I slide across the bed of the truck and slam into the side as we turn, going far too fast. I let out a whoop of laughter. Eve should probably slow down; maybe even try to go the speed limit, but driving too fast, that’s what’s fun about going to the lookout. I suck in some of the air rushing around and past me. I look up at the trees on either side of the too narrow street. Their branches extended, reaching for the tree opposite of them, remind me of fingers. I feel the truck lurch forward as Eve steps on the accelerator, turning around a blind turn and, I feel as she slams on the brakes. I scream as I fly across the bed of the truck and collide with the bed door, full force. I bang my head on the side as we cut to the shoulder of the road; the truck makes terrible screeching noises. I see another car do the same. Eve stumbles out of the cab of the truck, breathing heavily, “You ok?” She looks so worried.

I nod. “I’m fine. You ok?”

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” She helped me out of the bed and we crossed the road to check on the other car. A man stepped out of the car; he looked as if he had just seen a ghost. “Are you ok sir?” Eve asked, wary. It seemed we barely missed a head on collision.

“Yeah I’m ok. You two ok?” Eve and I nodded. We exchanged a few scared, worried, and anxious looks and words. Eve and I walked back to the truck. I climbed into the cab instead of the bed and Eve didn’t have the slightest objection. We drove in silence to the lookout point.  Eve drove the speed limit or under the rest of the way up. She gripped the wheel so tightly her knuckles went white. When we pulled to a stop in the small ditch that was called a parking lot, the sun had almost set. We climbed out of the truck and walked over to the edge of the cliff. The cliff was a couple miles inland so we could see the entire city, lights just started to turn on, warding off the dark. The partly cloudy sky was splattered with vivid shades of pink, orange, and a contrasting shade of dark blue. The water reflected the orange from the sky, making it look as if it was on fire. Everything else was silhouetted.

“This is incredible.” I breathed. The extraordinary sunset was more vivid than life itself. 

“Yeah, I guess even in death sunsets are pretty.” Eve said quietly. I whipped my head towards her.

“What?” I asked, baffled.

She looked at me, regret dripped down her face. Literally. “I’m so sorry, Faith.” Eve started to melt away, her eyes first, then her nose. Everything melted together until I couldn’t tell what was skin and what was hair.

“Eve!” I screamed, hysterical. “Eve!” Something dripped down the side of my face. I reached up and touched it. Blood. I looked down at myself. My jeans were ripped and bloody. My arms had barely any unharmed skin and a couple of my fingers hung at disgusting angles. I looked frantically around at my surroundings. The truck was totaled. The bed door nowhere in sight and bloody mud splattered the side. “Help! I need help!” I screamed frantic.

The sun had set and the once beautifully lit city and sky was just a black, uninviting void. I kept turning, hopeful that someone would come. But no one did. Everything was melting, melting into nothing. I was surrounded by nothing.