Sitting next to me, my dad looked over and smiled as he turned down the radio, making it easier for me to hear. The cat at my feet rubbed her head against me.

"Hello, bug,"

"Hi," I smiled back and looked out my window, seeing RVs parked in every open spot, "Almost there?"

"This is the place he told us to meet," He looked around for the vehicle he only had a description of.

I sat up more and leaned forward toward the dash, "There," My hand shot out as I pointed to the RV. "I can see Ian,"

He thanked me as he pulled up next to it. On the outside, my brother waved at us as his dog jumped on him. I laughed and turned to face my dad to find him pulling out the keys. The two of us unbuckled and filed out of the car. My first instinct was to go to my father's side and stay there as we walked over, but I knew I couldn't hide behind him forever. So, I shook off my worry and walked over. Thankfully Atlas, my brother's dog, ran up and circled my legs. I bent down and scratched him behind his ears.

"Eby," A voice called out. When I looked back up, my brother was a few feet from me. I pet Atlas one last time and then ran to him; my arms went around his middle as he laughed and wrapped his arms around my back.

And I was okay again. The warmth he showed everyone flowed over me as I rested my forehead on his shoulder. "I know it's been a while, but ease up kid," He laughed as I apologized and pulled back.

"A while? Ian, it's almost been a year," His head tilted to the side as he thought about it. "Wow, time moves faster out of school,"

I pushed him back, "Yeah, rub it in as-"

"Hey," My father warned. I glared at him over my shoulder before giving him an innocent smile while signing the rest where he couldn't see. In his arms he held Alice, she was burrowed into the dip of his forearm as Atlas tried to sniff her.

"Where's Grandpa?" The door to the RV opened, getting all of our attention to face it. The girl who walked out wasn't expecting everyone to be there. She had four sodas in her arms, holding two bags of chips with her teeth. We held eye contact for a minute before a smile appeared on her face, and the chips dropped.

"Shit," She said and looked down at them, then shrugged, "Eh,"

I laughed, and Ian and I went over to help her. He took the sodas as I grabbed the chips.

Before I could properly stand up, she threw herself on my back, arms going around me and squeezing. A laugh tumbled out as I tried to keep us upright.

"Ah, little rabbit, you're here," She squealed in my ear, finally letting go. I set the chips on the picnic table a few feet away. Ivy had gone over and hugged my dad. He returned it as they both got to talking.

"He is a few trailers down talking with a friend. Somethin' is happening in the city," Ian had sat on top as I went onto the actual seat part by him.

"Oh?" I sat up straighter and grabbed one of the cokes from the table." And mom?"

Ian's face changed; he didn't want to answer me, "She's not coming, is she?"

"Eby, she just needs ti-"

"No, it's okay. I get it," I fought the tears that again wanted to spill, "She doesn't want to see me,"

He shook his head as he sank onto the bench next to me, "That's not it. She just doesn't... know what to do, I think,"

"Not ignore her kid, maybe? Talk to me? I get she has her beliefs, but-"

He cut me off, "It's not about her beliefs. It's how she was raised. I am not defending her in any way; what she's doing isn't fair to you," He ruffled my hair, "She just doesn't know any different,"

I scoffed at him, "She could ask? But that'd require her to talk to me, and we see how that's going,"

Ian gave me a small laugh, but my father and sister walked over before we could continue speaking.

"Are you leaving already?" I asked my father. He nodded with a frown on his face, and I got up to hug him, "I'll miss you,"

He hugged me tighter as if he was scared to let me go. My hand clenched around his jacket as he kissed the top of my head. "7:30," He whispered to me.

"I'll be watching," We both pulled back from each other, and he smiled, "It will be blue and have the number 309 on the side,"

"You're lucky we're close to the airport, and you'll be able to see it,"

"We're also lucky we're leaving in the morning, so we don't hear it constantly," Ivy chimed in.

I waved her off, "Help me grab my stuff?" I batted my lashes at him as he playfully rolled his eyes, handed me my cat, and walked to the car. I thanked him as he opened the trunk.

"Ebony!" A voice called out. When I turned to look, my grandpa was running over. I smiled and opened my arms to welcome him. "Oh, my sweet girl! Look at you," He pulled back with a wide grin, "I've missed you so much,"

"And I, you," My arms fell to my side as my father returned with my bags.

"Dale," He cleared his throat and handed me my things.

Grandpa straightened out and stood taller, "Hello,"

I looked between them. God, they are so awkward. "Okay," I clapped my hands, "You better get on your way! Tell momma I miss her already,"

"I will, Uh, goodbye. I love you, Bugs," He ruffled my hair one last time before walking to his car.

Grandpa cleared his throat, "Sorry 'bout that. Still weird between us, even after all this time,"

I gave him the best understanding smile I could conjure up. "S' okay. I'd be a hypocrite if I was mad at you," He was confused by this response, his brow up to show it. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat,"

I grabbed his arm and pulled off to the picnic table, where the twins were arguing over something probably irrelevant. One last time, I looked over my shoulder to my dad. The car had just pulled out of its spot, his eyes catching mine, and one last smile, one last crooked finger heart, was all we were given by the universe. But, at least, it was something.

-Two hours later-

"Wait," Ian managed to get out through his laughter, "Y-You stole his cat?!"

"He bet me I couldn't get into his home! So I took a souvenir as evidence," I sunk back into my chair, pulling my beanie over my eyes.

"But that doesn't explain why you were detained?" Grandpa sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Because then they told him I broke in and stole the cat for no reason. Thankfully others were around when he dared me to do it, and I didn't get charged. His mum said I could keep the cat since I took it. And that is the story of how I got Alice," I held my cat tighter as a cool breeze went through the air, and I pulled my jacket around us.

"It's June. How is it this cold?" Ian asked aloud.

"Cause we're close to the airport. Every time a plane lands or leaves, a draft comes in,"

Which reminded me, "What's the time?" I turned to my grandpa's watch.

"Just turned 7:30," He answered.

I jumped from my seat, sat the cat in my chair, and ran over to the small view into the clearing. Ian was behind me as Ivy stayed with Grandpa. Their conversation veered to what he had left earlier to learn about. I heard something about people dying and others going cannibalistic.

"There!" I pointed, and Ian's eyes traveled to where I was pointing. A blue plane with three white numbers, 309, printed on the side. "That's my dad,"

"Are you flying back alone at the end of sum-" A loud explosion cut him off. My head turned back to the blue plane, now covered in flames, as it went down. The air was pulled from my lungs alongside a choked sob as the plane went into the rocky hills across from us. I didn't feel my body sway, but I knew it did when I felt Ian's arms around me, keeping me up. Grandpa and Ivy came running over, asking questions I didn't hear.

The ringing in my ears didn't stop.

Not when they led me back to the campsite. Not when all our stuff was hastily thrown into the Rv. Not when I was thrown in.

What I had just seen was not processing in my head. He was on that plane. My father was on the plane, the one I saw blow up and crash into the hill, leaving nothing left.

Somewhere along the way, I had curled myself into a ball on the bed's pillows. The ringing calmed down, but it was still harder than usual to hear anything. Though I could see from the small window in the back, I had no idea where we were. Ian and Ivy were in the front at the built-in table as Grandpa drove us. Finally feeling steady enough to move, I sat up on the bed.

Okay, maybe I wasn't all good to get up. Instead, I slid onto the floor and crawled toward them, stopping at the bathroom door. I pressed my back against it with my head leaned back. Alice knew I was there first, jumping down from the table and under the space where my knees bent.

"Where we goin'?" I brought my knees to my chest. They both jumped at my voice, looking at me as if they were scared to say anything.

"Jesus, Eby," Ivy got up from her seat at the table and knelt next to me. "You okay?"

"I don't know. I feel nothing," I folded my arms and rested my chin on them.

Ivy sighed and lightly ran her fingers through my hair, "We're going to the airport to see what happened,"

"How are we going to know anything? It just happened,"

"Rabbit, it's been almost two hours since. We're on the interstate now, but it's stopped up,"

"Oh," Was all I had said. What else was there to say?

Ian had walked up to the front and looked out the windshield. He and Grandpa exchanged a few words before he walked back to where we were. He crouched in the same position Ivy was in, "We haven't moved in thirty minutes. People are grouping up outside. I'm gonna go and see if they know anything,"

We both nodded, and I went to stand up. They both tried to stop me.

"Guys, I'm fine. I just, I can't stay in here," I looked at my brother, my eyes pleading with him to let me leave. He looked at Ivy as she kept looking at me, and he knew his answer. "Come on,"

Ivy offered me her hand to help me up. I took it and held it; the three of us walked over to the door, where Ian opened it. Grandpa told us to not be too long since we didn't know when we'd start moving, which I don't think we will. I asked him to watch Alice.

Many groups were forming. One had a blonde woman with her toddler son, and an elderly woman with her husband still in the car. But the ones Ian went to consisted of a man with a woman and two guys. Her gaze was on the other as he played with another little girl. A woman stood very close to the little girl as a man watched from the hood of his car, not 5 feet away.

"Do you guys know what's going on?" Ian asked one of the men. To me, he seemed off. He had this look in his eye as if he would snap any minute; he looked like a Frank.

"Yeah, man. Somethin' happened off the exit. Over the radio said a ten-car pile-up, but no one has responded to it,"

"Shit, when y'think it'll be cleared?" Ian had his hands on his hips.

"Oh, they aren't clearing that for hours," A man said as he walked up. "The roads are full, and most cars have pulled over- blocking us in for the night,"

"Shane," Doesn't fit as well, "Where are we gonna go?" The woman asked as she moved out of the car, the boy whose head was in her lap now sitting up.

"I'll find us someplace," He reassured her with a squeeze on her shoulder. Oh, they're married. Except, nope, no ring on Frank's finger.

"There's a campground not far from here," Ivy chipped in. I moved closer and hugged her arm more, my head resting on her upper arm. Why am I just realizing how tall she is?

"Our car is almost out of gas, can't get far," The woman said.

Ian shook his head, "If you wanna pack your stuff, we got room in the RV,"

"We do?" I whispered to my sister, and she shrugged in response.

"You sure, kid? I mean, we don't wanna put y'all out,"

Ian looked at us, silently asking if it was okay.

"As long as I keep the bed on the way there," I answered.

"Ian," He held his hand out to the man.

Frank, or well Shane, gave a thankful smile back and shook his hand.

"Shane," They dropped their hands, "That's Lori, Ali, and Carl," He pointed to them as they grabbed their things.

"Ivy and Ebony," Ian said. I waved. "And you guys can come too," He gestured toward the woman with the girl and the man behind them.

"I've got a half pepperoni half cheese pizza in exchange," The man from earlier offered.

"Oh," I walked over and opened the box next to him, "You're good,"

He gave me a wary smile, "Glenn,"

"Well Glenn, hope you're not allergic to cats," I took a slice of the pepperoni, shut the box, grabbed it, and walked back to the RV, Glenn, and the others behind me.

Little did we all know, death had walked up to us and introduced himself, and we said welcome.