Double Crossed

I Was Not Checking Him Out

The dark green forest stands firm in front of me, with Jacky, Zane, Bonny, and Volant standing at my sides. I can’t help but be nervous about what Volant is leading us into, I know why he’s doing it I’m just not sure about it. After leaving the Wal-Mart plaza we walked for about half an hour, to a more isolated part of the city. Volant is trying to lead us away from prying eyes, and he thinks the best way to do that is to go to the forest. After all, what better way is there to stay hidden in Canada than to camp out in a forest?

Volant starts to walk forward toward the forest and I follow him, the others hesitate momentarily before coming with us. We walk for hours, Zane and Jacky the only ones keeping up some sort of conversation. Surprisingly, no one has asked about where Volant is taking us. I’m pretty sure we’re all just too tired to ask, that or we’re trying to show our trust for Volant by not asking. I think it’s the first one. I can’t speak for the others but I’m very tired. Especially since the gunshot wound in my shoulder is killing me now that the adrenalin from the day has worn off. I can feel the aches and pains from the fight beginning.

The sun is beginning to set and the sky fills with shades of pink, orange, and purple with only a hint of blue here and there. I look around for the hundredth time and am met with the same thing that I have been seeing for many hours. Green. Endless, rich green. Trees and bushes are everywhere and that’s when it clicked. The five of us are in the middle of the forest with no end in sight, continuously walking deeper, and the sun is setting. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned.

It’s a well-known fact that wolves and raccoons wander the forest, even an occasional bear is seen. And believe me, a bear is the last thing you want to run into. Do you know what sucks more than walking through the woods at night? Having to sleep through the night in them. Especially since it’s starting to get cold at nights now that it’s almost October and we don’t have anything more than guns and the clothes on our backs.

About twenty minutes later we walked into a clearing of sorts, it backed onto an unknown body of water that I can’t name. I have never been good at geography. All I need to know is my address and the location of the nearest Tim Hortons. The tree line we just emerged from ends and the grass and bushes gives way to soft, slightly warm sand. It reminds me of the times our group would go for a late night swim at Kim’s cottage and the sand between our toes would be colder than us in bathing suits at eleven thirty at night.

Smiling at the memory I take off my shoes and socks and walk forward towards the sand. The feeling of cold sand falling between my toes taking me back to simpler times. Happier times. I remember we would only last five minutes, not even, in the water before running back to shore. Jade would complain about the sand getting stuck to her wet feet and then Sophia would start to throw more sand at her. We would run around the beach throwing sand at each other until we were covered in the stuff. It was so much fun, even if we had to go back into the lake again after to wash the sand off. Kim’s parents wouldn’t let us use the shower because we would have clogged the drain with the amount of sand between the nine of us.

I lose track of time, reminiscing about the times where we didn’t have to look over our shoulder every second of the day. Where we didn’t have to worry about staying alive. Reminiscing about the weekends where our only worry was getting sun burnt, eating too much food before going swimming, and making sure the water was calm enough for water skiing.

Now everything’s different. Now I can only stand here on some random beach in the middle of the forest and remember when I didn’t have to worry all the time. To remember a time when I wasn’t scared. And that is when it first hits me.

I’m scared. I’m scared we’re going to fail. I’m scared Hecate is going to destroy everything I’ve ever known in life. I’m scared for the millions of innocent people who lives have been placed in my hands. I’m scared for the lives of my team, my friends, and my family. I’m scared of dying.