The Only Road Left

Jo's midnight shift at Wren County Radio usually meant weather notices, old songs, and calls from insomniacs who wanted to hear their own names. When rain swallowed the highway, she read the sheriff's closure list twice. At 12:18, a man called to say Cedar Bridge was open. He gave his name as Deputy Ross and told her to correct the broadcast immediately. Before Jo could reach the sheriff, another line lit up. Her father was driving the last school bus home from a tournament. "Cedar's the only road left," he said. "Tell me which voice to trust."