The beat-up ute trundled up the side of the mountain, huge tyres digging into the loose rock.
‘This was a terrible idea,’ I said through gritted teeth. My boyfriend ignored me, brow furrowed as he wrestled with the steering wheel, driving us further and further up.
‘I thought we were going on a date!’ I grumbled.
‘This is a date!’ he protested, as the back fishtailed slightly, gearbox protesting. ‘We’re having fun!’
‘You’re having fun,’ I shot back. ‘I’m getting motion sick.’
‘Oh, it’s not that bad,’ he chuckled. ‘If it makes you feel better, I did just get a log book service. Near Frankston!’
‘Why would that make me feel better?’
‘I don’t know, actually,’ he frowned. ‘Just felt like something you might want to know.’
‘I want to know what time we’re getting home,’ I sighed, pressing my forehead against the window, the cool glass bringing me a little relief. ‘Hang on – why is it so hot? It’s the middle of winter?’
‘Uh…’ he said, concentrating on shifting down. ‘Heat-wave?’
‘But it’s snowing outside,’ I said. I rolled down the window, sticking my hand out to collect some of the snowflakes. I expected it to melt into my hand, but instead it left a dirty residue on my palm. ‘What the…’ I muttered.
‘Are you letting snow into my car?’
‘I don’t think it’s snow,’ I said. ‘It looks kinda like… kinda like ash.’
Suddenly, the ground shook massively underneath us and the car’s suspension groaned at the unexpected strain.
‘What was that?’ my boyfriend grunted. ‘I don’t want to have to find a mechanic to get my car’s suspension repaired!’
‘I think that might be the least of our issues!’ I said, pointing at a crack in the rocks opening up ahead of us, a warm orange glow spilling out onto the ash-caked ground around it. ‘Did you bring me to a volcano?’
‘It was supposed to be romantic!’ he hollered back at me. ‘And it wasn’t supposed to be erupting!’