<p><br></p><p><br></p><p>It was past six in the evening when Ella's old camry coughed to a halt on a quiet roadside. The engine sputtered once more, then fell silent. She stepped out, the stillness of the night pressing against her like a heavy coat. No signal. Just her, the trees, and the endless stretch of darkness.</p><p><br></p><p>As she popped the bonnet of the car pretending she might know what she was looking at, the hum of an engine approached. A dusty pickup truck rolled to a stop beside her. The driver, a middle aged man in a t-shirt, leaned out.</p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">“Need a hand?”</span><br></p><p><br></p><p>Ella hesitated, then nodded.</p><p><br></p><p>He climbed out, introduced himself as Ken and got to work. Within minutes, he found the problem...a loose battery. A quick twist, and the car came back to life.</p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">“Try it now,” he said with a sly grin.</span><br></p><p><br></p><p>She went into the car and turned it on, the engine purred.</p><p><br></p><p>“oh my God thank you,” she breathed, relief washing over her.</p><p><br></p><p>“No problem,” he said, tipping his cap, the grin still very much on his face. “Sometimes, even the road sends help when you least expect it.”</p><p><br></p><p>And just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the dark, leaving Ella with a running car and a story she’d never forget.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>