Page 97
Story: Grave Matter
“I know, I know,” Kincaid says. “I’m just as upset about it as you, especially as the weather right now is brilliant for once. But things change here, and when they do, they change fast. We can reschedule the trip for next week, as soon as the storm clears, I promise. At least then you’ll know what to expect.”
“Can we have better food than sandwiches?” Munawar asks.
Kincaid chuckles. “Yes. I promise.”
So with that, we all get our packs on, knowing we’re going to be heading back down instead of up.
It’s funny, being away from Madrona has helped my head clear for the first time. Not counting my bizarre sexual plant hallucinations in the forest, since I still don’t know what the fuck that was about. I decide to wrap up that moment with a little bow and shove it back in my head, where it can collect dust along with other memories I don’t want to look at ever again.
At least the hike back down goes faster than the one going up. I try to focus on the positives about returning to the lodge early, and the only one I can come up with is the fact that it’s much easier for me to sneak into Kincaid’s boat in the middle of the night instead of a tent. And that’s enough of a perk for me.Having sex with Kincaid is the only thing that feels normal these days, like he’s the only thing keeping me remotely sane.
But when we finally reach the ATVs, the weather has started to change. It’s much cooler, with a wet ocean breeze, and the clouds are stiflingly low, threatening us with rain.
Of course since we’re back early, there isn’t an extra ATV for us.
“There’s not enough room for everyone,” Kincaid says, rubbing his jaw in thought.
“I can ride in the trailer!” Munawar offers.
“Still not enough room,” Hernandez says. “We have two ATVs and three groups, so one group will have to stay behind while the other drops people off and comes back for you.”
“I have the rifle,” Kincaid says. “And I’m the only one licensed to have one. I’ll stay behind.”
And I’m not going back to the lodge alone. “I’ll stay, too,” I speak up, and I don’t give a fuck if that seems weird. I purposely avoid Lauren’s stare, but then she says, “I’ll stay too.”
“Me too,” say Munawar and Rav.
Patrick, who was with us on the way up, shrugs and says he’ll also stay.
“Now, to find out which one of you can drive an ATV,” Hernandez says, clapping his hands together.
Surprisingly Natasha raises her hand. “My parents have a dairy farm outside Chicago. I can do it.”
So Natasha gets behind the wheel, looking very comfortable, and Hernandez gets behind the other as the rest of the students pile in. They wave and drive off, leaving us in their dust.
I swallow hard. “Now what?” I say, looking at Kincaid for guidance.
“We can sit here and twiddle our thumbs, or we can get moving,” he says. “I say we get moving. I’m sure we’ll be halfway down by the time they return for us. Beats waiting.”
We start walking down the logging road. The rain seems to hold off and the wind dies down to nothing. But in its place rises the mist, condensing on everything, leaving the atmosphere cold, dank, and spooky. The forest rises up from other side of the road, but you can only see a few yards through the trees and the tops become covered in fog.
None of us say much at first, the air filling with a thick, eerie silence punctuated only by the crunching of our shoes on the dirt, and the soft clang of the bear bells. The fog seems to bring the mosquitoes, and I try to wave them away as they whine in my ears.
But as I’m doing so, something in the misty woods catches my eye.
There’s something there, something dark lurking, sliding between the trunks.
“Hey guys,” I say, raising my voice. “I might be seeing things, but is there something to our right? Look between the trees.”
Kincaid instinctively reaches back to touch his rifle as everyone looks where I’m staring.
“I don’t know, it’s hard to tell when we’re moving too,” Rav says. “Maybe we should st?—?”
“No,” Kincaid cuts him off, taking the rifle off his shoulder. “No, we keep walking. We keep talking. Loudly.”
“Okay great!” Munawar says. “Because I think there’s something to our left.”
Our heads swivel to the other side of the road. I squint to see what looks like moving bushes until something rises up out of it, a black shape.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97 (Reading here)
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143