‘It’s certainly not very happy, Freddie. Let’s try one more time, shall we?’ She turned the key and after a protracted mechanical moan, the car came to life. ‘I better not turn it off when we next stop, but I’m sure we’ll be fine to finish the deliveries. We don’t want to let anyone down, do we?’ She looked to Freddie who shook his head.

Bella put the car into gear and slowly moved off. Banks of snow had formed either side of the road and the car scrunched its way over the flakes settling thick and fast on the lane. They’d reached the part of Meadowbank where the houses became even more spaced out with acres of land between them. Bella and Freddie were just singing along to ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ when without any warning, the car engine died, and all the lights went off. For a second, Bella panicked in the gloom but gathering her senses, she turned on the hazard lights and steered the car to one of the banks.

‘Umm, Bella,’ Freddie said, pulling his knees up onto the seat and hugging them. ‘What’s happening?’

‘The car’s conked out,’ she replied more calmly than she felt. ‘Let me see if I can get it going again.’

Once again, she turned the key only to hear the engine wheeze and groan. It didn’t get anywhere near to turning over and worry began to rise in her throat. Snow built on the windscreen, obscuring her view, and she knew she’d have to find the emergency triangle and set it up if the car didn’t start soon. Closing her eyes and praying, she turned the key again, but the engine made no noise at all. Worry changed to anxiety as the hairs on her arms lifted in the cold and she shivered. She glanced at Freddie to see him biting his lip.

‘Don’t panic, Freddie. One more try and if that doesn’t work, I’ll call the AA or my dad.’

The car managed a single unhappy chug as if it was puffing out the last of its breath. Internally cursing, she gave it another go for good measure but again, the car did nothing. It almost seemed annoyed at her for trying.

Taking her mobile phone, Bella tried her dad first but as he’d already had a drink, it being three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon, he couldn’t help. He offered to walk up with some jump cables, but that would take at least half an hour and she didn’t like the idea of him out in this weather. They also both realised that without another car to attach the jump cables to, they’d be pretty useless. Her dad then added after a pause, that he didn’t actually own any jump cables to which Bella had let out a high-pitched, hysterical-sounding giggle and internally told herself to calm down.