I climbed into the passenger seat and pulled my wool coat tight around my neck.

Luke started the engine and turned the heater fan up to the highest setting.

He put the van in gear and backed slowly out onto the dark residential street.

We drove past the long rows of parked cars and headed for the open highway.

The heater blew warm, dry air across the plastic dashboard.

I watched the bare winter fields slide past the passenger window.

The tall streetlights threw long, stretching shadows over the frozen dirt.