She leaned over and looked at the dashboard.

“What’re you doing?” Kevin asked.

“Checking. When Leo loaned you his truck, he said the gas gauge sometimes didn’t work.”

The needle indicated the fuel tank was three-quarters full.

“See?” Kevin said. “So, take it easy. Enjoy the scenery.”

Sam turned to the window, biting her bottom lip.

They had been northbound on Interstate 91, and all was fine until Kevin mentioned something about a little-known scenic back road to the border. But Sam wasn’t paying attention. She had been half-asleep, trying to read a Margaret Atwood novel on her phone, when somewhere between West Glover and Orleans, Kevin exited the freeway.

They had headed west on Route 58. Sam saw few cars and only a sprinkling of buildings as the ribbon of paved highway took them into darkened forests. The route began to climb. Then, at a fork, it transformed into a gravel road, dotted with brooks and bogs. A hand-painted sign called one area Lucifer’s Notch.

Now they’d gone far enough on this back road for Sam’s liking.

“I want you to turn around and get back on the interstate.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Seriously, why are we going this way?”

Kevin glanced at her, hesitant to answer.

“Tell me. Why are we going this way?”

“All right. Leo dared me.”

“Leo dared you?”

“You know how he is with his conspiracy blogs and stuff. Well, he’d read online that this part of New England was supposedly haunted, cursed or something. And he wanted the video.” Kevin nodded to the dashcam.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I figured you’d think it was lame and not want to go.”

Sam stared at him.

“So, it’s because Leo dared you? Are you ten years old? I can’t believe it.”

“Look, the other reason is that Leo said if we went this way and got video for him, we wouldn’t have to pay him the five hundred for using his truck.”

Sam shook her head.

“Come on,” Kevin said. “This is just a little side route. Look around. This way’s pretty, and it’ll bring us to the border crossing into Canada at Richford, which isn’t busy, and we’ll save five hundred bucks.”

“I don’t care about that. I should’ve had my uncle and aunt move me. Instead, you pull this time-wasting, adolescent prank!”

“Would you just take a breath and calm down?”

“Don’t tell me to calm down. This is beyond stupid to pull this idiotic ghost crap for Leo. And given what you know I’m planning, and what I’m going through, frankly, it’s thoughtless and insulting, Kevin.”

Thoughtless and insulting.

The accusation hung in the air as if Kevin could see the words. His face reddened, and his grip tightened on the wheel. Seconds passed as he searched the horizon for his response.