The engine of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air squeaks and puffs as it putters down a lonely highway. Erin Olsen grips the wheel with a single hand, unable to relax. She stares out at the wide open alpine plains of the San Luis Valley, mountains looming in the distance. Her thoughts wander.
It’s colder here than she expected. Her dear uncle would kill her if he knew the condition she’d let the car degrade to. She couldn’t explain what she’d seen, or why she’d ran — there it is — her knuckles grow white and her mind races to find another train of thought.
Over the radio, a signal finds purchase. “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron begins to play.
The sun falls below a high peak of a distant mountain. Erin didn’t realize so much time had passed.
A loud POP jolts her and a small stream of black smoke seeps from under the hood.
She pulls into the driveway of a structure she didn’t remember seeing. It’s dark now. Neon signs for the combo Hotel and Drive-In bathe the car’s interior, creating an otherworldly glow.
“I got everything I want, and I got nothing that I need,” Erin says in a trance.
Something calls to her. Seeing a movie couldn’t hurt. It’s not like she had much of a choice. She’d reached the end of the road.