My eyes opened as wind howled past. A sting pulsed along the side of my neck. I flinched away from it, and my back ached at the movement. I settled back into my original position, embracing the sting with clenched teeth. Someone coughed, and through my blurred vision I found Todd still next to me. He’d held my hand the last I remembered, but now his arms were raised as if bracing against the top of the side-by-side. He remained stuck in his seatbelt, the fabric straps taut against his shoulders. We were upside down. The front passenger seat sat empty. Chuck’s curly hair hung below the headrest in front of me. No one moved.
Mel’s gone.

An unnatural scream joined the howl of the wind. I fought at the latch of my seatbelt and failed to unbuckle it. There was no way to pull myself up and undo the latch at the same time. Tears rolled down my forehead as my body shook from the sobs taking over. How could we end up like this when I’d planned a perfect weekend? With no one to find us, a weekend to ourselves. Todd, the prepper, ensured we had everything we needed. Yet here we are. Hurt. Near death. Possibly dead. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t control this.

Frustration surged as I writhed against the seatbelt. I cried. Mel screamed. I closed my eyes. Tears stung my windswept skin. What would Dad tell me to do? Why didn’t I tell him about our trip to the Great Salt Bowl? I fell still for a moment. Dad would tell me to take in my surroundings.

I wiped my eyes. My head spun from the pressure. Dirt and small tufts of dead vegetation spread out to either side. The spinning made sense. The ground was below my head. Gaps in the blowing dust revealed the sky toward my feet. The only way out was not to panic. At that thought, my heart beat in my ears once more, and I forced my breathing to slow.

At the campground, Chuck teased Todd for over-stuffing the side-by-side. I tore open the pouches in front of me: hand warmers, sunscreen, and then a compass. It all bounced out of reach. I cursed. One pouch clung tight to its contents. I yanked at the exposed loop of black steel. A hooked knife. I slumped, breath ragged. Thank you Todd. I sliced the belt. My legs dropped, spine folding as I crashed onto the roof.

Todd groaned beside me, and my heart relaxed a little more. Dead people don’t groan, right? Mel’s screams quieted. I wanted to free Todd right away, but he was safe. Mel’s screams were fading fast, and I needed to find her before they disappeared. I focused on her cry of pain, turned toward it, and ran. The shifting winds died just enough to show a flailing arm on the other side of a thick, twisted bush. I screeched in excitement, in fear, in sheer hope my friend was okay.

“Mel!”

Pain bloomed in my hip. My leg locked up after my quick sprint, and I limped toward Mel. Tears streaked down my cheeks, and I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that this was all my fault. I should have let us at least keep our phones. Though I doubted there was any service down here anymore. Mel’s cries were mumbles by the time I reached her. I wrapped an arm around her as I pulled her out of the bush that must have saved her life. Thin cuts criss-crossed her right arm. My throat knotted as I pulled Mel free. A jagged shard of bone protruded from her left arm.

The contents of my stomach roiled. I laid Mel down on the ground next to the bush and sat next to her. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. I wrapped my arms around my knees and leaned forward, trying not to focus on Mel’s arm.

The upside-down vehicle still held two occupants. I wanted to go help them, but my thoughts warred inside. If only I’d listened to their warnings about the unsafe conditions. We wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t planned the “perfect” weekend.

I didn’t want Mel to be a third wheel.

Todd coerced Chuck into coming along.

Now, we were all going to die because I couldn’t listen to anyone but myself. I trembled as Mel cried next to me. I needed to make this right, even if I didn’t know how.

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The Great Salt Bowl Chapter 2 (Coming October 10, 2025)