The sun was just rising as Erica turned the car onto the highway, headed for her mother's house. It was the first time she had been apart from her husband in their six months of marriage, yet she was not bothered by this. She felt she needed to get away for awhile, to have some time alone so she could think. That was why she had insisted on driving the long distance to her mother's house.

She was not tired of her husband, she still loved him. It was just that she felt trapped. Her husband did not want her to work, so she stayed home all day keeping house. She was bored with this. She felt she was being cheated out of life. After all, she was only twenty-three years old.

When she married Bob, she thought there would be fun and excitement in their marriage since they were both young. The fun and excitement had only lasted a short while, however. Now, she felt as if both she and Bob were in a rut, and she was determined to break out of it. She was convinced that a few days with her mother would give her time to come up with a few ideas that would help her marriage. Perhaps I'll insist on having my own career, she thought.

She was beyond the city limits now, and the land became more open, with large stretches of trees and grassy hills. Every few miles, she would pass a small cluster of houses and shops, which assured her that civilization had not completely vanished. But for the most part, her only link with others was the radio in the dashboard, which rang loudly with her favorite country music.

Erica was humming aloud and moving her head in rhythm to the music when a large sign up ahead caught her attention. Last gas for fifty miles! Checking her gauge and finding her gas tank almost empty, she pulled her car into the gas station and cut off the engine.