Page 40

THIRTEEN

ASTER

The five of us clung together as we made our way from the cafeteria towards the direction of Cabin Six. Each of us jumped and reacted to every little sound coming from the woods, knowing we weren’t alone out here.

“Anything?” I shouted through the rain.

Kaila’s flashlight panned in every direction. “Nothing!”

Shit. There was still no sign of Solomon or Wolfe. Or even Willie. And the storm was in full force. We could barely hear ourselves talk, let alone think.

“Maybe we should head back!” Sandy shouted. “I mean, they could’ve already returned!”

Rodney shook his head. “No! This is the only path you can take in this weather! We would’ve seen them!”

Where are they?

Kaila aimed her flashlight ahead. “The cabin isn’t far!

” The same eerie whispers I had heard throughout my time at the camp brushed along my ears.

I stopped, dead in my tracks, and searched the woods.

Everyone noticed. “What is it?” Kaila asked.

I listened closely and knew something bad was about to happen. As it always did.

Suddenly, we heard someone scream. We all looked in the direction of the sound and my heart sank.

Wolfe.

I sprinted through the woods as the group followed. We ran towards Wolfe’s screams and cries until we eventually spotted him. He was on the ground, clutching his thigh.

“Oh my God!” Kaila gasped. “Is that an arrow?”

It was.

Seeded deep in Wolfe’s thigh was an arrow, just like the ones used in archery here at the camp. We all surrounded him, and I fell down next to him. His bloodshot eyes stared at me as he cried and groaned in pain. “Aster!” he sobbed. “Help me.”

I nodded my head. “Yes,” I whispered. “It’s okay. I’m here. We’re all here.” He looked up and around at the group and seemed to be relieved.

Rodney crouched next to me as we examined the arrow closely. Sandy dropped the backpack she carried and began to shuffle through the medical supplies. I looked at Rodney and the look he gave me told me how bad things really were.

“Can we pull it out?” I asked.

He shook his head and spoke quietly so Wolfe wouldn’t hear. “It’s too deep. If you yank it out, the arrowhead will only cause more damage, and there’s no way to stop him from bleeding out.” Rodney gently pushed against Wolfe’s trembling thigh. Blood poured from the wound, and he cried out in agony.

I stared at the arrow and tried to figure something out. “What if we snap it?” I asked. “Would that be possible?”

Rodney made a face. “Hypothetically, yes, that might work.” He examined the wound closer. “But we would need to find something to hold the rest in place until he can get help. Real help.”

Sandy brought us the backpack. She handed me a few packs of gauze and a wrap. “Will these work?” she asked.

Rodney nodded and took the supplies. “Do we have anything to sanitize the wound? Water? Alcohol? Anything like that?”

The rest of us looked around and shook our heads. Kaila patted her pockets. “Yes!” She pulled out a tiny bottle of vodka and handed it to Rodney. We all looked up at her. “What?” She shrugged. “It’s camp, not rehab!”

Rodney made a face and thanked her for the bottle.

“Okay, Wolfe, I’m going to need you to lie down.

Kaila, lay his head on your lap.” She sat down and carefully placed Wolfe’s head in her lap as we all tried to slowly move him.

He was in so much pain. “Okay, Sandy, you’re going to have to keep him from moving.

Now, Wolfe, I’m not going to lie to you.

This is going to hurt.” Wolfe groaned and cried, but he nodded his head.

“Aster, I’m going to secure his thigh, but I need you to break the shaft of the arrow. ”

“Me?” I shook my head in fear. “No, I–I don’t think I should.”

Rodney argued with me. “Yes. It has to be you. I can’t do it and hold the arrowhead in place. You have to do it. Wolfe needs you, Aster.” I looked back at Wolfe. Kaila was stroking his hair and trying to soothe him. His fear stricken eyes stared back at me, and I knew I had to do this.

“Okay,” I whispered. I stared up at Rodney. “Tell me what to do.”

Rodney explained everything the best he could.

Kaila held Wolfe’s head and tried to keep him calm while Sandy leaned over and pinned his arms down.

My hands trembled as I waited for Rodney to tell me when to break the arrow.

He pressed roughly on Wolfe’s thigh, causing him to cry out and squirm.

Blood poured from the wound as Wolfe continued to move and thrust in pain and things became a bit more difficult.

“Now, Aster!” I grabbed the arrow shaft and groaned as I tried to break it. Wolfe was moving so much, making it difficult to do. “Aster!”

“I’m trying!” I shouted back at Rodney.

Snap. The arrow broke.

“There!”

Rodney popped the vodka bottle open with his mouth and poured it over the wound.

Wolfe screamed and arched his body while Rodney pressed layers of gauze onto his thigh and then wrapped it carefully.

As he secured the wound, Wolfe seemed to ease up a bit.

Sandy let go, and we all sat there, out of breath and exhausted.

“Fuck,” I breathed.

We all sat in silence, processing everything.

We were emotionally, physically, and mentally drained.

Kaila held Wolfe close while Sandy and Rodney cleaned up what they could and secured the remaining supplies we had.

Rodney’s hands were covered in Wolfe’s blood.

I looked down and realized mine were as well.

Immense anxiety swelled in my chest, and I frantically began to wipe it off on my jacket, which, in spite of what Willie said, was not keeping me dry.

“Aster.” We all looked over at Wolfe. “I saw him.” He was sweating and trembling, writhing in agony. “I saw him.”

“Who?” I asked.

Wolfe swallowed. “Sol. He’s out here, in the woods.

They have him tied up to one of the redwoods.

” He began to cry. “He had arrows in him, Aster!” Kaila hugged him.

“And when he saw me, he told me to run! I shouldn’t have left him!

I shouldn’t have left him!” Wolfe sobbed uncontrollably as Kaila held him.

I stood and dragged the axe to my side. Everyone watched me closely as I stared off into the woods ahead. “We can still save him.”

Rodney jumped to his feet. “Do you think that’s really a good idea? Wolfe really shouldn’t be walking. Maybe we should wait for Willie. Or Nurse B.”

I laughed. “Are you serious? Willie took off! He left Sol alone! And as for Nurse B, well, I wouldn’t trust her to save anyone.

” I walked over to Kaila and Wolfe and helped them to their feet.

Wolfe put his arm around me and stood. “We’re going to find Solomon.

With or without you.” Wolfe and I hobbled in the direction he pointed.

Kaila and Sandy looked back at Rodney and shadowed us.

Rodney groaned. “Fine.” He trailed behind. “But can we please try to avoid anyone else getting hurt? We’re almost out of supplies.”

Easier said than done.

Wolfe pointed the way out to us, and we all cautiously moved through the woods in the direction of the camp’s archery range.

We stopped just outside the plot, and I carefully positioned Wolfe next to Kaila.

She and Sandy were going to keep Wolfe safe while Rodney and I continued forward and searched for Solomon.

Wolfe grabbed my hand and thanked me, but I just smiled.

Rodney and I left the lantern behind with the others and quietly crouched through the tall grass and trees.

I clutched the axe close to my body as we moved.

Rodney motioned up ahead at something. I noticed a faint light coming from the other side of one of the large redwood trees.

He pointed towards the path behind it, and I nodded.

Together, we silently moved closer. We both stuck together and peeked around the tree to find Sol’s lantern sitting on the ground.

Rodney glanced around and slowly picked it up.

I noticed blood all over the handle and gasped.

“Aster,” he whispered. “Look.” My eyes followed his fingers, and we noticed a second light maybe a few feet away.

“Let’s go.” Rodney and I both continued to crouch through the woods and followed the light.

Odd sounds came from the other side of the trees ahead of us.

They broke through the storm, and I had a feeling I knew exactly who they belonged to.

And if I was right, there was no time to waste.

I shot to my feet and took off around the line of trees.

Rodney tried to call after me, but I couldn’t stop. I knew Sol was close.

Rodney chased after me, eventually catching up.

“Oh my God.” Rodney and I both froze, and he dropped Sol’s lantern. “Is that?”

Directly in front of us was Solomon. His arms were spread out and tied to a redwood tree while his body remained standing, like a cross, bloodied and beaten.

Numerous totems hung from the very same tree and danced in the wind.

He had at least half a dozen arrows pierced into his flesh and even more stuck in the tree around him.

His head was hung low, and if it wasn’t for the low faint noises he was making, I wouldn’t know he was alive.

Oh my God.

“Sol!” I shouted as I ran towards him.

Solomon groaned and slowly raised his head. He looked like shit and had blood dripping from his mouth and splattered along his beaten face. “Aster?” He struggled to focus on my face, and I knew he had to be in an insufferable amount of pain. “Is that you?”

Tears burned in my eyes as I helplessly stared at him, unsure of what the hell to do. “Sol,” I cried. My hands trembled, and I gently touched his face. “What happened to you?”

He was wheezing and struggling to breathe. “Wolfe,” he whispered. “Wolfe was here. He—” Sol groaned in pain.

“Wolfe is safe.” I smiled. He exhaled with relief. “Thank you, Aster.” Rodney rushed to my side and stood there in shock.