Chapter 5: Homeward Bound

 

Trip to Dundalk – Salty Adventures

Chapter 5: Homeward Bound

The bass was still thumping in Salty’s chest as they stumbled out of McKeown’s Bar just after 2am. The streets of Dundalk were alive with late-night chatter, taxi horns, and the distant hum of traffic on the bypass. Sarah clung to Salty’s arm, her blonde hair tousled from dancing, while Susan giggled as Finji tried to keep her upright in her heels.

“Right lads, time to hit the road,” Salty said, fishing his keys from his pocket. The group trudged back to the silver Honda, the cold night air sobering them up just enough for the journey ahead.

Salty fired up the engine and punched in the route home. The GPS flickered to life with its usual smug voice.

“Proceed to the route.”

Finji snorted. “Here we go again.”

Sure enough, within minutes, the GPS sent them down a pitch-black country lane lined with hedges taller than the car. The road narrowed until branches scraped both sides of the Honda, making Sarah squeal and Susan laugh uncontrollably from the back seat.

“Are we going to Narnia or what?” Finji muttered.

Salty clenched the steering wheel. “If this bloody GPS tells me to turn around one more time, I’ll launch it into a ditch.”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of reversing out of dead ends and dodging potholes that could swallow a tractor, they found themselves back on the M1. The relief in the car was instant. Finji reclined his seat with a dramatic sigh, Sarah curled up against Salty’s shoulder, and Susan hummed softly to herself, staring at the headlights flashing past in the darkness.

As the highway stretched ahead, empty and silent under the stars, Salty felt the calm settle in. Another mad night, another story to tell. And despite the awful GPS, he wouldn’t change it for the world.