Run on Red

by Noelle W. Ihli

“I haven’t been up to Coffee Creek in forever. How much farther is it to the reservoir?” “Coffin Creek,” Laura corrected me sternly.

vigilant, stay alive,” “Screw politeness,” “Stay safe, get weird,”

I decided this wasn’t a Dateline episode about two silly, scantily clad college girls going missing on their way to a party at Coffin Creek after all. This was an episode of Secrets to Survival. Laura

We just reset the clock, I told myself. Any time the host of Secrets to Survival covered a wilderness survival story, he repeated the same advice. It went something like, “You just have to remember the rule of threes. You can survive three minutes without air. Three hours without shelter. Three days without water. Three weeks without food. First things first, and you’ll survive.” I wrapped the blanket tighter around my body. What was the rule of threes for the terrifying chase with the men in the truck that had sent Laura and me plummeting to the valley floor? Three seconds before he pulls you from the car by your hair. Three minutes of sliding through the hills without a proper airbag or seatbelt. I

“Oh my god, yes, you’re doing great.” The words tumbled out in a rush, to Laura or God or both.

The lazy riffles in the surface winked as they reflected the star-filled sky.

Above us, the stars winked brighter, dazzling in their clarity. The view would have been stunning if I wasn’t worried it might be the last thing we’d ever see.

The idea that every choice, no matter how small, mattered had fascinated my anxious brain.

breathing in sweat and a familiar whiff of the BedHead shampoo we shared.