Afewyearsagomyhusband,mysonandIweretravelingtovisitmycousins.Itwasabouttwoorthreeinthemorning,whenitbecameclearthatwewerelost.Thecountryroadseemedtobegoingonforever,andthe (11)___wetraveled,theworseitseemedtoget.
Finallywe(12)___atruckstop.SowepulledinandIgotoutofthecarfor (13)___.
"DoesanybodyhereknowhowtofindMerridaleRoad?"Iasked.
Averytiredwaitresslookedupandsaid,"Lady,Ihaven'tgotaclue."
Sinceshewasnot (14)___,Ilookedaroundatthecustomers.There,sittingnearby,werefourofthetoughestmenIhadeverseeninmylife.Chains.Blackleather.Skullsandcrossbones (骷髅).
Iimmediatelythoughtofmy (15)___inthecarandwhatthesecharactersmightdotous.
"Weknow (16)___you'regoing,"oneofthemsaidcheerfully."Notonlythat,butwe'lltakeyouthere."
(17)___Icouldsayno,theygotup,paidtheirbill,andwereoutsideontheirmotorcycles,gesturing (打手势),"(18)___us!"
Westartedtofollowthemdownthedarkandquietcountryroads.
Afterafewminutes,mysondecideditwasall (19)___forus."They'retakingustoa(20)___place,andthatwillbetheend,"hesaiduneasily."I'm (21)___goingtoseemyschoolormyfriendsagain.Howcanyoudothistome?"
I (22)___tomyhusband,"Idon'twanttoscareJack,buthe'sright.Iamabit (23)___.It'sdark.Theroadisgettingverylonely.Andthesepeoplearetough.MaybeIdidthe(24)___thing."
"Nokidding,"hereplied."We'rejustgoingtohaveto (25)___thatit'sgoingtobeallright."
Aboutanhourlater,after (26)___throughendlessbackroadsdeepinthewoods,theygesturedtoustogoleft.
Welookedup,andthere was the (27)___forMerridaleRoad.Theyhadputusontherightroadafterall.Andthenthey (28)___good-byeanddisappearedfromview.
IfI'velearnedanythingonthis(29)___journeyofmine,it'sthataroundeverybendintheroad,andattheendofeventhedarkesttunnel,there'slikelytobeacompanyof(30)___.