When the man wearing my friends face began to speak, it was as though the tale he spun played out before my eyes. What he revealed to me will likely haunt me just as much as the many horrific things I have witnessed throughout my life. This is the story of what really happened to my parents.
Part 3: July 8th, 1988
It was an especially pleasant Friday morning when Dorothy and Jacob Bourdon got the news they were going to be parents. She was only two months along, but the sporadic morning sickness, as well as the absence of her monthly visitor allowed the thirty-two-year-old woman to be less than surprised when the doctor gave her the results of her bloodwork.
Though she hadn’t informed her husband of all of her ailments, as he was generally at work when she would find herself praying to the porcelain God, she hoped he would be as excited about becoming a parent as she was. The smile he wore when the information was relayed was undeniable, and she felt her heart soar with her love for him, as well as what she was already feeling for her unborn child.
As soon as they left the doctor’s office, he was already treating her as though she were made of glass; something that both frustrated her a little, and made her chuckle at the same time. Since he had taken the day off work to accompany her to the appointment, he would be free to spend the weekend with her. He even considered getting started on the guest room to be fit for their child, depending on what it would require, as well as what materials he had at the house.
Dorothy assured him there was plenty of time to make preparations, but he was almost bubbling over with anticipation and excitement. These were moments she treasured, when none of the stresses of life mattered, only the love they shared. Even after all the years they had been together, her feelings for her husband still caused the butterflies to do cartwheels in her stomach.
As the couple was eating some lunch at a local diner, discussing everything from potential names for their baby, to family vacation spots in the future, Dorothy noticed a poster on the wall, advertising that the fair was in town. She had always loved such events, ever since she was a child herself. She knew Jacob felt the same way about them, plus he already had the day off.
“Wanna celebrate the news over a funnel cake tonight?” she asked with a giggle.
“Is that a good idea, though? I mean, is that stuff alright for the baby? I know you’re gonna wanna go on the rides too, what if…”
“It’s ok, sweetheart,” she said, laying her hand on his while gently rubbing her thumb across its back, “I’m not a porcelain doll. We can still have some fun…come on.”
“I dunno. I mean, we haven’t been to one in forever, but it just makes me nervous is all. You’re carrying precious cargo, y’know,” he chuckled, glancing at her midsection.
“I’m pretty sure the little one can handle a bit of fun too.”
“Yeah,” he said, giving her his most charming smile, “you’re right. Let’s do it. But if you feel uncomfortable or start hurting or anything, just…”
“I will, baby,” she laughed, crinkling her nose in that way she knew her husband couldn’t resist.
They had married only two years after graduation, having been friends since kindergarten, which gave way to love around eighth grade. Her parents were somewhat uptight and self-involved, though they still forbade their only daughter from having a boyfriend until she was what they considered old enough.
Jacob and Dorothy would keep their relationship a secret from just about everyone, except for her sister, who knew the two loved each other before even they did. Jacob’s father split when he was around ten years old, but when his mother remarried, she put all of her focus into maintaining her new relationship, neglecting her son in the process.
Regardless of their home situation back then, their love for each other had grown as solid as a rock; something that was as true to this day as it ever was. Even after everything, their affection for one another never faltered; a fact that would someday almost sicken their oldest child.
As the happy couple spent the afternoon in town together, awaiting nightfall to head to the local fair, they made each other a pledge that they would be far better parents than their folks had been. It had been some years since they lost the ones who raised them and, though they had barely spoken since leaving their childhood homes, they each shared tears for their shared loss, nonetheless.
As the sun began to retreat for the evening, Dorothy and Jacob made their way to the annual festivities. This would be the first time they had visited such events in so long, so they had built up quite the anticipation since deciding to attend. They smiled and waved to passers-by, both familiar and unfamiliar as this small town was a close-knit group. Even strangers felt at home amongst the friendly folks.
For hours, the two enjoyed the festivities. They rode the simpler rides, while Dorothy allowed her husband to talk her out of boarding the Gravatron and other such things that may put undue strain on the baby, or her fragile stomach. Though it frustrated her a bit, she couldn’t help but smile at his exaggerated concern. It was only his adoration for her and their child that inspired his worry after all.
As they were making their way to the exit, set on packing it in for the night and heading home, they found themselves fascinated by the sight of a beautiful woman with vibrant, red hair, performing for a small crowd. They had walked past a variety of the sideshows; the flamboyant comedy duo, making crude jokes, a singer or two, warbling songs of old to passers-by, and even a magician, fit with a top hat and the works, but none so fascinating as this young woman.
The way she danced to the music was almost hypnotic to them, and seemingly to those who surrounded her. She contorted her body in ways that any normal human structure would not tolerate, but there was an undeniable beauty to it. Jacob and his wife just watched on as they joined the group, clapping along with them when each piece would reach its climax.
When it appeared her show had reached its end, she gave a humble bow, before addressing the adoring fans.
“Thank you so much, my friends,” she exclaimed above the applause, “if you enjoyed the show, there’s plenty more where that came from. I invite you all to the House on the Hill! Never have you seen such wonders, and never again will your life be the same after visiting!”
She reached for a box, pulling out fliers and handing them out to those who reached for them; Jacob and Dorothy among them. Though they had never heard of this House on the Hill, the colorful advertisement piqued their curiosity. It almost sounded like some sort of circus, though it promised such acts as one could not even begin to imagine.
According to the small map on the back of the printout, it would seem this place was part of the fair itself, located at the very back of the attractions. While a few members of the crowd wandered off in that direction, Dorothy gave her husband a smile; one that he could never refuse, even if he wanted to.
“Yeah, it’s not too late,” he said, chuckling at his lovely wife and her childlike enthusiasm, “let’s check it out.”
She practically jumped in place with excitement, causing them both to laugh. Wrapping her arms around her husband, pulling him into an embrace, she whispered the words into his ear that he would never tire of hearing.
“I love you…”
He joyously returned the sentiment before they followed the others in search of the elusive attraction. Sure enough, right as they passed by the elegant merry-go-round at the rear of the park where the festival set up shop, they looked upon a building shaped like a circus tent, atop the small hill. It looked maybe two or three times the size of their humble home, but it was all decked out in red and white stripes, just as they had imagined it from the description on the flier.
Dorothy could barely compose her giddiness upon looking at the whimsical house; another thing that made Jacob chuckle a little. Hand in hand, they practically sprinted up the somewhat steep incline to reach the large double doors ahead.
Regardless of the crowd who had somewhat led them to this spot, they found themselves alone when they reached the top. Whether they assumed the others had already entered, or simply didn’t give it a second thought, they weren’t distracted from their anticipation.
They both extended a hand to wrap around each of the twin knobs adorning the side-by-side doors. The second they turned the small, brass knobs, pulling the large doors ajar, neither could have prepared themselves for what happened.
Finding themselves in an otherwise empty and wide room, the first thing that caught Dorothy’s eyes was the glistening black walls, which appeared to pulse ever so slightly. Jacob took one glance at the staircase to the rear of the room, before glancing upwards. When he looked upon the seemingly endless floors that seemed to reach the heavens and beyond, he felt his carefree smile slip from his face.
After sharing a brief glance at one another, the two reached for the doors they had no memory of closing behind them. Upon seeing nothing more than the steadily pulsing, jet-black wall to their backs, they each felt various stages of panic setting in. While the endless floors and vibrating walls could be somewhat chalked up to some well-designed optical illusions; something any carnival across the country may contain in one fun house or another, the vanishing door was not as easy to rationalize.
As Jacob pounded his fists against where he was certain they had only just entered, he didn’t feel as though he were beating any sort of surface he had ever encountered. If anything; though he wouldn’t admit it to himself at the time, it was as though he was hitting something organic.
Dorothy was forcing her alarmed mind to work overtime in figuring out a solution to this, seeing it as something of a puzzle. Her husband, however, had finally yielded his pointless attacks against the building, having noticed the familiar individual entering the room from the left.
“Shall I show you to your rooms?” the beautiful dancer with vibrant red hair said.
Her tone was warm and friendly, but that would not distract him from his desire to escape.
“Let us out!” he demanded.
Dorothy quickly glanced from her husband to the woman who had lured them to this place while her skin began to tremble.
“Out?” the redhead asked, “There is no out, Mr. Bourdon.”
When he darted towards her, set on tackling her to the floor and convincing her to release them, his rage took control of his senses. Had he not been blinded to anything more than his anger at the time, he may have been able to avoid his unfortunate fate, at least for the time being.
Dorothy screamed out far more frantically than she ever had before when the woman with the scarlet hair simply stepped to one side as Jacob charged at her. With him moving so quickly and hell-bent on reaching his target, he had no time to avoid stumbling over the threshold of the open door the redhead revealed to her back.
As soon as Jacob fell into the entrance to somewhere else, the opening sealed itself back shut, leaving only the otherwise empty surroundings in its place.
“Where is he!?” Dorothy screamed out, choosing this question over the multitude that attacked her brain at the time.
“In his room, Mrs. Bourdon. Are you ready to see yours?”
“Bring him back!” she whimpered with tears flowing from her eyes.
“But he’s in his room, ma’am.”
“Then take me to him!”
“Only one guest per room, I’m afraid. Now, if you will come with me…”
Dorothy was already running for the stairs before the redhead could finish. She had no idea where she was going, only that she wanted to get as far away from the woman who abducted her husband. Unfortunately, her destination had already been decided. She was only three steps from the next floor when her own door swallowed her up, having appeared and disappeared so quickly, there was no hope of avoiding it.
To the perception of Mr. and Mrs. Bourdon, years would pass with them locked away in that place. Whatever tortures they faced over that time would be lost to memory, yet still tucked away in their subconscious until the day they died. Why the building chose to grant them freedom is uncertain, but when they did find themselves back amongst the people of this world, they were not the same as they were before.
While only one day had passed since they made that ill-fated trip to the county fair, the burdens of decades of pain still lingered just out of the reach of their memories. Though their conscious minds were fully aware of the happy times that came before that night out on the town, whatever happened to them during their time away had stolen a significant piece of their souls.
•
Malphas just looked at me when his story came to a close. I was stunned by what he told me, unable to form a coherent thought, let alone anything to say to all of this.
“Those missing parts, Michael, are what we are now in search of,” he said, still glaring at me, “What remains of you father; what is now bonded with this compass, desperately wants back what it has lost.”
I had no words to offer. Could this be true? My agonizing childhood, the loss of my beloved brother, and all of the years of suffering; were all due to that God-forsaken building!?
“Like I said before, bud: you were destined for a very different life. If that doesn’t give you a better idea of what we’re facing here, nothing will.”
“Why them?” I asked, holding back the tears to the best of my ability, “why did it have to take them!?”
“Could be nothin’ more than a wrong place, wrong time kinda thing. Of course, it could be somethin’ else entirely,” Malphas said, glancing over at me from the passenger seat.
“What do you mean?”
“Given the news they got that day, a more fitting question you should be askin’ yourself is ‘why me?’ all things considered.”
“I wasn’t even born yet! I only got involved in all this because of Orchid; because of Grant! I may have never even known either of them if my parents…”
The growing lump in my throat stuck a fork in my words. It was getting harder and harder to keep my composure through all of this.
“Why me?” I asked with my voice cracking.
“All in due time, bud. This’ll all make sense soon enough.”
Part 4: On the Road to The House on the Hill
I was growing steadily more frustrated with the fact my passenger seemed no longer interested in answering my questions. I wondered why he had even bothered telling me the story of my parents’ fate, only to leave it at that. While I fought the desire to pull over and attempt to force him to tell me everything he knew, I had little doubt he would share anything else with me at the time.
Regardless of my still chaos-fueled thoughts about the childhood that could have been, as well as whatever else Malphas seemed to know about me, I was growing more aware of something else. I was uncertain of how long I had been behind the wheel, as my distracted mind had been preoccupied for some time by this point, but I could feel that we were getting closer to what we were in search of.
While the burgeoning dread had been with me since I was summoned back to the bar my friend used to do business in, I was aware of something else now. It was as if something was calling out to me, but not with words or any other such manner of communication I was familiar with. Whether it was that part of me the building was still holding hostage, or just the tendrils of that place wrapping around me, I couldn’t say, but we were getting closer. I was certain of that much.
When my navigator told me to take the next exit, I felt my stomach begin to lurch with fearful anticipation. Passing by a few gas stations, I took a glance at the dashboard to see the needle dancing a little above empty.
“Take the next right,” Malphas said, as I drifted off the road to fill my near-empty tank, “Not that right! The next road…oh. Nevermind.”
“Be right back,” I said.
After walking out of the gas station with a bag load of various snacks and drinks, I slid the gas nozzle into my starving truck, leaning up against it while it filled.
As I gazed out into oblivion beyond the world around me, I grew aware of that feeling again; that sensation of being watched. I darted my eyes around, seeing a few other people coming and going, or pumping gas into their own vehicles, but it wasn’t until I glanced to the other side of the road that I found the source of my unsettling feeling.
From the distance between us, I couldn’t make out much of the man in the beige trenchcoat, with the fedora tilted low on his brow hiding any features from sight. Even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could still feel them gazing into mine. He just puffed on his cigar, releasing thick clouds of smoke into the air around him, barely moving aside from occasionally wrapping his fingers around his stogie.
When I finally noticed that what I had assumed to be leather gloves on his hands ended with dark fingernails as his fingers pulled his cigar from his mouth, I knew I had to get moving soon. The lever to the fuel pump nozzle released, assuring me that my truck was once again ready to get back into the road, but by the time I replaced my fuel cap, I saw no trace of the stranger on the other side of the road.
I still darted my eyes all around me while I slid my credit card to complete my business with the small gas station, just off the interstate. I tried to convince myself that the unnerving man in the long coat was likely just some random schmuck; maybe even someone homeless or hitchhiking in one direction or the other.
Whoever it was, they were gone. As I climbed back into the truck, still glancing back and forth, I cranked the truck to get back on the move.
“Hell yes!” Malphas said, fishing a pack of donuts and a soda from the bag of goodies I had acquired, “thanks, bud.”
“Don’t mention it,” I said, cracking open my own drink while taking the road to the right as had previously been requested.
With the continued instructions from the passenger seat, I took a left onto a somewhat deserted road, just a few miles past the aforementioned right. It could be assumed that this was simply not a heavily populated area we found ourselves in, given the state of our surroundings.
The few buildings we passed by looked to have closed their doors many years ago, while any vehicle off to the side of the road appeared in a similar state of decay. Even the trees that lay beyond the decomposing shacks seemed devoid of life, with not the slightest leaf sprouting from their bare and withered branches.
We stayed on that two-lane highway for some time, still seeing absolutely no trace of another living thing. Even when I cracked the window to let some fresh air in, it tasted stale, somehow; something I couldn’t help but assume that damned building was responsible for. I couldn’t help but see this as a representation of what would be left of the world if we couldn’t find a way to put an end to that thing, especially with what had also become of my old street.
While the sun began its descent for the night, I slowed the truck down a little to be able to take a glance at the wonder of it all. I couldn’t help but think this may very well be the last time I would be able to watch a sunset; something I had admired so many times over the past few years. Though it wasn’t quite as glorious as it would be from the beach outside the home I shared with a dear friend, it still inspired me to smile.
That brief moment of hopeless joy was cut short when I noticed the silhouette off in the distance. I could only make out a portion of the behemoth perched upon a mountain top far ahead of us, but I recognized it instantly. In some ways, I had expected it to still be wearing the factory facade it had on our last meeting, but clearly, it saw no reason for games anymore; not from the outside anyway.
With the gargantuan proportions of the beast, I couldn’t quite get a read on how far away it still was, but I had a feeling it could see us coming. Of course, my truck was the only vehicle speeding across this particular stretch of road, so it would be difficult for us to be especially stealthy, but I doubt that would’ve mattered. It was most definitely calling to me; inviting me to come back home.
As I continued to gaze out and towards that beast, it felt as though I was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. It was that very sensation that caused whatever struck the side of the truck, damn near sending us careening into the dead trees off the side of the road, to force my wandering mind back to the more immediate situation in such a jarring fashion, it almost made my head spin.
“Keep going!” Malphas shouted, which felt like an unnecessary demand, all things considered.
When it struck again, this time from the passenger side, I had to fight to keep the wheels from slipping off the tarmac. Over and over it beat against the doors and fenders, sending us skidding from one direction to the next. Cracks were spiderwebbing across the windshield, making it harder to keep an eye on the road ahead. Thankfully, it was mostly a straight shot, but every jar from one lane to the next made it harder to keep track.
When one final strike impacted the right fender on the front end of my truck, I could no longer even hope to prevent us from spinning out of control. I had the pedal pushed to the floor to outrun whatever was attacking from outside, so when we found ourselves quickly jarred to a sharp angle, I lost any control I had left.
It’s a surreal feeling, being confined in a vehicle as it tumbles across the road. Though it likely went on for seconds at most, it almost felt as though hours passed by as the roof caved in, buckling the seat I occupied at the time. Pellets of broken safety glass rained across me as I bounced this way and that, with my seatbelt holding me in place to the best of its ability.
When we finally came to a halt, upside down and rocking from one side to the other, my mind was desperately attempting to figure out the next course of action. Ultimately, it was my traveling companion that snapped me back to reality.
“You ok?” he asked, unbuckling his seatbelt and tumbling to the warped roof.
“Been better, but I think I’m in one piece.”
It took us a few moments to wrestle our way out of the beaten and battered truck; a task that was made slightly easier by the windshield being gone. I was apprehensive as we crawled across the pavement, as I was certain whatever attacked the truck could likely make quick work of our far lighter bodies.
With the building still practically looming over us in the distance, I couldn’t help but feel like this last-ditch effort to put our lives to an end before we could reach its massive doors. Of course, even if we did make it to our destination, I had little doubt that it would make quick work of us within its walls. It would seem we were in quite the no-win situation.
While Malphas and I crouched down beside the buckled and broken husk of my truck, I was trying desperately to seek out any trace of whatever it was that attacked us. With it being so dark outside and the headlights being snuffed out by the tumbling across the tarmac, it wasn’t easy to make out much of anything at the time. With the moonlight illuminating the world around us to a point, I could at least see that the road ahead looked clear, but that wasn’t much.
“We’re gonna have to make a run for it,” false Grant said, darting his eyes from right to left.
“You really think we can outrun whatever the hell that was?”
“Unlikely, but we don’t stand a chance if we stay here either.”
I was attempting to steady my erratic breathing as we gazed upon the path ahead. With my heart racing so hard from the adrenaline rush of the accident that left us both beaten and bloody, I feared I would pass out if I tried to make a mad dash in my current state. Still, I knew we had to try, one way or the other, even if it was most certainly a damned if we do or don’t scenario.
“You ready?” Malphas asked, heaving his own heavy breath.
“Fuck no,” I replied with a hollow chuckle, “but I’m game if you are.”
Almost as soon as we got to our feet, the crunching metal sounds behind me froze me in my tracks. What my eyes met after I hesitantly turned to see what was happening, threatened to drop me back to the hard concrete.
It would seem that the trees I had presumed to be long since dead, did indeed harbor life after all, but not in a way that would imply anything natural was at work. Those withered and decayed branches extended from the very edge of the deceased forest to our left, wrapping around the truck like some sort of tentacle.
Although the wood appeared so dry rotted that the lightest touch would cause them to snap, the ferocity with which they crumpled the heavy vehicle inspired my legs to shudder. As they engulfed their prize, slowly pulling it back into the sporadic woods, I had little doubt we would be next on its agenda. I was certain that my skeletal structure would not hold up remotely as well as what was once my truck, for that matter.
It wasn’t until another light source cast its glow upon us, that the fear really set in. Perhaps the shock of knocking around in the guts of my truck had been clouding the reality of everything for a time, but whatever else was approaching, I was certain it would only add insult to my current injuries.
“RUN!” Malphas yelled, snapping my mind back to the slim chance of survival we still had.
Without a word, I took off, with the man in the Grant suit by my side. Sure enough, as soon as we started running, the decayed limbs shot out towards us. If nothing else, being on foot making them easier to dodge than being blindsided in the truck. They moved quickly, but as I ducked under the one coming at my face, Malphas leaped over and across it like Starsky surfing the front end of his car.
As another came at my left, I pushed off of the ground just in time to avoid it. It still managed to graze my right leg, but only a surface wound, or so I hoped. I wasn’t about to waste time investigating, given our current circumstances. Malphas caught one of the branches in his hand, pulling back and full-on karate chopping it in two, as I leaned over at the waist to dodge another.
We were fairing considerably better than I expected, but I knew we couldn’t keep this up; not with so many miles still ahead of us. I never would’ve thought in my wildest dreams that I would see that damned building as a sanctuary, but it was looking as though we had little to no chance of reaching out now.
When I spun in place to veer out of the path of another oncoming branch, I finally allowed my eyes to meet what was producing the source of light behind us. The best way I can describe it is that it looked like some sort of portal, for lack of a better term. It was a vibrant, shimmering pool of vibrant green light, which grew wider by the second. I’d say we were a good twenty yards away from it if I had to wager a guess, but that didn’t make things feel any less hopeless.
At the time I faced it briefly, before leaping forwards and away from a pursuing limb, it looked big enough to swallow me whole; something I feared was its exact purpose. When I turned to look upon the thing for the second time, it had already tripled in size, easily with enough mass to inhale what was left of my truck, had the trees not already claimed it for their own.
I was barely aware of the fact I was growing more mesmerized by it, every time my eyes met its shimmering glow, but what snapped me back to reality was not what I expected. When I found myself back on the concrete, I assumed the forest had managed to snatch me up as it had my vehicle, but I would be thankfully mistaken on that.
“Stay down!” Malphas barked after tackling me to the ground, holding one hand outstretched.
I looked up and out to see a veritable hoard of branches reaching out for us, as I heard some sort of rumbling coming from the portal. It was such a deafening sound that it felt as though my ears would start spurting blood any second.
While the arm Malphas held out seemed to freeze the approaching branches in place only inches from where we lay, the way he was trembling assured me he could not maintain this for much longer. It wasn’t until twin lights emitted from within but separate from the pool of light, that I understood what was happening.
The rumbling sound magnified dramatically, before simmering down to little more than the humming engine of the familiar BMW that shot out from the portal. As its wheels crashed to the ground, they spun in place for a second, before gripping the surface of the road. I knew very well the driving expertise of the man behind the wheel, so when the car came at us, skidding to one side and raining splinters of dry rotted wood across the road from the limbs it shattered through, I was both elated and somewhat upset at the same time.
“Get in!” Brandon called out from the driver’s seat.
Quickly taking note of his passenger, Malphas and I made for the backseats. As soon as we got inside, the wheels spun against the tarmac once more, before shooting us forwards and away from the next wave of tree limbs.
“Ain’t gon’ be able to outrun ‘em, kid,” the old man from the pier said to my friend, as he stretched an arm back to where I sat, effectively sealing shut my fresh wounds.
“Ain’t got no choice, man,” he replied, skidding the car from one side of the road to the next in an attempt to avoid the continuous assault.
“Ye do got a choice…let me out.”
“Are you nuts!? I’m not letting…”
“Listen, kid,” the old man said, staring right at Brandon, “I can handle these things, y’all can’t. Soon as ye can, you stop the car, let me out, and push the pedal to the floor.”
“But…”
“It’s okay, man,” I said, “trust me on this: he can handle it.”
Given the fact that the old man had apparently survived whatever warped reality at the pleasant, private beach, I was certain that some pissed-off, territorial trees would be nothing more than a Sunday at the zoo for this guy. Still, I truly hoped to have him by my side when we reached the building, but if he tracked us this far, I had to believe he would be along as soon as he could.
The second Brandon skidded the tires to a halt, the old man slipped from the passenger seat, beating back the branches that closed in. As I felt the brakes release, Malphus darted through the door next to him.
“Go!” he screamed, tossing me the tarnished, silver sphere.
With that, Brandon hit the gas. I half expected that the pair we left behind would only be able to hold the off trees back where we dropped them off, but no more reached for my friend’s BMW as we sped past them.
“They gonna be alright?” Brandon asked, keeping his eyes focused on the road.
“I think so,” I said, glancing through the back window, “I hope so anyway.”
With us finally drawing closer to the mountain that currently housed the gargantuan building, I felt that dread setting back in. Not only had we left our biggest guns back on that road, but I didn’t want Brandon with me on this one. Yes, it felt good to have a friend by my side again, but he had experienced far more horrible things than he should have had to endure already.
I crawled over the center console, stashing the spherical compass in one of the pockets of my cargo pants, to take the seat next to my friend, as it felt strangely uncomfortable sitting in the back alone. After I buckled in, giving a quick glance to the man at the wheel, he swatted me across the shoulder.
“Asshole,” he said, giving me a stern, but playful look.
When a near blinding light erupted from a ways behind us, we both winced, while Brandon attempted to focus on keeping the car straight. It was just for the briefest moment, like the whole world lit up for a second, before falling into darkness once more.
I allowed myself a small chuckle, taking satisfaction in the fact that those trees likely had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Brandon offered a giggle in return, and before we knew it, we were laughing hysterically as we sped onwards.